HELLO!

I don’t take these Biblical stories literally. And I don’t believe Jesus did either. When Jesus, a faithful Jew, would quote the law, he did so without being literal, he went to intent, to purpose, to the deeper love that permeates our Creation. The Sabbath? The intent is to take time, regular and disciplined time, to reflect on who made us and why. So when it came to hungry people, hungry for food, hungry to community, you feed the body and the soul. The literalists went ballistic. They always do. But that is because their deeper intent is the status quo, their power. Jesus afflicts the comfortable, just as he comforts the afflicted.

Only John’s Gospel tells us the story of his dear friend Lazarus. John’s community of believers were much more distant from Jesus’ life, they were the most advanced in terms of a community coming together, finding new norms. John’s community was based on relationship, friendship, households. That why the Gospel is filled with references to friends, rooms in a house, love. And it’s the Gospel where we begin to see the fracturing of respect between Jews and the newly branded Christian community. Thus John’s Gospel often includes problematic references to Jews, not flattering, despite Jesus himself proclaiming himself a Jew.

What makes this story stand out, 2000 years later? First, it features the shortest verse in the Bible, “Jesus wept”. Jesus was fully human. His relationships informed his ministry. When he was tired, needed support, he always went to the household of Mary, Martha and Lazarus. Then one day, Lazarus gets sick. His sisters send a messenger to find Jesus and tell him to come back to Bethany and heal their brother. He heals everybody; they know healing Lazarus will be no problem. And the messenger finds Jesus and tells him…but Jesus won’t come. Jesus waits around another two days until he knows Lazarus is dead. He ends up on Mary and Martha’s doorstep. They are hurt, angry, and bitter. “Why didn’t you come when we called you? Our brother would still be alive if you had come. You would have cured him. Why did You wait?” Their anger gives way to tears of grief. Jesus says, “Take me to his tomb”. And they reach the tomb, and Jesus starts to weep and says, “Move the stone away from the tomb.” In Jewish tradition, after three days a person’s spirit leaves to go to Sheol. Before that, the spirit lingers around the body; we can still sense our loved one’s presence. But dead four days- the spirit is gone. The body is decaying. Death is final. Jesus calls out: Lazarus! Arise and come out!

And like some kind of zombie movie, the body of Lazarus, still wrapped in its funeral shrouds, his head still bound with cloth, comes out of the tomb. And Jesus tells his sisters to unbind him and let him go. I need to say at this point, Lazarus, like us, will die. He is not still with us. Meaning, despite this mysterious, miracle, the reality of God’s gift to us, life, does include mortality, death. What does this strange miracle story have to say to us? I believe we are called to be like Lazarus- raised by Jesus to come out of our dark places and into the light. Speaking personally, when I called out in despair to God something mysterious came to me. Like Lazarus, life and liberation came. I was able to stand up and understand the meaning of Lazarus’ name, “God has helped” On the fourth hopeless day, God has helped. Now untie me and let me go!

Peace, Kevin

PS Jerry Jackson sent me this short video. My dream is to live into my retirement like this man in the video (I can imagine I will likely look like him). I want to sound, talk and live like him. I live in hope… https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1AkybSb5h5/?mibextid=wwXIfr