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March 26, 2023: Practicing Resurrection

One of the things I love about my mom when I go to visit is that she is quick to point out the weather report to me when I first arrive.  I have started calling her Meterologist Mary.  But when you are confined to a room in a care facility, you watch a lot of news – so she is usually pretty spot on.  Well, of course we are feeling like Jesus might not rise from the dead this year with all of this snow we have and continue to have!  Lent feels a bit longer ….. our moods might be a bit low…. We might find ourselves getting a bit crabby as we walk out the door into our “Spring” that feels like winter.  However, I would venture to say that in MN we might understand Resurrection a bit more than others as we have to BELIEVE that Spring will come after a long winter!  

We are at the 5th Sunday of Lent… we are getting closer to that Easter morning and today’s Gospel gives us a glimpse of Jesus’ impending resurrection.  We have the incredible story of Lazarus.  He has died and his sisters, Martha and Mary, are waiting for Jesus to arrive to help him.  Jesus arrives after 4 days… and this is significant because in the Jewish tradition , once someone has been dead 4 days their soul has been released from their body.  So for many of those gathered, they realize that this is no hope of anything happening to fix this.  However, Jesus arrives and tells Lazarus to come out of the grave -  and he miraculously does.  Previous to this  he has been healing people – we heard about the blind man last week – and he is getting ready to make his entry into Jerusalem for his own death.  I would say there are three things for us to think about today.

Martha and Mary each say to Jesus “ IF ONLY you had been here my brother would not have died.”  If Only… how many times do we find our selves saying this?  If only I would have gone to the doctor sooner…   If only we could have had one more day with her. If only I would have made that last shot at the basketball game.   If only I had stopped working sooner to spend time with him.  If only I would have made a different decision.  We too come to our God with the same sense of regret.  And yet it usually does not help matters.  What is done is done and dwelling on that will only waste more energy for what we are facing TODAY.  In Martha’s response to Jesus though she follows up this regret with her BELIEF  that God will make things work out.  How can we share in that same spirit of Martha’s belief?  

Jesus calls  “Lazarus, Come out!”  He calls Lazarus by HIS NAME..  Jesus knows our names.  Do we hear him when we are in the ‘shadows of death’ – whatever that might be,  - loss of job,  sitting vigil at the bed of a loved one who is sick or injured – the betrayal of a friend – anger at being falsely accused – not making varsity or the  cast for the play – we all have our ‘small deaths’ every day as we make our way through life.  How might we as individuals and church learn to surrender control to Jesus through lesser dyings?  And yet this story and the story at Easter remind us that as Christians we don’t end our days on the cross – there is life and hope and new days for all of us.  Do we believe that?  Can we live that out – and not just on Sunday so that we can truly be Easter people in a Good Friday world? 

And finally, Lazarus comes out still  tied hand and foot with burial bands and his face was wrapped in cloth.  Jesus said to the crowd,  “Untie him and let him go.”  This is different from when Jesus leaves the tomb.  He has no burial bands attached as he is not going to die again.  Lazarus, however, will again die – but to new life on the last day.  A commentator shared that Lazarus needs the help of the Christian community to unbind him.  To continue to walk from the darkness of death to new life. God has done God’s part.  How do we as the Christian community help each other to ‘unbind our wounds’ and walk forward in hope?  What attitudes or structures are we clinging to that need to die and be buried so Jesus may call forth new life?  

 

So, we have Martha whose belief in the resurrection keeps her from wallowing in regret. 

We have Jesus calling us by NAME.  He sees us.  He knows us.  He wants to be with us.  Will we let him in? 

And then we have each other.  How do we pay attention to each other as we bumble along?  Do we see that someone is sad or has just gone through a tough situation and could use our support? You might remember during the year of Mercy a few years back that we shared a Jesuit priest’s definition of mercy which was “ The willingness to enter  into the chaos of another person.”  Are we willing to walk with someone in their chaos?  Can we trust that God will guide us through?  

We have been given a hint of resurrection this 5th Sunday of Lent.  And just as we know Spring will come, the snow will give way to green grass, we know that there is light and life ahead.  May we practice resurrection and look to the example found in our scriptures to remind us of  God’s incredible promise to us.  Jesus will rise.  And so will we.  

Reflection by Molly Weyrens, Pastoral Associate.

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