The faith and devotion of Martha, therefore, is set forth in this order: first, Martha's dutiful solicitude is indicated; second, her faithful confession; third, the amplification of her faithful confession.
(Verse 20). Martha's solicitude , therefore, is indicated in this, that she herself went to meet the Lord: she did not wait for him to come all the way to the house; therefore it says: Martha therefore, when she heard that Jesus was coming, went to meet him. In this it is clear that Martha was very solicitous, but on the contrary Mary was quiet; whence it says: But Mary sat at home, quiet, namely. For this reason it is said in Luke 10: "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things: Mary has chosen the best part." Most fittingly, by Martha going out to meet him is signified the active life: Isaiah 21: "Go to meet the fugitive with bread"; by Mary sitting at home, the contemplative life: whence Lamentations 3 concerning the contemplative man: "He shall sit solitary and hold his peace, because he has lifted himself above himself."
32. (Verse 21). Martha therefore said. Here the second point is touched upon, namely Martha's faithful confession, in which she confesses the Lord to be powerful and benign, so that he both could and would deliver and now raise him; therefore she says: Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died: because you would have willed and been able to deliver him; but even now you can raise him. Therefore she says:
33. (Verse 22). But even now I know, that is, I hold with firm faith, that whatever you shall ask of God, God will give you. Augustine: "I know that you can; if you will, you do it; but whether you do it is a matter of your judgment, not of my presumption." She did not dare to ask so great a thing, lest she suffer a refusal; but by expressing her faith she intimated her desire. Not only does God give what Christ asks, but also what is asked in his name; below in chapter 16: "If you shall ask the Father anything in my name, he will give it to you."
34. (Verse 23). Jesus says to her. Here the third point is touched upon, namely the amplification of the faithful confession. For Martha had confessed that the Lord could obtain her brother's resurrection; but the Lord wishes to lead her to this, that she confess that Christ can raise the dead; on account of which he says with authority: Your brother shall rise again. And Martha confesses concerning the general resurrection, whence she says:
35. (Verse 24). I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. She knew this from the Law: Daniel 12: "Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake"; she knew it through the teaching of Christ: above in chapter 6: "I will raise him up at the last day." But because she had not yet confessed that he would rise by the power of Christ, therefore she is instructed concerning this; on account of which he says:
36. (Verse 25). Jesus says to her: I am the resurrection and the life: the predication is causal, that is, I cause to rise again and to live; 1 Corinthians 15: "Christ is risen from the dead, the firstfruits of those who sleep, for since by a man came death, by a man also comes the resurrection of the dead." And he makes this manifest: He who believes in me, even if he be dead, shall live: and thus I cause to rise again; above in chapter 5: "The hour comes and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear shall live."
Not only do I make the dead rise, but I also make the living live: whence:
37. (Vers. 26.). And everyone who lives and believes in me shall not die forever; above in the sixth chapter: "Everyone who sees the Son and believes in him has eternal life." And because "with the heart one believes unto justice, but with the mouth confession is made unto salvation," therefore he says: Do you believe this?
38. (Vers. 27.). She said to him: Yes, Lord, this I believe, that you do this: I have believed that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who has come into this world; and thus you are able to raise up and give life, because, above in the fifth chapter, "just as the Father has life in himself, so he has given to the Son also to have life in himself." She confesses in this both his divinity and his humanity: because as Son of God, you are able; because you have come, you will do it: for to this end you were sent.
39. And when she had said these things. Having set forth the faithful confession of Martha, there is set forth here the faithful confession of Mary, which is described in this order: first, the haste of Mary when called; second, the association of the Jews; third, the faithful and devout confession.
(Vers. 28.). First, then, is set forth the haste of Mary when called, in which is signified repose and devotion in Mary: repose, because she did not come unless called by Martha; for this reason he says: And when she had said these things, she went and called her sister Mary in silence. Lamentations 3: "It is good to wait in silence for the salvation of God." She called her, I say, by the command of the Lord: Revelation, last chapter: "And let him who hears say: Come." And this is indicated because she called, saying: The Master is here and calls you. Although this was not previously stated for the sake of brevity, nevertheless it must be understood to have been so. Job 14: "You will call me, and I will answer you." Mary was not only at repose, but also devout; whence he says:
40. (Vers. 29.). She, as soon as she heard, arose quickly and came to him; she did not wait for him to come, but she herself ran swiftly before he entered; therefore he says:
41. (Vers. 30.). For Jesus had not yet come into the town, but was still in that place where Martha had met him. In this is signified that a man called by the Lord ought to hasten, as the good disciples did, of whom it is said in Matthew 4: "Immediately, leaving their nets, they followed him." Whence also that man is reproved in Luke 9, who said: "Let me first go and bury my father." Ecclesiasticus 31: "In all your works be swift." And Proverbs 18: "He who is soft and slack in his work is the brother of him who wastes his own works."
42. (Vers. 31.). The Jews therefore. Here the second point is touched upon, namely the association of the Jews: and the reason for associating was the desire to console; therefore he says: The Jews therefore, who were with her in the house and were consoling her: they had come for this purpose; when they saw Mary, that she rose quickly and went out, as if touched by grief, unable to endure for long, they followed her, saying: She is going to the tomb, to weep there. Therefore they followed, in order to console her, concerning which consolation Ecclesiasticus thirty-eight says: "Console him on account of his sorrow, and mourn according to his merit for one day or two, on account of detraction."
43. (Vers. 32.). Mary therefore, when she had come. Here the third point is touched upon, namely Mary's faithful and devout confession: on account of which he says: Mary therefore, when she had come where Jesus was, seeing him, fell at his feet: behold, devotion, always at the feet of the Lord; whence Luke seven: "Mary standing behind near the feet of the Lord"; and the tenth: "Sitting near the feet of the Lord, she heard his word." It is not read of Martha that she fell at his feet, because she was not so devout nor so fervent as Mary; Deuteronomy thirty-three: "Those who draw near to his feet shall receive of his teaching." And there is added the faithful confession: And she said to him: Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died; in which she intimates the power of the Lord, as her sister had done before; but the former said more, namely that he would still raise him, if he willed; and the latter out of reverence was silent and out of devotion wept and moved the Lord more greatly, as will be evident below. In which it is intimated that the Lord hears the groaning of the heart more than the sound of the mouth; Gregory: "To pray truly is to utter bitter groanings in compunction and not polished words"; whence in First Kings one it is said that Hannah wept abundantly and prayed silently.
Questions.
44. Question I. But it is asked here: why does the Lord so diligently seek Martha's confession of faith in the resurrection, when he knew that she faithfully believed? And what was the necessity?
It must be said that the faith of Lazarus's sisters obtained his raising; and because faith is more certain and firm when we confess with the mouth, therefore he sought the confession of the mouth.
45. Question II. But then it is asked, to which virtue it more belongs to obtain a miracle?
1. And that it belongs to faith, it seems, because below in the same chapter: Did I not say to you: If you believe, you will see the glory of God?
Likewise, Mark nine: If you can believe, all things are possible to the one who believes; and in the same place it is said that the Lord told the Apostles that they could not cast out the demon because of their unbelief.
And the Apostle in First Corinthians thirteen: If I should have faith, so as to move mountains.
2. But that it belongs to hope, it seems, because in Matthew nine it is said to her: Take courage, daughter; therefore it seems that it belongs to confidence; but confidence belongs to hope.
3. That it belongs to charity, however, seems clear: because it is charity's role to unite one to God and to make one a friend, and such persons are most worthy to be heard.