Thomas R. Kelly writes in his spiritual classic, A Testament
of Devotion:
Over the margins of life comes a whisper, a faint call, a
premonition of richer living which we know we are passing by. Strained by the
very mad pace of our daily outer burdens, we are further strained by an inward
uneasiness, because we have hints that there is a way of life vastly richer and
deeper than all this hurried existence, a life of unhurried serenity and peace
and power.[1]
I had a professor at Claremont school of theology that used
to say; ”I hate to be the one to tell you this but it’s not a matter of if but
a matter of when ”From the day we are born we begin to die. It’s as if our
bodies are already dressed in grave clothes. As marvelous as science is, it has
not yet mastered life’s greatest enemy, death. Yet there is one who has.
What kind of life would we lead if we were guaranteed not to
die? How would we live if we knew already that we were immortal like a kind of
Superman or Superwoman? Would be in such a hurry to get so much done?
There is something hard about this reading. Jesus waited.
God waited. God allowed someone
to die and for “The people he loved” to suffer. Yet isn’t this the experience
of everyone at one time or another. Sometimes we pray and God delays. Why?
Though not one of the
twelve disciples, I do believe this is the one whom Jesus loved, Lazarus was at
least one of Jesus’ closest friends. When Jesus heard of his friend’s sickness,
he indicated God’s purpose by saying that the illness would be used for God’s
glory and God's Son’s glory. While others panicked, and were concerned, Jesus
was calm in his faith. Then he went on to say that God’s purpose was “so that
you may believe.” Lazarus’ sisters both responded quite emotionally that if
Jesus had been there sooner he would not have died. By this time, he had been
dead four days. Again, Jesus emphasized the necessity to believe. Even his
prayer, which was a public prayer, was said so that hearers may believe.
In the Play Corpus Christi by Terrance McNally we get a
little different view of this miracle.
“Simon there was
an old man Lazarus. He’d been dead for six days and was starting to smell to
high heaven. He had a wife and six daughters. I wish you could heard the racket
they were making.
And we do as the DISCIPLES become the
WAILING WOMEN.
They
are Loud.
Joushua Arise Lazarus.
Simon I think this was one of the practical
miracles. I mean, there was no big reason for it. Lazarus was no big Cheese or even especially
a nice guy. Joshua just couldn’t stand
the noise.
Joshua Shut up, women. Thank you.
Lazarus arise.
LAZARUS suddenly sits up. ( in the 2006
version everyone screams in horror)
LAZARUS what’s the matter
with you? You’d think you seen a ghost!
Joshua You have been asleep
Lazarus – not for six days but for all the years of your life. Now live as if
your very life depended on it.
LAZARUS How do I live? Teach
me.
JOSHUA Be awake every moment
and give thanks to God the Father for it. Give back as much – no, more! - Than
you have been given. Laugh. Fill your lungs with His good air and Pray. You have all forgotten how to pray.”[2]
Have we forgotten How to pray?
Or have we become obsessed with prayers of need and want or prayers for
that miracle?
Before Lazarus’ resurrection (John 11:1-45) several things happened,
perhaps serving as clues as to what we might expect before God intervenes.
Before God intervenes… Delay. A
sacred time of living into the situation we are in, a time where we must seek
out our own way of just being. Jesus
stayed several more days after hearing of Lazarus’ Illness while the family had
to cope, comfort each other and find acceptance of their situation.
Before God intervenes… Opposition: When Jesus finally decided to go,
the disciples tried to dissuade him.
This opposition to a miracle sometimes comes as we love our misery, or
we hate change even if it might be for the better of the situation or worse yet
the betterment of ourselves.
Before God Intervenes…Blame: Martha and later Mary told Jesus that if
he had been there her brother would not have died. Often too we blame ourselves
for whatever our situation may be or blame others…this never would have
happened if I only had done this or if you had only done that …
Before God Intervenes…Doubt: Martha also doubted that anyone could do
anything after her brother had been dead four days. We become stuck in our own
situations. Feelings of helpless ness or
hopelessness overwhelm us and we cannot seem to move on.
God may choose to bless us with a temporary miracle, and our faith may
be tried but I believe we need to follow the wisdom of Terrance McNally’s
Joshua. Be awake every moment and give thanks to God the Father for it. Give
back as much – no, more! - Than you have been given. Laugh. Fill your lungs
with His good air and Pray.”[3]
The miracle given is not the resurrection, in my opinion, it is the
opportunity to live life to the fullest
You know time McGraw has a song that address that it tells a
story of a man in his forty who gets hit with the news of being terminal when
asked what he did with that he says ;
“"I went skydiving
I went Rocky Mountain climbing
I went 2.7 seconds on a bull named Fumanchu
And I loved deeper
And I spoke sweeter
And I gave forgiveness I'd been denying"
And he said
"Someday I hope you get the chance
To live like you were dying"[4]
Jesus said; “Lazarus come out.” The dead man came out, his
feet bound and his hands tied, and his face covered with a cloth. Jesus said untie him and let him go!” (John
11:44) That is the miracle Lazarus was
free from what bound him able to live life as Jesus wants us to live.
We are called to live and laugh and love fully in this life,
to offer forgiveness and understanding where we can, to offer hospitality and
companionship, and to fight for those who have less than, so that they too may
have the opportunity live a resurrected life.
That’s it right simple live free and forgiven and proclaim
it to all. Simple to say the challenge
is to try and to do it every day. Do not
wait for a miracle, be the miracle. And choose to live a Resurrected Life!
Amen!
[1] Stephen W. Smith,
Living the Lazarus Life: A Guidebook for Spiritual Transformation
(Colorado Springs, CO: David C. Cook, 2009),
https://www.cmalliance.org/alife/the-lazarus-life/.
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