Fifth Sunday of Lent

Jan 08 2025

Sweet Mystery of Life—and Death

Martha cried out, “Lord if you had been here, my brother would not have died!” What had she been thinking and discussing with Mary during the days of her brother’s illness and now after his death? Surrounded by friends, she did not find the one friend that she was looking for—he who had the ability to help. She may have whispered, “Jesus, where are you? Where are you right now when Mary and Lazarus and I so need you?”

Have you ever been in a situation in which someone who could have chosen to help you would not? Someone who is in a position of authority—who you thought had your back and did not? The betrayal cuts deeply, causing anguish, high blood pressure, anger, grief, hurt, and sleepless nights—in short, a crisis of trust in the one who could have helped, but did not. Where was he/she when I needed him/her?

We don’t always know why things work out as they do. Human beings let us down. Sometimes it feels as though God lets us down— our prayers are not answered as we expect. These are our personal crucifixion moments. We may later see clearly why things happened and God is glorified: these are resurrection moments. Sometimes we never know why and life and death remain a mystery.

In today’s story, the Lord did finally show up. Then he quaked with grief. Jesus wept. For the sake of his friends, he called Lazarus out of the tomb. It was personally perilous for him to do so. But out of love, he revealed his power. At the same time, he was about to take the pains of the world upon himself. When he saw his friends’ grief, did that reveal how much they would suffer from his upcoming death? No wonder he trembled.

Consider/Discuss

Every person has foretastes of death and resurrection in this life. In difficult moments, how have you (or have you not) identified with Martha’s whisper, “Where are you, Lord?”
In bleak moments, we may be tempted to give ourselves (and others) glib answers that do not satisfy or are suspect or hollow, shallow answers like “God wanted another angel in heaven” or “Well, it was God’s will” or . . . How does that artificial certainty belittle the mystery dimension of God and life? How else could we respond more truly to the puzzlement of betrayal and/or grief?

Living and Praying with the Word

Lord, I hope you don’t mind the honesty, but sometimes it feels as though you aren’t showing up. We need you. We believe that you are the resurrection and the life; help our unbelief. Give us the strength to cling tightly to your steadfast love when life bears down hard. Most of all, thank you for taking our pains upon yourself. Ezekiel’s dry bones give us hope in this parched valley. We look forward to the day when you bring us to a new and fresh life, good and gracious God.

Jan 08 2025

Scripture Study for

In Ezekiel’s time, Israel was in exile, estranged from God. Thus in his vision of the “dry bones” (37:1–14), he sees Israel as truly dead. This “death” easily led to despair of eventual reconciliation with God and a return to life. In response to doubts of God’s continued love of them, Israel receives divine assurance that although they are dead now, the time of alienation will come to an end. Israel will be restored to God and to the land. This spiritual rebirth is characterized as resurrection from the grave. God confirms that Israel remains “my people,” and will certainly bring them back to life: “I have promised, and I will do it.”

For Saint Paul, physical and spiritual death are inherently related. Bodily death is ultimately the result of sin—the body is dead because of sin. In Christ, the Spirit of God brings life first by attending to the condition of sin, conquering it and “replacing” it with righteousness, spiritual life. This same Spirit is also able to raise the physical body from the dead, as the Spirit did for Jesus. The Spirit of Christ, belonging to those who have turned away from “the flesh” (a metaphor for all that is in us opposed to the will of God), resurrects us from both spiritual and physical death.

When Jesus hears that his friend Lazarus is ill, he first says that the illness will not end in death. One gets the impression from this that he is not worried that Lazarus will actually die, which would explain his delay of two days before returning to Bethany. Yet Jesus knows in fact that Lazarus has died in that time, and we realize that he has allowed this to happen so that he can “awaken him.” In this final and most dramatic sign, Jesus allows the death of Lazarus so that he can publicly raise him from the dead. Such a feat is intended to provoke belief that he is who he has been claiming to be all along, the One sent by God, who alone has the power to give life.

Dec 16 2024

Back to Life

For God who spoke through the prophet Ezekiel, the people of Israel, carried off into Babylon, had become dead inside. They had lost hope during the decades spent in exile. So God raised up a prophet, Ezekiel—one of the strangest of the prophets—who not only had strange visions but did strange things. Ezekiel certainly got their attention. In this vision of dry bones lying in the valley, returning to life is a gradual process: first the sinews, then the flesh, then the skin, and, finally, the breath that is the spirit of life. God will bring the people back to life and bring them back home.

