Raising Lazarus
Read some poetry connected to the story of Lazarus and reflect on its meaning.
This poems are from the English Standard Version of the Bible.
Psalms 116:1-9
As you read through this Psalm, look for themes that connect to the story of Lazarus. (The term Sheol has to do with the Jewish concept of the afterlife or where the dead dwell.)
116 I love the Lord, because he has heard
my voice and my pleas for mercy.
2 Because he inclined his ear to me,
therefore I will call on him as long as I live.
3 The snares of death encompassed me;
the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me;
I suffered distress and anguish.
4 Then I called on the name of the Lord:
“O Lord, I pray, deliver my soul!”
5 Gracious is the Lord, and righteous;
our God is merciful.
6 The Lord preserves the simple;
when I was brought low, he saved me.
7 Return, O my soul, to your rest;
for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you.
8 For you have delivered my soul from death,
my eyes from tears,
my feet from stumbling;
9 I will walk before the Lord
in the land of the living.
Discussion Questions
Do you see any themes in this Psalm that connect with the story?