John 10:40-11:46
Last week, I commented that the Gospel of John has these lengthy stories, in contrast with the parables of the other Gospels. Someone asked for clarification, so here’s my way of thinking about the difference.
Many parables are only a few verses long: the shepherd went
looking for the missing sheep until it was found; a farmer filled his silo and
decided to build another to hold the excess, but he didn’t know he was about to
die; a vineyard owner paid everyone the same, no matter how long they worked.
In these stories, we get only glimpses of the person at the center
of the story, and sometimes we wonder which person in the story is Jesus or God.
The stories in John’s Gospel have more personal details so we get a fuller
sense of who the main character is, and who Jesus is as he interacts with the
person. So, we know that Nicodemus the Pharisee was curious; the Samaritan woman
was intrigued about this prophet who knew her so well; and the blind man
encountered congratulations as well as doubt and ridicule after his healing. John
lays out the stories to build one on another to demonstrate that Jesus is the
Son who is one with the Father.
… In today’s story of Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, we learn a lot about them and even more about Jesus plans. Jesus has been in the city of Jerusalem, and begins to encounter some interference from the leadership. He and the disciples have moved across the Jordan to avoid being arrested too soon.
It appears that Lazarus and the sisters are good friends
with Jesus. Martha’s message says, “Lazarus, whom you love, is ill.” I believe
that Lazarus is the one Jesus is talking to from the cross when he says, “Here
is your mother, and here is your son.”
Jesus makes plans to use Lazarus’ illness to demonstrate divine
power and God’s plans for us all. So, instead of hurrying to Bethany to heal
Lazarus, Jesus stays where he is. He spends the time as usual, teaching and
healing people in the safety of their camp across the river.
Lazarus dies, and still Jesus delays. Finally, after he has
been in the tomb for three days, Jesus goes to see the family. “Now,” he says, “this
death will reveal God’s glory.”
He’s not even in Bethany yet and Martha rushes to meet him. There is anger and pain and trust in her words. “I know you could have healed him. Why did you delay?” Then, “Even so, I believe he will be resurrected in the last days.”
Jesus responds with “I am the resurrection and the life. Do
you believe this?” “Yes, Lord, I do believe that! I believe that you are the
Messiah, the Son of God.” In John’s Gospel, Martha is the first person to make
this profession of faith.
Mary uses the same words, but she had to deal with her anger
first. She refused to leave the house to see Jesus, because she couldn’t understand
why Jesus would have delayed in coming to heal Lazarus. Eventually, the folks
with her convinced her to go talk with him. I think there was more anger than
faith in her words, which parallel Martha’s. “You could have healed him! Why didn’t you
come when we asked the first time!?” Mary’s emotions catch Jesus, and he is
moved to tears.
It’s when they go to the tomb that we see what Jesus has planned all along. Practical Martha says there will be a strong odor since the body has been in the tomb for three days. Still, Jesus tells the men to open the tomb. He prays aloud intentionally, so all can hear. “Father, hear me now, as you always do. Reveal your glory in this moment, so all present can know that you sent me.” And he calls for Lazarus to come out.
Different videos and images treat this moment differently, as we would
expect. One video shows Lazarus emerging, but apparently not sure just what
has happened. The crowd, too, is stunned into inaction, staring at the walking
corpse. So, Jesus has to offer some instruction. “Unbind him.” And they do.
While the family and friends are celebrating, some go to the
Pharisees. “You won’t believe what Jesus of Nazareth has done now.” While it’s
all joy in Bethany, it’s an important witness against Jesus, and Jesus knows
it. It’s been his plan all along.
… What does this mean for us? First of all, before Jesus has died and been raised, we know that God has the power over life and death. It’s almost a spoiler alert for the end of Jesus’ story according to John.
Second, we know that since God is stronger than death, God
is also stronger than all the evil powers in the world. When bad things are
happening, we know that God will ultimately win over evil.
Third, we know that God knows what it feels like to be human,
so when we are feeling particularly human, we can count on God to be present
with us, not just as a powerful deity but as a companion who feels what we
feel. When we laugh, Jesus laughs with us; when we weep, Jesus weeps with us; and
when we are ill, instead of delaying his return, Jesus is right at our side
keeping us company.
And so, we can trust that God will be with us, whatever we
do in Jesus’ name. We can support one another through whatever challenges are
happening, and we can walk with the bound and seek to unbind them to let them
go.
Lazarus’
tomb is empty, for now. He will die again, but in the meantime, he will live a
very full life, knowing that death is not the last word for God’s people. Let’s
all live like we believe that the tomb is empty. Amen
