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Lazarus bible story theology2/18/2024 ![]() I wanted to balance the living against the dead and the light against the darkness - that led me to this composition which focuses on the faces of the two main characters of Jesus and Lazarus, the grasp of their hands, on Jesus’s Jewishness and the characters of Mary and Martha shown mourning in the background even as the bystanders celebrate the miracle.” The idea that a beloved friend could come back to us and the emotional drama of the idea… resulted in this image. “After the very challenging year of lockdown I wanted to make a symbol for hope and was interested in this narrative. O’Connell was also influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic when he created the linocut print in 2021. O’Connell credits Q Spirit articles by Kittredge Cherry for drawing him into the story of Lazarus, Mary and Martha and its layered queer symbolism. Mary and Martha, the other members of this seemingly queer family, hug each other as Jesus pulls Lazarus from the grave. Even Jesus struggles and is almost lost into the darkness as he struggles to overcome death itself. “Lazarus! Come Out!” by queer British artist Tony O’Connell emphasizes how the love between the two men was stronger than death. Limited-edition prints are available at his Hallowed Prints Etsy shop. Lazarus falls ill, and the sisters send a message to Jesus that “the one you love is sick.” The Bible identifies him as a man living in the village of Bethany with his sisters Mary and Martha. Lazarus was raised from the dead by Jesus in a dramatic miracle told in John: 11. Lazarus and his sisters Mary and Martha of Bethany formed a nontraditional family at a time when there was huge pressure for heterosexual marriage. Losing your garment could be a euphemism for dying. Possibly he was the angel in the tomb of Jesus, described as “a young man dressed in a white robe” in Mark 16:1-8. He may also have been the queer water carrier who led the way to the Last Supper and/or the nameless “ rich young ruler” who asks Jesus how to find eternal life in all three synoptic gospels. ![]() ![]() The term implies that Jesus was in love with him, and perhaps they shared the kind of intimacy that today would be called “gay.” Bible experts suggest that Lazarus was the unnamed naked man or “ naked fugitive” who ran away when Jesus was arrested in Mark 14:51-52. Scholars theorize that Lazarus was also the unnamed “one whom Jesus loved,” also known as “the beloved disciple,” referenced at least five times in the Gospel of John. 17 in the earlier editions of the Roman Catholic calendar. He is celebrated on July 29 in contemporary Catholic and Protestant churches. Some believe that Lazarus of Bethany was the “beloved disciple” of Jesus - and maybe even his same-sex lover. ![]()
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