JOHN 11:1-45
THERE IS A DELIGHTFUL
LADY IN THE JEWISH NURSING HOME WHO IS ABOUT 91. I MET HER MORE THAN
A YEAR AGO; SHE COULD WALK WITH A WALKER, BUT PREFERRED A WHEEL
CHAIR. SHE LIKED TO SIT IN THE DAY ROOM WITH ANOTHER LADY. THEY
WOULD REMINISCE AND TALK ABOUT THE OTHER PEOPLE THERE. LIKE EVERYONE
WHO IS IN A PLACE SHE DOESN'T WANT TO BE, MY FRIEND WOULD COMPLAIN
GENTLY ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO TOOK CARE OF HER. THEY DIDN'T COME
QUICKLY ENOUGH WHEN SHE RANG HER BELL – BUT SHE KNEW THEY WERE
BUSY. SOMETIMES IT WAS HARD TO SLEEP AT NIGHT BECAUSE THERE WERE
OTHER PATIENTS ON THE FLOOR WHO WOULD SLIP INTO DEMENTIA WHEN THE
LIGHTS WENT OUT AND THEY LOST THEIR BEARINGS. THE FOOD WAS NOT WHAT
SHE WOULD LIKE, AND EITHER SHE WAS HUNGRY AND THERE WAS NO FOOD, OR
THEY BROUGHT HER HER MEALS WHEN SHE WASN'T HUNGRY AT ALL. OVER THE
COURSE OF THE LAST YEAR SHE HAS DETERIORATED. SHE IS BEDRIDDEN,
NEEDS OXYGEN, AND HER HEART IS GIVING OUT. SHE RECEIVED THE
SACRAMENT OF THE SICK AND THE SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION. I BRING
HER COMMUNION WHEN I VISIT. SHE WAS APPROACHED BY THE STAFF AND IT
WAS SUGGESTED THAT SHE SIGN ON TO HOSPICE. MY FRIEND KNOWS SHE IS
DYING, BUT DOESN'T WANT TO GIVE UP. SHE BELIEVES IN LIFE AFTER DEATH
BUT WOULD RATHER HAVE HER PAINFUL HELPLESS LIFE A LITTLE LONGER.
WHY DO WE HAVE TO DIE?
SCIENTISTS AND SAINTS HAVE GIVEN ANSWERS TO THIS QUESTION, BUT WHEN
YOU ARE THE ONE DYING, I SUPPOSE NONE OF THOSE ANSWERS SATISFY. AND
HOW MANY PRAYERS FOR DYING LOVED ONES SEEM TO GO UNANSWERED? WHEN I
HEARD THAT MY 90 YEAR OLD MOTHER SUFFERING FROM ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE,
WAS DYING, I PRAYED THAT HER DEATH WOULD BE PAINLESS AND SHE WOULD BE
SWIFTLY BROUGHT TO HEAVEN. AND I FELT GUILTY. WHAT KIND OF SON AM I
TO WANT MY MOTHER TO DIE?
IN THE STORY TODAY, IT
SEEMS AS THOUGH JESUS WORKS A MIRACLE TO RAISE HIS FRIEND LAZARUS
FROM THE DEAD. BUT THAT'S NOT THE POINT. WHAT IS REALLY GOING ON
HERE IS A DEMONSTRATION BY JESUS OF HOW GOD ANSWERS OUR PRAYERS; IT'S
TELLING US SOMETHING ABOUT “THE WILL OF GOD”. A LOT OF
CHRISTIANS WORRY ABOUT DOING THE WILL OF GOD. IT'S LIKE YOU HAVE A
QUESTION WITH SEVERAL POSSIBLE ANSWERS. ONE OF THEM IS THE WILL OF
GOD; THE REST ARE NOT, AND IF YOU CHOOSE WRONG, BOY ARE YOU IN
TROUBLE.
SEE WHAT HAPPENS. JESUS
DOESN'T DO ANYTHING AT FIRST; THEN A COUPLE DAYS LATER, HE AND HIS
DISCIPLES GO DOWN TO BETHANY, AND ON THE WAY HE TELLS THEM THAT
LAZARUS IS ALREADY DEAD. AND THE QUESTION COMES UP, AS IT DOES IN
OUR OWN LIVES, “IF YOU REALLY LOVED HIM, JESUS, WHY DID YOU LET
THIS HAPPEN?” AND YOU MIGHT ASK, AS WELL, “WHERE IS GOD WHEN YOU
NEED HIM?” AND MAYBE WHEN YOUR PRAYERS AREN'T ANSWERED YOU MAY BE
FORGIVEN FOR THINKING THAT ALL THIS TALK ABOUT HOW MUCH GOD LOVES US
IS JUST THAT – TALK.
