Sermon bullets for Sunday, April 6: Valley of Dry Bones in Ezekiel and the Raising of Lazarus in John. • What are the graves where we place ourselves?! Where are valleys of dry bones that life gives to us?! When do we say to God, to the world and most especially to ourselves: “Our bones are dried up; our hope is lost and we are completely cut off”? • Today’s lessons are some of Pastor Paul’s favorites in the bible. • The Children of Israel, in exile in Babylon, away from the land of promise, feel abandoned by God – he has not been faithful to the Covenant; they no longer live in the land flowing with milk and honey – the land given to Abraham & Sarah, Isaac & Rebekah and to Jacob, Leah & Rachel. • God, if there IS a God, has forgotten them! He is in the cold, distant heaven, busy with other tasks. And they are alone! Such is their understanding of their plight. • The story of the Raising of Lazarus shows the power of God working in Jesus, but also the compassion of this God. The shortest verse in ALL the bible is also one of the most powerful: Jesus wept. The Son of God shows compassion for his friends in their grief. • It is an interesting story, for John tells us that Jesus was quite close to Lazarus, Martha and Mary. And yet, he tarries, stays where he is for awhile instead of rushing to the bedside of his sick friend. We ponder why this is. • When he DOES come, Martha – ever the type A personality and extrovert – gently confronts him on the road: Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. A statement of faith – yes. Jesus COULD have done something. • How often have we made the same statement in the times of crisis and loss in our OWN lives? Where were you Lord? You could have DONE something! • (It is important to acknowledge that Mary ALSO makes the same statement to Jesus!) • On the road, Jesus engages in a very powerful conversation with Martha. He tells her that life is more than whether a body is breathing, a heart is beating, etc. He says Life is about relationships. “Whoever believes in me, even though they die, yet shall they live; and whoever lives and believes in me will NEVER die.” • Let’s be clear: Lazarus was dead! Even though he is brought back to life, he will die again! • Jesus is saying that from God’s perspective – the TRUE perspective – life is about a relationship with God. One may lose their hope. One may believe their bones are dried up; but as people of faith shall acknowledge ONE CANNOT BE UTTERLY CUT OFF FROM GOD, FROM LIFE! • All through John’s gospel, Jesus has been stating the “Ego eimi” the “I am” statements: I am the bread of life; I am the vine, you are the branches; I am the living water. The ultimate of these sayings is what we hear today: I am the resurrection and the life! • Jesus then gives Martha the chance to speak her faith. “Do you believe this?” She says boldly, even in the midst of her grief, perhaps even in the midst of her consternation that he was not there to help before –“Yes Lord, I believe that you ARE the Messiah!” • Then Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead! • The same is true for us. We find ourselves in awful places, with much pain and grief, emotionally or spiritually dead – cut off. Abandoned by God. • To us in these times, the Living God comes to us in the Spirit of the Crucified and Risen Jesus, the Messiah, and blows upon us to bring us to life. He calls out to us from the graves in which we find ourselves or put ourselves and shouts “(your name) COME OUT! • The response to this news can only be one of faith – given to us by that SAME Spirit. Yes Lord, I believe that you are the Christ!
Posted on: Thu, 03 Apr 2014 15:13:46 +0000
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