| March 17, 2002 Ezekiel 37·12-14 + Romans 8:8-11 + John 11, 1-45 |
| A Samaritan woman, a blind man, and now the third of our unlikely teachers, is a dead man. Unlike the others, he says nothing. The conversation in this dramatic piece of John’s gospel goes on all around him, but he remains silent. Perhaps it is in contrast to the Silence of Lazarus that the Word takes on such power You get a sense in this story that there is a lot being said. Messages are being sent from Bethany to where ever Jesus is. The Apostles are talking among themselves. Martha and Mary have things to say, and true to form, Martha is in charge. The bystanders are talking too, and John can’t resist making them look the fools. First they criticize Jesus for curing a blind man on the Sabbath, and now they pick because he failed to do something about this illness for Lazarus.You get an impression that it’s noisy, that everyone is talking, and no one is saying anything. Finally into all of that noise and comes the Word, and with that, things get down to business. |
| It is not a miracle that John presents in this Gospel today It is a sign. This is no “wonder” or “cure” that brings people to faith, this is a sign that takes place in the midst of faith. Faith is already there.What happens in this story is a consequence of faith and of love coming together in this household where there is so much hope and so much trust in the Word. It is the power of that Word we are privileged to see today, the glory of God. |
| The Word calls out to Lazarus: “Come out” and it echos for all ages and into every generation where there is faith and love. “Come Out” he says to us from the tomb of self-sufficiency that binds us from admitting our need for God and one another “Come out” he says to the tomb of our narcissism and that bings us in hedonistic ways that seek our own pleasure first and above all others. “Come Out” says the Word, out from all the business where there is no time to listen, to be quiet, and to pray “Come Out” says the Word from that tomb of apathy and ignorance and be alive to the plight of the poor and oppressed. “Come Out” he says from the tomb of sin, and guilt, shame and grief, and be free by forgiveness. |
| The one who speaks to us today does so without words of his own. He comes out in response to the Word and the call of one who loved him, and his response to God’s call in love becomes the sign of God’s glory The Word that calls the dead from the grave is still present where there is faith and love calling us to “Come out” from whatever holds us back from glory and binds us from those who love us. Like the dry bones of Ezekiel’s prophecy, we can hear that Word and be stirred to life again, and this is God’s glory. |
| Told in Lent’s fifth week we are about to enter in our commemoration of Christ’s passion as we lead our Catechumens and Candidates into the Paschal mystery We cannot do so unless we learn from Lazarus the lesson of love and faith, and hear with Lazarus the cry of Christ Jesus who still bids us to “come out.” More than a miracle, it is a sign to us of what has happened through, with, and in Jesus Christ. We shall, all of us, know the power of faith and love, and we are called in these days by a Jesus who weeps at our tombs and waits for us to come out and go free. |