Lazarus Who?
Lent 5
Ezekiel 37.1-14; John 11.1-45
He was very clever, everyone knew that. A job was waiting for him the other side of the exams. The head of the department had written a glowing reference. He was all set up. Just a few exams, nine days worth, that’s all. He knew his subject inside out; he never failed to impress his lecturers. Should be a doddle those exams. Why was it then that fear gripped him so that he couldn’t think straight – even holding a pen was hard, let alone writing something coherent. Can these dry bones live?
He thought his marriage was on the rocks. Not so much unfaithfulness as boredom. They seemed to have got just too used to one another. There was no spark of animation in anything they shared. Tedium ruled. Can these dry bones live?
In those years before all she wanted was to be ordained. Yes, she had a vocation from God – it was real enough, tested, prayed over, thought about long and hard, searched by the church. And the joy of it! She left college eager, determined, she would give her life – literally. Now the repetition, the relentless pastoral round, the apathy of so many, the lack-lustre nature of so much of church life has stamped vocation out of her. She was just serving her time until retirement. Can these dry bones live?
They all started the project with such enthusiasm. They were really going to change lives. Project funding came almost at once, the professionals offered lots of support. The clients came steadily. They were even written up in an international journal. Then there was a row – a leading volunteer walked out. A client’s family complained that something had gone missing when another volunteer was returning the client home. There was no real evidence, but the incident left a nasty taste. The third and the fourth year of the project were much harder on everyone – volunteer helpers and clients. Is it worth all the effort? Can these dry bones live?
All those stories are real. Can these dry bones live? Of course, there are also innumerable others. In a thousand and one circumstances we might all say, ‘Can these dry bones live?’ Where’s the inspiration to found? Where are the things that invigorate and keep the life flowing through? Can these dry bones live?
We’re talking ‘inspiration’ here. To me the very idea has about it a godly and spiritual quality. To be inspired, it seems to me, inevitably brings us closer to God – or it feels like that anyway. It’s like having new life breathed into us. When you’re inspired life has about it a new quality. Animation; exhilaration; excitement; invigoration; rousing – the words tumble out. And Lazarus tumbles out of the tomb. He’s still bound by the grave clothes, but moments later he will be unbound. Inspiration is often like that: when it happens it’s all of a sudden and we fail to notice all the work that went into making it possible. What was it the inventor Edison said? ‘Genius is one percent inspiration, ninety-nine per cent perspiration.’ He got it right. And John the master storyteller makes the point clearly – there’s a whole lot of rather difficult ‘going-on’ that has to be gone through before Lazarus is raised. The inspiration of his body comes after dissension, debate, distress, disappointment – and so much more. There’s more going on here that a divine snapping of the fingers.
Yes, Jesus inspired Lazarus quite literally from the dead, but all the questioning and reservations expressed in the days before are also part of the story. The struggle to understand just who Jesus is is all part of the inspiration. The seeking to understand is fundamental. But notice that inspiration is possible even when the understandings are still being debated. The Gospel story is full of people misunderstanding what is going on – the disciples, Mary and Martha, the onlookers. They all stand for us, in one way or another, when we can’t see how things are fitting together or why things are as they are. There are many times when I find life confusing; there are many times when I can’t figure out the best way forward; and there are many times when I might wish that things aren’t as they are. Inspiration by Christ does not, however, depend on my understanding. My personal foibles, my own take on things, and my own ignorance mustn’t be the measure of what God can inspire. Godly inspiration is always so much more than that.
That said, God is not indifferent to my personality and my personal limitations. Mary and Martha are sisters but they have very different outlooks. Mary we are told is reflective, meditative, thoughtful. Martha it seems is altogether more hyper-active – always worried over things, always wanting to do something (Luke 10.38f). John is clear that they are both dear friends of Jesus – but how they went about that friendship was expressed rather differently by each sister. And Jesus meets, and indeed honours, their different takes on life, and on grief.
So we hear that Martha was disturbed about the unfairness of it all. Her approach to Jesus has previously been one of determined criticism and in Luke’s Gospel we hear her say, ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself?’ (Luke 10:40). And we can gauge from that the tone of her words in today’s reading: ‘Lord, IF you had been there, my brother would NOT have died.’ Then she says, ‘Even now’ (v 23). Even now if only he will act there can be new possibilities. She’s looking for action – of course she is, because she’s an action kind of person.
