The child is not dead but asleep”, Joshua Immanuel the Christ declared to Jairus and his family as they cried loudly over the death of his daughter.    But when they all heard Joshua’s pronouncement, “…they all laughed him to scorn for they knew she was dead”. ^{LK 8:53}  Joshua excused the crowd of bemused friends and family allowing only the departed girl’s mother, father, and three of his closest companion disciples to stay.   He took her by the hand and said to her in Aramaic, "Talitha koum!" (Which means, "Little girl, I say to you, get up!"). “Immediately the twelve year old girl stood up and walked around. At this they were completely astonished.” ^Mk5:39

It is interesting to note, that when Joshua went to Jairus’ home to restore Life to the little girl’s dead body, he would not allow any of his companion disciples to follow except John, James & Peter.   The reason for this, as Daskalos has revealed, is that when doing healing work on a person it can be helpful to have loving friends present who wish to cooperate in the healing of that person.  But also in healing work, if you have someone doubting present; his doubting thoughts (elementals) may negatively influence the healing work.  

In the story of raising Lazarus from the dead, Joshua again refers to someone whose material body had really died, as not dead but only sleeping.  He told his disciples:  "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up." ^{JN 11:11}   Joshua’s metaphor was so convincing that the disciples thought he was talking about natural sleep.  So the disciples replied: “…if he sleeps then he will get better” ^{JN 11:13.}  Seeing that his disciples completely missed the point, Joshua had to plainly say: “Lazarus is dead, and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him." ^{JN 11:14}

Lazarus lived in Bethany with his sisters.  By the time Joshua and the disciples reach Bethany Lazarus had been dead for four days, his body entombed in a cave and sealed by a large stone.   As requested the people removed the large stone sealing the cave/tomb of Lazarus.  Once it was removed, Joshua gave thanks to his Heavenly Father for hearing his prayers.  Then in a loud voice Joshua called: “Lazarus, come out!”  And Lazarus emerged from the grave, his hands and feet wrapped and bound in strips of linen with his face covered with a cloth.  Joshua said: “Loose him and let him go”. ^{JN 44}

Taken from an exoteric historical perspective this is an important event in the short material life of Joshua in Palestine some 2000 years ago.  This miracle was visible proof of the truth of Joshua’s oral teachings and demonstrated that he was sent by God.   But the underlying aim of this miracle was not just to reanimate a perishable body but to inspire faith in the people and show the mercy of God in a evident way.  We would miss much of the deeper meanings if we consider this to be only a historical record of a physical miracle.   Just before raising Lazarus, Christ pointed to the esoteric meaning when he told Martha, the sister of Lazarus, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die”. ^{JN 25-26}

Taken from an esoteric perspective, this account has deep hidden meanings.  Broadly speaking the inner meaning of this account is that of a Spiritual awakening – the resurrection of spiritual consciousness in man.  And even the details of this event have great meaning to a researcher of truth in the world today.   First let us look at the meaning of the name Lazarus.  Lazarus is either considered to be a form of Eleazer, which means “Whom God has helped” or Lao-ezer, which means “Without help”.  Either way Lazarus symbolizes a helpless personality, which is not dead but has become wrapped up, entangled in materiality and slumbers in the tomb of its own sub-consciousness.    And it takes Christ, that inner light of every man and woman, the I Am, to awaken our personality from it own symbolic death. Esoterically speaking, this is the much anticipated second coming of Christ.

But awakening a personality living an imprisoned life, enmeshed in materiality and buried in deep sleep, is not an easy endeavor.   It takes a strong will and power to do this.  Thus it is stated in the story that “Jesus called in a loud voice – Lazarus come out” ^{JN 11:43} This loud voice represents the powerful vibration of our divine nature, the I AM, calling and drawing our present-day personalities into higher states of consciousness leading to full Self-Consciousness (Self-Realization) and Self-Super-Consciousness (God-Realization - Cosmic Consciousness).   When Lazarus came out as commanded he was still tied up, his hands and feet bound with linen strips.  These represent entanglements which ensnare our personality during our earthly lives and if left unchecked they can ultimately induce a kind of spiritual coma.   There is nothing wrong in having material things especially when we use them for good.  However, being too wrapped up in material things is to become their slave and that can put our spiritual life into deep, deep sleep.

Joshua has the people remove the large stone that was sealing Lazarus in his cave and calls him to come out.  Those who live their life strictly through a materially oriented consciousness have unwittingly placed themselves in a grave-like shell while others of like mind help seal them in with the stone of materiality.  The world is always ready to place a heavy burden of materiality on a man or a woman and suffocate their spiritual life.  And today, this worldly weight seems to increase in quantity and complexity daily.  A person living this way can be considered spiritually dead; and yet they can be resurrected to a better life by the call of the Christ within.   Now upon seeing Lazarus coming from his tomb still wrapped in his grave clothes, Joshua said: “Loose him and let him go” ^{JN 11:44}.  This represents the release of the personality from its material bondage and suffering, with the restoration of its freedom to express its life anew.    Notice how in both cases Joshua calls to the people present (Lazarus’ worldly companions) to remove the stone of materiality and the wrappings of entanglements.   These were the same people who wrapped Lazarus in these bonds and sealed his tomb with the massive stone.  Sometimes worldly companions help bind and hold us to materiality.  But once a personality has heard, understood and truly answered the call from its Divine Nature, no material thing can bind them.

