Standing amid the ruins of the ancient Biblical city of Capernaum on the northwest corner of the sea of Galilee, I looked out at the crumbling stone walls of what was a thriving city 2,000 years ago. I have been there a dozen times or more, each time surveying the panorama, and each time wondering within which of those dwellings Jesus had raised the dead daughter of Jairus, the ruler of the synagogue. See Mark 5:22–24, 35–43 .
People have been strongly conditioned to think about and fear death. But the Bible and Science and Health by Mary Baker Eddy encourage individuals not to believe in death, but rather to challenge it. Raising the dead was and is central to the master Christian's mission. Didn't he command his followers, "Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils"? Matt. 10:8. Jesus didn't say, "Take your pick." The assignments are inextricably linked.
Except for his own resurrection, perhaps Jesus' most challenging task was the restoration of life to Lazarus. Bible scholars are 90 percent certain of the identity and the location of Lazarus' tomb in East Jerusalem, over toward Bethany. These are real places, not the stuff of myth.
