| Geneva Study Bible {4} And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother. (4) God, who is the maker of nature, does not condemn natural emotions, but shows that they ought to be guided by the rule of faith. People's New Testament 11:19 Many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary. Jews from Jerusalem, of which Bethany was a suburb. As Jews in John's usage means the ruling classes, the fact that they came shows that the family of Lazarus was influential. These came to comfort; that is, to sit with and talk to the mourners. The mourning was kept up thirty days. Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary 19. many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary to comfort them-Thus were provided, in a most natural way, so many witnesses of the glorious miracle that was to follow, as to put the fact beyond possible question. Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary 11:17-32 Here was a house where the fear of God was, and on which his blessing rested; yet it was made a house of mourning. Grace will keep sorrow from the heart, but not from the house. When God, by his grace and providence, is coming towards us in ways of mercy and comfort, we should, like Martha, go forth by faith, hope, and prayer, to meet him. When Martha went to meet Jesus, Mary sat still in the house; this temper formerly had been an advantage to her, when it put her at Christ's feet to hear his word; but in the day of affliction, the same temper disposed her to melancholy. It is our wisdom to watch against the temptations, and to make use of the advantages of our natural tempers. When we know not what in particular to ask or expect, let us refer ourselves to God; let him do as seemeth him good. To enlarge Martha's expectations, our Lord declared himself to be the Resurrection and the Life. In every sense he is the Resurrection; the source, the substance, the first-fruits, the cause of it. The redeemed soul lives after death in happiness; and after the resurrection, both body and soul are kept from all evil for ever. When we have read or heard the word of Christ, about the great things of the other world, we should put it to ourselves, Do we believe this truth? The crosses and comforts of this present time would not make such a deep impression upon us as they do, if we believed the things of eternity as we ought. When Christ our Master comes, he calls for us. He comes in his word and ordinances, and calls us to them, calls us by them, calls us to himself. Those who, in a day of peace, set themselves at Christ's feet to be taught by him, may with comfort, in a day of trouble, cast themselves at his feet, to find favour with him. | 