Disarmingly, instead of ‘doing’ something at that point, Jesus talks about ‘being’ (v 25). ‘Don't you know who I am, Martha? I AM the resurrection and the life.’ And, of course, the reply is not only to Martha, but to everyone wondering about who this Jesus is. ‘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?’ (John 11:25-26). Martha, the action kind of person, thinks only for a moment and then reaches her conclusion, ‘Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world’ (11:27).
Meditative Mary, the sister who likes to think through these kinds of issues, the one who liked to spend time just being with Jesus, isn’t in on the conversation. She’s not heard this talk of resurrection and life. Martha runs home and tells her sister that Jesus has arrived. Mary goes to meet him and asks the same question as her sister but the tone is quite different, ‘Lord, if YOU had been here, my brother WOULD not have died’ (v 32). To underline the point, John tells us that she knelt at Jesus’ feet – just as she had when Jesus had talked in her house many times before, no doubt.
Then there’s a strange reversal. With Martha – the action person – he spoke of being; but with Mary – the reflective person – it’s clear he is ready to do something. Show me where he is, says Jesus. By now the tears are streaming down Jesus’ face – Mary can associate with feelings and their expression. That’s the kind of person she is.
There’s inspiration here – but it comes at different times for different people. And further it is something that comes from Jesus himself – neither sister comes to the revelation of who Jesus is by working it out for themselves. Martha – to her own astonishment, I suspect – is inspired by the words, by the personal teaching. And Mary (and the rest of the bystanders, for that matter) are inspired when they see Lazarus being raised from the dead. This is God-breathed inspiration.
Right at the beginning of the story we are told what this is about: ‘it is for God’s glory, so that the Son of Man may be glorified through it’ (v 4b). An inspiration that is glorious. It’s not far to make the connection that God is glorified in our own lives when we are inspired to newness of life.
The name Lazarus literally means ‘God is my help.’ John, this remarkable and skilled teller of the story of Jesus, has done it again. His careful weaving of the tale directs us to the reality that Lazarus stands for every single one of us looking to God for help. Re-read the story but read your own name every time Lazarus is mentioned – we are the ones ill with worry, we are the ones dead to real living, we are the ones who need Jesus to invigorate us, we are the ones who stumble in dark places until we find the light of Christ, we are the ones bound who can only be liberated by the Christ. ‘God is my help.’ Faith will do wonders for us. Only believe who Jesus is. Can these dry bones live?
Be inspired, be unbound, share with others what God has done for you.
He thought his marriage was on the rocks. Not so much unfaithfulness as boredom. They seemed to have got just too used to one another. There was no spark of animation in anything they shared. Tedium ruled. Can these dry bones live?
In those years before all she wanted was to be ordained. Yes, she had a vocation from God – it was real enough, tested, prayed over, thought about long and hard, searched by the church. And the joy of it! She left college eager, determined, she would give her life – literally. Now the repetition, the relentless pastoral round, the apathy of so many, the lack-lustre nature of so much of church life has stamped vocation out of her. She was just serving her time until retirement. Can these dry bones live?
They all started the project with such enthusiasm. They were really going to change lives. Project funding came almost at once, the professionals offered lots of support. The clients came steadily. They were even written up in an international journal. Then there was a row – a leading volunteer walked out. A client’s family complained that something had gone missing when another volunteer was returning the client home. There was no real evidence, but the incident left a nasty taste. The third and the fourth year of the project were much harder on everyone – volunteer helpers and clients. Is it worth all the effort? Can these dry bones live?
All those stories are real. Can these dry bones live? Of course, there are also innumerable others. In a thousand and one circumstances we might all say, ‘Can these dry bones live?’ Where’s the inspiration to found? Where are the things that invigorate and keep the life flowing through? Can these dry bones live?
We’re talking ‘inspiration’ here. To me the very idea has about it a godly and spiritual quality. To be inspired, it seems to me, inevitably brings us closer to God – or it feels like that anyway. It’s like having new life breathed into us. When you’re inspired life has about it a new quality. Animation; exhilaration; excitement; invigoration; rousing – the words tumble out. And Lazarus tumbles out of the tomb. He’s still bound by the grave clothes, but moments later he will be unbound. Inspiration is often like that: when it happens it’s all of a sudden and we fail to notice all the work that went into making it possible. What was it the inventor Edison said? ‘Genius is one percent inspiration, ninety-nine per cent perspiration.’ He got it right. And John the master storyteller makes the point clearly – there’s a whole lot of rather difficult ‘going-on’ that has to be gone through before Lazarus is raised. The inspiration of his body comes after dissension, debate, distress, disappointment – and so much more. There’s more going on here that a divine snapping of the fingers.