The part of this story about the sisters of Lazarus, Martha and Mary, also contains a valuable teaching.  Martha’s personality was outwardly focused; she represents what modern psychology would call a “Type A” personality.  Martha symbolizes worldly activity and material consciousness.  Conversely, Mary’s approach to life symbolizes a spiritual consciousness with a more inwardly contemplative focus. 

“She [Martha] had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!"     

"Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better and it will not be taken away from her."    LK 10:40 - 42

Both the “Martha” and “Mary” types of expressions are necessary and valuable.  Without outward service nothing gets done.  Without inner devotion, and spiritual receptivity; outward service alone can become a dry, mechanical chore.    The message in the above quote is to be careful not over value outer, worldly activities to the detriment of an inner spiritual life. 

Then again at Lazarus’ tomb we see Martha expressing the material view.  When Joshua asked that the stone which had sealed Lararus’ in his tomb for days be removed, the practical Martha immediately saw a problem and pointed it out by saying to Joshua: “Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days ^{JN 11:39} .   Joshua replied: “Said I not unto thee, that, if thou would believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?” ^{JN 11:40}.   Here, the worldly mind as expressed by Martha could only perceive the perishable, the corrupting material body of her dead brother.   Joshua, on the other hand, saw through the perishable material body, all the way to the incorruptible, imperishable Soul and called it back.

The historical account of this event ends with the high Jewish priests deciding to have Lazarus killed before word of Lazarus’ resurrection spreads through out Israel and strengthens Joshua’s following.   Fortunately Joshua persuaded Lazarus, Martha and Mary to make a quick escape to Cyprus before that happened.   Later in the town of Larnaca, Cyprus Lazarus is appointed Bishop by Saints Barnabas and Mark.  Here Lazarus lives for another 30 years.  There is a 9^th century Baroque style church dedicate to Lazarus in Larnaca that was restored in the 17^th century. It is built over Lazarus’ final resting place.  If you go into the church’s crypt beneath the sanctuary, you will find Lazarus sarcophagus.  Bones reportedly from Lazarus body are on display and people come to touch them for inspiration in remembrance of Lazarus resurrection.

The meaning of this story transcends all religions.  It is not limited to Christianity but is a universal experience of the human condition.   This call from Christ to Lazarus in the grave is symbolic of the clarion call by everyone’s Spirit-Soul to their personality. This call is, was and will always be sounded. However, it is up to us to be ready at all times and in all places to hear that call and answer it with all our heart, mind and spirit.   Even in the brief history of psychology, we see leaders such as Carl Jung (1875-1961), describe this higher call as the Transformational Impulse within the human psyche.  And when we quiet our thoughts, still our emotions we can hear this call and tangibly feel something very high within us drawing us back home to our Divine Nature.

Now we come to a bit of a paradox.  In the previous stories, we see Christ calling those whose material bodies had died, as not dead but only sleeping.  In this next account Joshua calls those whose bodies are still alive as “The Dead”.

He [Christ] said to another man, "Follow me."  But the man replied, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father."   Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead” ^{LK 9:59 - 60}

Joshua’s statement does not advise we should abandon our family elders in their final days on Earth.   But it does mean that when we hear the call to follow God – Truth - Love; we should not hesitate or postpone answering it because of healthy or unhealthy earthly relationships.  Christ said: “Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me ^{Mathew 10:37} .   Of course Joshua was not making an egoistic statement here.  And he was not saying that we shouldn’t love our family very dearly.  But he was making an important point that we should not place earthly relationships ahead of our own relationship to God.    Too many people live a subconscious, mundane life loitering about on earth often like sleepwalkers.  They do not lift their eyes up from their habitual material patterns to seek something higher. These are the ones Joshua refers to as “The Dead” (spiritually dead).  And relationships with the dead should not be given exclusive priority over cultivating our own spiritual unfoldment – this is the point.

However, spiritual unfoldment is accelerated by service to others.   So once we answer the spiritual call and begin to follow we can become embolden by our progress and often feel the need to help the other people around us.   Here we must use the mind as reason to distinguish between the dead and the sleeping.  Joshua’s teachings never advise people to proselytize or press their beliefs on others.   And if we try to share the teachings and our good efforts are not welcomed, the advice is to wipe the dust from our feet and leave – don’t force it.   So in trying to help others, before we speak we must try to discern between those who are spiritually dead (at this time) and those who are only sleeping.   And if we want to help wake up a spiritually sleeping person we must go slow.  Each personality is different, so before we try, we must come to an understanding of who to tell what, how much to tell, and when to tell it.  We will not be successful if we go rushing in to a spiritually sleeping person and yell “Wake up I found the truth and you must accept it now!” anymore than we should rush in to a physically sleeping person and yell Wake up, you must Wake up right now!  This approach is will only produce a most undesirable reaction.   Instead let the loving vibration of our approach to help others gently say: Wake up my Love.

Love, 

Daniel
Oct. 13 2006

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