Liberation Notes

Notes 1: The Sickness Unto Death by Anti-Climacus 

The Sickness Unto Death by Anti-Climacus (AC), one of Kierkegaard’s pseudonyms, uses the story of Christ raising Lazarus from the dead to frame the problem of death and sickness, and ultimately the self, in spiritual terms. For the Christian, Jesus is the resurrection and the life, and those who believe in Christ have eternal life. Thus, sickness is a resistance to the belief that Christ is the resurrection and the life.

I will write my reflections on the story of Jesus raising Lazarus up from the dead in John 11 (ESV) and on the introduction to The Sickness Unto Death. 

The Story of Lazarus: Jesus Loved Martha and Her Sister and Lazarus (11:5)

In the small village of Bethany, there were three siblings: Martha, Mary, and Lazarus. While Jesus was away from Bethany, which was in Judea, he received news that Lazarus was ill. Jesus responded, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it” (11:4). If I had heard this response, I would’ve mistakenly believed that Lazarus wasn’t going to die from his illness. 

“Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer where he was” (11:5). This is puzzling. Perhaps Lazarus was the youngest of the three siblings, similar to my younger brother, but I wouldn’t wait two more days after learning that he was fatally sick before visiting him. I am confused by why Jesus waited two days to visit Lazarus. It seems as if he were waiting for Lazarus to die. 

“Then after this (the two days) he said to his disciples, ‘Let us go to Judea again’” (11:5-6). The disciples were worried that the Jews were going to stone Jesus to death, yet Jesus was planning to return to Judea, where they resided. This seems counterintuitive. Then, Jesus says, “If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him” (11:9-10).

Jesus continues, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him” (11:11). Similar to the disciples, I didn’t understand why it would be necessary to travel to a dangerous region simply to wake someone from sleep. I relate to the sense of urgency, worry, and fear the disciples must’ve felt. Then, Jesus clarifies, “Lazarus has died, and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him” (11:14-15) 

The Sickness Unto Death and The Death of Lazarus

Earlier, Jesus claimed that “this sickness was not unto death” (11:4). Nonetheless, Lazarus died. As Anti-Climacus writes, “Lazarus is dead, and yet this sickness was not unto death; he was dead, and still this sickness is not unto death” (37). Anti-Climacus suggests that Jesus is not talking about a biological/physical sort of death and sickness. 

Jesus Raises Lazarus from the Dead

Four days after Lazarus died, Jesus finally arrives at Bethany. 

The grieving Martha tells Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know whatever you ask from God, God will give you” (11.22). He replies that her brother will rise again. She affirms that she understands that Lazarus will rise again in the resurrection on the last day. He responds, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he dies, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” Martha confirms that she believes before running off to tell Mary that Jesus “is here and is calling for you” (11.28). 

When Mary greets Jesus, she falls to her knees, weeping, and says, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died” (11:21). In response, Jesus wept (11:35).

In front of Lazarus’s tomb, Jesus says, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around me, that they may believe that you sent me” (11:41-42). Then he cries out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out” (11:43). Surprisingly, the once dead Lazarus walks out of his tomb.

The Sickness Unto Death

For Anti-Climacus (AC), the sickness that leads to death is worse than earthly and temporal suffering, such as wants, illness, misery, hardship, adversity, torment, mental agony, sorrow, and grief (38).

AC makes a distinction between physical death and sickness and spiritual death and sickness. He believes that spiritual sickness is an infinite danger, and that this infinite danger renders every other fear insignificant (38). This made me think of how placing a dog that fears being leashed on an elevated surface can help because their fear of heights is greater than their fear of being leashed. I believe AC is suggesting something similar about human beings: that the fear of “earthly and temporal sufferings” does not compare to the infinite danger that is the sickness unto death. 

AC points out that Jesus didn’t need to cry out ‘Lazarus come out’ because “even if Christ had not said that, doesn’t simply the fact that He who is the resurrection and the life steps forward to the grave mean that this sickness is not unto death?” (37). Nonetheless, Lazarus, having once been raised from the dead, will die again. This brings forth the question of whether Lazarus truly has a sickness that doesn’t end in death. To this, Anti-Climacus responds that “it is not because Lazarus was awoken from the dead; that is not why we can say this sickness is not unto death. It is because He (Jesus) exists; that is why this sickness is not unto death.” (37). 

AC continues, “For in human terms death is the last thing of all, and in human terms hope exists only so long as there is life; but to Christian eyes death is by no means the last thing of all, just another minor even in that which is all, an eternal life. And to Christian eyes there is in death infinitely more hope than in, simply in human terms, not merely life itself but life at its height of health and vigor” (38). 

AC brings to light that the infinite danger for human beings is not mortality. The existence of Christ as life and resurrection reveals that there is no death in him. There will be further investigation and reflection on exactly what the sickness unto death is, and how, according to AC, the suffering from this sickness can exist while a person is still alive and continues beyond their physical death. 

Ending Remarks:

As I reread this reflection, I recognize that it may be somewhat confusing because I’ve not yet clearly defined terms such as death, sickness, and the self according to AC. Additionally, AC writes about death, sickness, and the self in spiritual terms, though not in the sense of something supernatural, ghostly or otherworldly. These concepts will become clearer as I continue working through The Sickness Unto Death. 

My current plan is to write further reflections on how Jesus’ character is revealed to me through the story of Lazarus, another on the possible objections to my interpretation, and then to focus more directly on how AC understands sickness as despair and what he means by the self. 

Citations:

Anti-Climacus, The Sickness unto Death, Translated and Introduced by Alastair Hannay. Penguin Books, 1989.

The Holy Bible. Authorized English Standard Version, Crossway, 2001, John.