We always know he’ll come through Bethany sometime before the Passover Feast. His mother and father brought him on the annual pilgrimage to Jerusalem when he was a child. That was how we met him. His mother Mary was like a mother to me and my siblings. When they came through Bethany, she would walk into this home and cook up a storm. We felt like royalty when mother Mary came to Bethany.

Preparing the Seder meal is no easy task. Each aspect of our preparations require tender care and exquisite attention. The seder is a precious reminder of the time when our Jewish ancestors were living in exile and God’s love provided food, comfort and eventually freedom. That night, we were beginning the preparations for Passover when Jesus arrived. His mother wasn’t with him this time. When he walked in he seemed distracted and tense. Although even when he was distracted, he was so very present, so it’s hard to say that he was distracted. Martha was in the back preparing food for the meal and Lazarus was resting when he surprised us at the doorway. Instantly, like a flock of clucking hens, we ran into his arms…..

In both our scripture passages today, Jesus is dying.