|
First
Reading
|
Psalm |
Epistle |
Gospel |
| Wisdom 3:1–9 |
Psalm 24:3–10 |
Revelation 21:1–6b |
John 11:32–44 |
"Jesus cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" The dead man came out, and Jesus said, "Unbind him, and let him go. " Unbind him and let him go!”
Resurrection from the dead is not the same thing as resuscitation of the dead. Resurrection is not about bringing back or returning to an old life just as it was. God unbinds us from the forces of death in order for us to live, not in the same life but cast in a profoundly changed renewed life. In last week's Gospel the blind beggar who received his sight does not go back to being a cagier beggar now that he is able to see. The man who was blind becomes a disciple and lives a life on an entirely different plane. Both last week's and this week's Gospel are signs that in God's commonwealth, our present life is transformed and not a repeat of the same old script.
The Gospel is always telling us that no matter who our parents were, no matter our education, no matter what our childhood was like, no matter our age, no matter the state of our health, God can change us. God’s grace has the power to unloose us from all the insidious stuff of the world that holds us down. God unbinds us from the pernicious stranglehold of this world, and frees us to live as part of the body of the living Lord.
The analogies of the signs of God’s grace being like the dead coming out of a tomb to new life, or of the permanently blind being able to see, eventually fail us. The ancient language of baptism, of one dying to the world, and rising out of the water ‘, coming forth from the womb, and being born again does not fathom the depths of God’s love. For we are trying to give words to a reality that is not yet fully revealed. In a sense it is like telling someone what the world truly looks like. We can take them up a high mountain and we can show them where the ocean meets the horizon. We can point out where we are on a map or we can show someone a globe. For years, these were the only options. In our age, the age of satellites and space travel, a more profound picture of the world has been discovered. Our children grow up with an entirely different vision of the world than our grandparents. We have photographs, taken thousands of miles up in space, of a small green and blue orb, surrounded by darkness. It is a vision our grandparents could only barely imagine, yet was there all the time- the planet earth surrounded by space.
The Gospel offers us a resurrected life that is not yet fully formed or comprehended, yet in Christ it is there all the time. Lazarus is no longer a person of the past, but a child of promise. Yes, Lazarus will die again, but he will die in hope and having a foretaste of God's gift of new life. Lazarus embarks on a journey to God’s new Jerusalem as soon as he is called out of the tomb and liberated from his bindings.
That is why the story of Lazarus is such a great story for both Baptism and All Saints Day. Today both Xavier and Devin will be formally welcomed into the company of saints. They rise out of the water of baptism into a new existence, and sent from here on a journey filled with God’s promises. No, they are not famous yet, and they have not accomplished a great deal, besides being born and maybe holding still when I get to hold them; but sainthood is not primarily about being famous or great accomplishments anyway. The important thing is that from this time forward, they grow up in a household and community that are expected to teach them to be witnesses to God’s love. They are called to learn and practice a ministry of healing, reconciliation, peacemaking, and hope to our wounded and troubled earth. They are called to learn to affirm the dignity of every human being.
Lazarus is the great sign given to Mary and Martha that they should see the life offered by Jesus begins today and their future is not bound by the world’s definition of things. The baptism of Xavier and Devin are signs that are given to us, showing that God’s gifts of grace are operative among us today. God is always calling us to new birth. A future resurrection never has threatened powers of this world and ultimately offers scant hope to humanity, but a savior whose unbinding begins now, can really upset the schemes of the world. For over against all the formidable tombs of worldly power, Jesus unbinds us and offers us life today and sends us out into the world rejoicing in the Spirit. And that’s terrific news!
And
I offer this to you in the name of the Living God, Amen.
