Loving God, you teach us that even after the greatest pain imaginable, there can still be resurrection.  Strengthen us in our faith as we gather together today, that we might be able to see your love and your power at all times – even in the midst of pain and grief; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

    The last couple of Sundays we have been focussing on questions that we might want to ask Jesus – some from us, and some from the people in the gospel narratives.  Today, once again, there is at least one question that comes from both Mary and Martha in the gospel.  Now, they don’t actually phrase it as a question, but it’s there nonetheless.  Twice in today’s gospel, we hear exactly the same statement, first from Martha and then from Mary: “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died” (Jn. 11:21, 32).

    What’s the question behind the statement?  What are they really asking Jesus?  (Where were you?  Why weren’t you here?)  Where were you Lord?  Why did you delay so long?  Why didn’t you answer me when I called for help?  Have any of you ever asked those questions?

    And so, in today’s gospel, what is the answer?  What is the reason that Jesus tarries and delays his coming? (To glorify God - To glorify the Son of God - To help people to believe in him)  Jesus times his arrival so that Lazarus is definitely dead.  People already know that Jesus can heal people, but this time they discover that God’s power is working through Jesus even to raise the dead.

    However, Jesus’ delay is not without its cost.  Mary and Martha and the people who are with them all feel the pain of loss.  Mary is weeping.  Other people are weeping.  And Jesus is not by any means unmoved by their pain.  On the contrary, “he is greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved” (Jn. 11:33).  Not only that, Jesus weeps with them (Jn. 11:35).  And so, even though his delay would serve to glorify God in the end, Jesus shares their pain and their grief.

    When you picture God, do you ever imagine God (or Jesus) weeping with you and sharing your pain?  If not, why not?  (We might think God should just take away the pain.  We might view crying as a weakness - especially men - so God wouldn’t cry.)  However, if we believe today’s gospel, God does, in fact, share our pain and weep with us.  God doesn’t always step in and remove all pain for us.  And, just as Jesus had reasons for delaying in today’s gospel, God also knows what timing is best for us.

    You may have noticed that Martha has this faith even in the midst of her pain.  While she does, in effect, say, “Lord, where were you?”, she continues, “But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him” (Jn. 11:22).  She believes that even though Lazarus has died, Jesus can still do something about it.

    What a difference it makes in the midst of life’s trials and tribulations to have faith like this!  What a difference it makes to have taken the time to get to know Jesus.  In Martha’s case, that is certainly a major influence on her faith.  She has gotten to know Jesus and has spent time with him.  For her, it was live and in person.  For us, it’s a little bit different.

    When we spend time with Jesus, it is through prayer and through meeting him in the gospels and in the rest of Scripture.  When we spend time with Jesus, it is in worship and in gathering together with him at the Lord’s Supper.  When we spend time with Jesus, sometimes it means getting to know him through other believers.  While, at base, faith is a gift of God, knowing Jesus makes a huge difference.

    Jesus, after all, does weep with us, and does share our suffering and pain, and loves us so much that he would lay down his life for us.  When we know Jesus, we know that we are loved and saved and redeemed.  When we know Jesus, we are very aware of our own sinfulness and confess it to him.  When we know Jesus, we know the love and mercy of Almighty God.

    One thing that we also learn about Jesus in today’s gospel is the authority with which he speaks.  When Jesus says, “Lazarus, come out!”, Lazarus comes out – in spite of the fact that his hands and feet are all bound up with strips of cloth!  It is the same authority with which Jesus speaks in so many other situations: commanding the storm to be still; commanding the demons to leave; commanding a lame man to get up and walk.  In fact, “all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to [Jesus]”, as we learn at the end of the gospel of Matthew (28:18).  And so go and baptize and teach!  And “unbind him, and let him go” (Jn. 11:44).

    Those who are standing by, watching Lazarus come out of the tomb, are also given something to do.  Lazarus needs help!  Unbind him, and let him go.  There are situations where we are called to help Jesus in the work of setting people free.  Where do you feel called to unbind and set free?

    As it happens, I’ve been reading a book lately that is entitled Unbound (by Neal Lozano).  The book addresses the topic of deliverance (as in “deliver us from evil”), which for many people probably conjures up images of scary looking exorcisms from the movies.  However, it doesn’t have to be like that at all – and rarely is.  In fact, the kind of language that talks about evil spirits or demons doesn’t even need to be used in order for people to be set free.  At the same time, the name of Jesus always needs to be used, for he is the one with the authority over all evil.

    When somebody needs to be unbound and set free, it is not necessarily exotic and irregular things that are oppressing them.  For example, somebody might need to be set free from unforgiveness, or from bitterness, or from a fear of rejection, or from a fear of abandonment, or from lust, or from addictions, or from phobias.  No matter what it is that keeps us bound, Jesus has authority over it.  And it is our job to cooperate with Jesus in setting people free.

    We mentioned earlier today the kind of faith that grows out of knowing Jesus, and today we have been reminded of at least a few things about him.  There is, of course, Jesus’ authority over all things, and especially over death and evil.  There is also the incredible depth of emotion exhibited by Jesus as he shared in the pain and grief of Mary and Martha and also enters into our pain and sorrow.  While there may be times when it seems like God is delaying, God, in fact, weeps with us.

    May we be led into the same kind of faith that Martha experienced, knowing that even when things look hopeless and painful, Jesus can still bring life and healing.  Even when those bones are looking so very dry and old, there can still be resurrection.  Thanks be to God!  Amen.

Lent 5(A)                                    John 11:1-45
April 10, 2011                                Ezekiel 37:1-14
St. Luke’s Zion Lutheran Church
Pastor Lynne Hutchison

© 2011 Lynne Hutchison  All Rights Reserved