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LENT
5
YEAR A EZEKIEL 37:1-14 ROMANS 8:6-11 JOHN
11:1-45 MARCH 8, 9, 2008 John
11:17-21
When Jesus arrived,
he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. Now Many
of us have heard the painful words before. “There is nothing we can do.”
These words are often spoken to people with terminal illness like cancer,
lung disease or other ailments that require doctors to say those words.
There are other words that are often spoken along with these words. They
are words like, “You waited too long.” When we hear those words we lose
hope. We lose hope and often stop believing in the power of God. It is a
natural part of who we are. Yet the power of God does not know defeat. The
power of God does not give in to death but provides life. The love of God
walks with those that are hurting and feeling defeated. This walk through
Lent has been about the despised and outcast being accepted back because
she came to faith. It has been about the blind man receiving his sight,
giving witness and offering an invitation. It has been about the blind man
coming to faith. By faith we know that the struggles of Lent turn into the
victory of the resurrection. We walk with the Lord and we believe that
nothing shall be impossible for the Lord. In
our reading today we hear these words of faith first from Martha and then
from Mary. “Lord, if you had been
here, my brother would not have died.” The words spoken are words of lament but also words
of promise. When Martha speaks the words it is a statement of faith like
our Apostles’ Creed. In the creeds we proclaim what we believe as brothers
and sisters in Christ. We state that we believe in the message of
salvation and the healing power of God. Martha has learned that Jesus is
the Messiah and that her brother will rise at the resurrection of the last
day. She also knew and believed in the healing power of Jesus. If you had
been here four days ago things might have been different. Lazarus would
still be alive. Martha also knew that God would listen to Jesus giving him
everything he asked for. Did Martha believe that Jesus could restore life
to her brother? Did she have that much faith or had it been too long? The
Jews believed that the spirit of a person that died would linger around
the body for three days. This was the fourth day since Lazarus died. “Lord, if you had been here, my
brother would not have died.” Mary spoke those same words but
she spoke those words while at the feet of Jesus. She fell down before him
and through her tears spoke the words. The words are also spoken in faith
but Mary’s words are filled with emotion. She does not talk about Jesus
being Messiah although she certainly believed he was. For Mary it is more
important that Jesus is there than that he is Messiah. She needed a friend
and someone to share this time with her. Jesus was there and that is what
Mary needed. As a
pastor there are times when there are no words to say that will help a
situation. I have learned that I do not need to have all of the answers to
be a good pastor. What is needed is that I am there when people are
hurting. I do not have the
ability to give healing but I do have the ability to pray in faith
believing that God hears and understands. I cannot dry the tears of those
that are hurting but I can be there with them when they are hurting. I can
share God’s love and compassion. I am not Jesus and no one will likely say
to me what Martha and Mary said to Jesus. Jesus did not deny the fact that
Lazarus was dead. He did not justify waiting two days before starting out
for John
11:25, 26 Jesus
said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me,
even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me
will never die. Do you believe this?” You
and I are living. We are breathing and we are here in this place hearing
the same word of God. We heard Jesus tell Martha that he is the
resurrection and the life. Anyone that believes in him will never die. He
asks Martha to believe these words. You and I hear these words but we know
many that were believers yet they died. You and I also know that we will
one day die from this earth. You can be sure that Lazarus believed
something similar to what Martha and Mary believed yet he was in the
grave. Even though Lazarus was given life by our Lord he died again one
day. What is Jesus talking about? One
answer is to define death as separation from God. You and I are living. We
are living now and believing in the promises of God. We have a
relationship with God and that relationship will never end. The Apostle
Paul says in Romans 8 No, in all
these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I
am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor
things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor
anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love
of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. If Lazarus was a believer then the
grave did not separate him from the love of God. Even in physical death
Lazarus had life in the Lord. Obviously, Jesus gave his physical life back
to him that day but it is more important that Lazarus had life with God
whether he was breathing and walking and talking or
not. Those gathered to mourn asked an important
question. "Could Jesus have kept this man from dying?" There are no
references in the Bible telling us that Jesus kept anyone from dying
although Jesus certainly has that power. There are endless times that
Jesus healed those that came to him in faith but no verses about Jesus
keeping someone from dying. Jesus did not even keep himself from dying.
There are places in the gospels where Jesus and his followers raised up
someone who had died but each would die again. We do not claim or proclaim
the promise that Jesus can keep people from dying. Our faith says that
Jesus will raise up the dead and that physical death will never separate
believers from God. Or Lord Jesus may not keep you from the traumatic
events or the suffering you experience but he walks with you in this life
caring and ministering to you. Through faith we carry on knowing that the
Lord responds to our faith. We trust that God knows what we need when we
need it. Then when our earthly life is over he gives us new life in the
John 11:40-42, 43b-44
Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you
would see the glory of God?” So they took away the stone.
When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice,
“Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with
strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them,
“Unbind him, and let him go.” If
you believe in the healing power of God you will see the glory of God. If
you allow your faith to be the guide you will experience the miracle of
life. Martha had faith but she could not even think that Jesus would raise
a man who had been dead four days. There is no limit to what God can do.
You and I are to walk in faith. We walk in a complete faith that looks
forward to seeing the glory of God. We are commanded to break the bonds
that keep us in past hurts and struggles just as Jesus commanded the
people to untie Lazarus and let him go. We
let go of the divisions of the past and we cling by faith to the unity
provided by our Savior. In our faith we see the glory of God. In the
healing of those that are sick we see the glory of God. In the raising of
the dead we have eternal life. AMEN
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