There are some relationships in the Gospels that feel public and dramatic. And then there is Bethany.
In a small house just outside Jerusalem, Jesus was not only Rabbi and Messiah, he was friend. Martha served him. Mary listened at his feet. Lazarus walked out of a tomb at his voice. And in that house, love was poured out without restraint.
When Mary breaks an alabaster jar of costly nard and anoints Jesus, the fragrance fills the room. It is an act of devotion. It is also a prophecy. From that moment, the story moves toward the cross.
Broken Open is a literary meditation on the final days of Jesus as seen through the intertwined lives of Martha, Mary, Lazarus, Judas, Simon of Cyrene, and those who watched him walk the road to Golgotha.
Through rich, immersive prose, Andrew explores:
- The raising of Lazarus and its cost.
- The tension between devotion and control.
- The breaking of bread at the Last Supper.
- The crucifixion as love poured out.
- The resurrection as fragrance that lingers.
This is not a retelling that replaces Scripture. It is an imaginative work rooted in the Gospel accounts and crafted to help readers feel the weight of wood, the scent of nard, the silence of tombs, and the cost of love.
For readers of biblical fiction and contemplative literature,
Broken Open invites you to step into Bethany... and follow the fragrance all the way to the empty tomb.