Yes, Jesus inspired Lazarus quite literally from the dead, but all the questioning and reservations expressed in the days before are also part of the story. The struggle to understand just who Jesus is is all part of the inspiration. The seeking to understand is fundamental. But notice that inspiration is possible even when the understandings are still being debated. The Gospel story is full of people misunderstanding what is going on – the disciples, Mary and Martha, the onlookers. They all stand for us, in one way or another, when we can’t see how things are fitting together or why things are as they are. There are many times when I find life confusing; there are many times when I can’t figure out the best way forward; and there are many times when I might wish that things aren’t as they are. Inspiration by Christ does not, however, depend on my understanding. My personal foibles, my own take on things, and my own ignorance mustn’t be the measure of what God can inspire. Godly inspiration is always so much more than that.
That said, God is not indifferent to my personality and my personal limitations. Mary and Martha are sisters but they have very different outlooks. Mary we are told is reflective, meditative, thoughtful. Martha it seems is altogether more hyper-active – always worried over things, always wanting to do something (Luke 10.38f). John is clear that they are both dear friends of Jesus – but how they went about that friendship was expressed rather differently by each sister. And Jesus meets, and indeed honours, their different takes on life, and on grief.
So we hear that Martha was disturbed about the unfairness of it all. Her approach to Jesus has previously been one of determined criticism and in Luke’s Gospel we hear her say, ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself?’ (Luke 10:40). And we can gauge from that the tone of her words in today’s reading: ‘Lord, IF you had been there, my brother would NOT have died.’ Then she says, ‘Even now’ (v 23). Even now if only he will act there can be new possibilities. She’s looking for action – of course she is, because she’s an action kind of person.
Disarmingly, instead of ‘doing’ something at that point, Jesus talks about ‘being’ (v 25). ‘Don't you know who I am, Martha? I AM the resurrection and the life.’ And, of course, the reply is not only to Martha, but to everyone wondering about who this Jesus is. ‘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?’ (John 11:25-26). Martha, the action kind of person, thinks only for a moment and then reaches her conclusion, ‘Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world’ (11:27).
Meditative Mary, the sister who likes to think through these kinds of issues, the one who liked to spend time just being with Jesus, isn’t in on the conversation. She’s not heard this talk of resurrection and life. Martha runs home and tells her sister that Jesus has arrived. Mary goes to meet him and asks the same question as her sister but the tone is quite different, ‘Lord, if YOU had been here, my brother WOULD not have died’ (v 32). To underline the point, John tells us that she knelt at Jesus’ feet – just as she had when Jesus had talked in her house many times before, no doubt.
Then there’s a strange reversal. With Martha – the action person – he spoke of being; but with Mary – the reflective person – it’s clear he is ready to do something. Show me where he is, says Jesus. By now the tears are streaming down Jesus’ face – Mary can associate with feelings and their expression. That’s the kind of person she is.
There’s inspiration here – but it comes at different times for different people. And further it is something that comes from Jesus himself – neither sister comes to the revelation of who Jesus is by working it out for themselves. Martha – to her own astonishment, I suspect – is inspired by the words, by the personal teaching. And Mary (and the rest of the bystanders, for that matter) are inspired when they see Lazarus being raised from the dead. This is God-breathed inspiration.
Right at the beginning of the story we are told what this is about: ‘it is for God’s glory, so that the Son of Man may be glorified through it’ (v 4b). An inspiration that is glorious. It’s not far to make the connection that God is glorified in our own lives when we are inspired to newness of life.
The name Lazarus literally means ‘God is my help.’ John, this remarkable and skilled teller of the story of Jesus, has done it again. His careful weaving of the tale directs us to the reality that Lazarus stands for every single one of us looking to God for help. Re-read the story but read your own name every time Lazarus is mentioned – we are the ones ill with worry, we are the ones dead to real living, we are the ones who need Jesus to invigorate us, we are the ones who stumble in dark places until we find the light of Christ, we are the ones bound who can only be liberated by the Christ. ‘God is my help.’ Faith will do wonders for us. Only believe who Jesus is. Can these dry bones live?
Be inspired, be unbound, share with others what God has done for you.