The promise of Lent is that God’s spirit can bring us back to life, to fullness of life that is available to us because of the saving death and resurrection of Jesus. Addressing her hurt and loss, Jesus says to Martha: “I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.” Then, the challenging question: “Do you believe this?”

Lent leads us to professing a faith that is life-giving. Do you believe in God the Father almighty? Do you believe in Jesus Christ his only Son, our Lord? Do you believe in the Holy Spirit? Are you ready to answer? The good thing is that we answer as a community, as a body, supporting each other in faith. We hold each other up by our faith.

Consider/Discuss

Have you ever experienced a time where you felt dried up, all inner life gone, all spirit sapped?
What does it mean to say: I believe that you, Lord Jesus, are the resurrection and the life? How does it make a difference in your life?

Responding to the Word

Lord Jesus Christ, we approach the end of Lent, preparing to celebrate the new life you will pour into those being baptized. Stir up in them and in all of your people the fire of faith that we might proclaim you as our resurrection and our life at the Easter feast.

Dec 16 2024

Scripture Study for

Ezekiel uses bodily resuscitation as a metaphor for Israel’s reestablishment after its exile in a foreign land. The fact that the metaphor describes reconstitution of the dead does not necessarily mean that the people believed in resurrection. In fact, its improbability may be one of the strongest reasons for employing it, for then God’s wondrous power over death itself could be revealed. Resurrection would proclaim that God can bring life out of death, can make the impossible possible. The reconstitution of the bodies is likened to a new creation. Both original creation and this reconstitution are unconditional gifts from a magnanimous God.

Paul contrasts life in the flesh and life in the spirit. By flesh he means human nature in all the limitations that sometimes incline one away from God and the things of God. Life in the spirit is attuned to God and is that dimension of the human being that can be joined to the very Spirit of God. The real point of this passage is the resurrection of those who live a life in the spirit in union with God. Just as Christ conquered death and lives anew, so those joined to Christ will share in his victory and will enjoy new life.

The death of Lazarus became the opportunity for Jesus to identity himself as the Resurrection and the Life. The explanation of this claim is the heart of Jesus’ teaching here. Belief in him establishes a bond of life that not even death can sever. This bond will survive physical death and keep believers from an eternal death. A solemn question is posed: “Do you believe?” Martha’s answer is immediate and unequivocal: “Yes, Lord!” She may not understand, but she believes. The raising of Lazarus could not be denied, but it could be misunderstood. Jesus is not merely a wonder-worker; he himself has the power of resurrection and he is the source of eternal life.

Dec 16 2024

An Alternative Strategy

“Where was the guy?” asked some teens, after one of their mothers asked what questions came to their mind when they heard this Gospel story of the woman caught in adultery. Good question. Maybe he had friends among the scribes and Pharisees, who let him get away. These Jewish leaders, supposedly dedicated to the Law of Moses, decided to use the woman to get at Jesus, who came to fulfill the Law.

But Jesus was having none of it. Of course, he knew the Law of Moses and their desire to trap him at this woman’s expense. If he said, “Stone her,” his reputation as a man who spoke so eloquently of God’s mercy would also die. If he said, “Let her go,” his credibility as a rabbi would be at stake. And so, Jesus challenges them: “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to cast a stone at her.”

Some say this story doesn’t fit in with John’s Gospel, that it belongs more to the Luke’s world with its particular emphasis on Christ’s compassion. But John’s Jesus is the Word become flesh, the light come into the darkness, whose glory we have seen. For John, God is love, gracious love. And in this season of God calling us all to draw closer, turning from whatever sin distances us from God, is there a better story that tells whom we shall meet when we do?

Consider/Discuss

Have you ever been trapped in self-righteousness, making harsh judgments that not only condemned another but imprisoned you?
When have you known the mercy of God? Who showed it to you?

Responding to the Word

Lord Jesus, if we did not know you, where would we be? What would we be like? What would we become? What would we be seeking, pursuing, hungering for? What would we hope for? You came as a light into the darkness of the world, a light that the darkness has not overcome.