LIVING WATERS
For the proclamation of the Gospel and the edification of the Body of Christ
Bethany, a Type of the Church
Bethany was a village located on the eastern slope of the Mount of Olives, about 3 km. from Jerusalem, near the road to Jericho. Externally it was like many others; however, for the Lord Jesus it was very special, because Martha, Mary and Lazarus, his friends, lived there.
As the opposition in Jerusalem grew fiercer toward the end of his ministry, that home in Bethany became more welcoming to him. There was a woman who sat at his feet to listen to him with devotion, another woman who cared to attend to him, and his friend Lazarus. How much solace he will have found in that home in a modest village! A pool of still waters in the midst of a stormy and agitated opposition.
Bethany means "House of song" and also "House of affliction". Contradictory? No, Bethany is both. Sublime moments were lived there, such as the experience of the resurrection and the anointing of Mary; and also of great sadness, like the death of the friend and the consequent resistance of the religious. It is life with Christ, which always brings with it the experience of death and resurrection; where, however, the presence of Christ presides over everything, and ensures everything.
Bethany is a New Testament type of the church, which, regardless of the religious system that Jerusalem represents –with its multiple rituals and its rejection of the Lord– turns completely towards Christ. In simplicity and modesty, the hearts of those friends become the true house of the Lord. Everything there centers on Christ; everything looks towards him and in him finds its meaning.
When the Lord ascends to heaven, he does so from Bethany, turned towards his friends and disciples, and turning his back on Jerusalem. "He will return like this, just as you have seen him go", said those men in white garments. Thus, with his face turned towards those who love him, listen to him and honor him, he will return like this.
We are told that today Bethany is a dilapidated and poor village called El-Azariyeh, or Lazariyeh (the town of Lazarus). How could it not be, if the Lord is no longer there, and if his dear friends are not there either? Ruinous and poor is every place where he is not, where his voice is not heard or his gaze is perceived, where the Lord is not cared for or loved, where he does not find satisfaction.