White Robed Monks of St. Benedict

Chapter 14 Let us die with him (John 11:16)  

John 11:16:
Then said Thomas, which is called
Didymus, unto his fellow disciples,
"Let us also go, that we may die with him.

     Jesus was accused of blaspheming God by the very words he spake. His words were true, but to the JewThomas was not talking about going to die with Jesus, for the subject has changed to Lazarus being dead.
     To say "that we may die with him" is just the speech of the people that describes the intensity of love he had for the man who is dead.
     When a man dies in the East, his wife or loved ones will go and lie down beside him for long periods of time. Some are so bereaved that they could lie there and die with him unless others came in and pulled them away.
     It is also common for the family to hire mourners who will make great noises of weeping and moaning. The more noise, the better the funeral. Inside of the wailing women ther is no conviction, they care nothing for the dead person, but they appear real and sincere.

 Jeremiah  9:17-18:
Thus saith the Lord of hosts,
"Consider ye, and call for the
mourning womwn, that they may
come, and send for cunning women,
that they may come.

And let them make haste, and take up
a wailing for us, that our eyes may
run down with tears, and our eyelids
gush out with waters.

     Thomas was very sincere in his desire to go and show his sympathy for Lazarus' family. He understood that this was a time that they needed the disciples special support.

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