JOHN, THE GOSPEL WRITER,
TELLS US THAT JESUS BECAME PERTURBED, BECAME TROUBLED. WAS HE
BREATHING HARD, TRYING TO HOLD BACK TEARS? AND THEN JESUS WEPT. HE
WASN'T TROUBLED, HE DIDN'T WEEP JUST SO THAT HE COULD DEMONSTRATE
SOMETHING TO THE CROWD. AFTER ALL, HE HAD JUST ASSURED MARTHA THAT
LAZARUS WOULD RISE AGAIN. NO, JESUS WAS TROUBLED, JESUS FELT DEEP
EMOTION, JESUS WEPT – BECAUSE THAT IS EXACTLY HOW GOD WORKS. GOD
ENTERS INTO OUR PAIN AND SUFFERING, HE TAKES IT TO HIMSELF. GOD GAVE
US A PRICELESS GIFT – FREE WILL. BUT FREE WILL IS REAL ONLY IF OUR
CHOICES HAVE CONSEQUENCES. IN THE STORY OF OUR FIRST PARENTS, WE
KNOW THAT DEATH AND SUFFERING WERE BROUGHT INTO THE WORLD BY THEIR
CHOICE; BUT WE HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT WE ARE NO DIFFERENT; EVEN THE
HOLIEST AMONG US MAKES CHOICES WHICH GO AGAINST GOD'S WILL. WE ARE
NOT INNOCENT, AND DEATH AND SUFFERING STILL COME ABOUT BECAUSE WE
HAVE FREE WILL.
SO JESUS DOES WHAT GOD
DOES; HE ENTERS INTO THE PAIN AND SUFFERING OF THE TWO SISTERS WHO
HAVE LOST THEIR DEAR BROTHER. ON THE ROAD TO BETHANY HE SHOWED NO
GRIEF, BUT NOW HE TAKES ON THEIR GRIEF.
HOW OUR FREE WILL LEADS
TO SIN AND DEATH IS A MYSTERY, ONLY HINTED AT BY THE STORY OF ADAM
AND EVE. AND LAZARUS' DEATH IS NO DIFFERENT. ALTHOUGH MARTHA AND
MARY BELIEVE THAT JESUS COULD HAVE DONE SOMETHING IF HE HAD GOTTEN
THERE ON TIME, THEY HAVE NO EXPECTATION THAT ANYTHING COULD SOFTEN
THIS TERRIBLE TRAGEDY. PERHAPS THEY KNOW THAT JESUS RAISED OTHER
PEOPLE FROM THE DEAD; BUT THEY ALSO KNEW THAT THAT WAS POSSIBLE;
AFTER ALL, IT WAS COMMON KNOWLEDGE THAT THE SOUL STAYED NEAR THE BODY
FOR THREE DAYS. BUT LAZARUS HAD BEEN DEAD FOR FOUR DAYS, AND AS
MARTHA POINTS OUT, HE IS DECOMPOSING – THE SOUL LONG AGO WENT TO
THE REALM OF THE DEAD AND CAN'T BE CALLED BACK.
JESUS, WHO HAS ENTERED
INTO THEIR SUFFERING, CALLS LAZARUS FROM THE TOMB, AND HE COMES OUT,
RESTORED TO LIFE. BUT IN A SENSE JESUS HASN'T WORKED A MIRACLE; HE
HASN'T DONE ANYTHING DIFFERENT FROM WHAT GOD ALWAYS DOES; HE HAS
MERELY ENTERED INTO TRAGEDY AND SUFFERING, AND BROUGHT GOOD OUT OF
THE SITUATION. BECAUSE GOD INTENDS FOR ALL OF US TO RISE AGAIN.
LAZARUS ROSE AGAIN SOONER THAN WE WILL TO PROVE THAT RESURRECTION OF
THE BODY IS INTENDED FOR EVERY HUMAN BEING.
MY FRIEND IN THE NURSING
HOME HAS A GOOD MIND AND SHE IS NO DUMMY. SHE KNOWS THAT AT 90 SHE
HAS LIVED ABOUT AS LONG AS ANYONE WOULD WANT TO. SHE KNOWS THAT HER
BODY IS FAILING; SHE LOOKS BACK ON HER LIFE AND ADMITS THAT SHE WAS
HIGHLY FAVORED – A LONG AND HAPPY MARRIAGE, THREE KIDS OF WHOM SHE
IS PROUD; GRANDCHILDREN AND GREAT GRANDCHILDREN; MAYBE SHE HEARS A
LITTLE VOICE IN HER HEAD – WHAT MORE DO YOU WANT? CERTAINLY THAT'S
THE VOICE OF HER CAREGIVERS WHO TRY TO TELL HER THAT DEATH IS
NATURAL, THAT SHE SHOULD JUST LET GO; THAT THEY CAN KEEP HER FROM
PAIN AND GIVE HER SOME MEDICATION TO COUNTERACT THE UNPLEASANT
SYMPTOMS SHE IS HAVING. BUT HER FAMILY AND HER WELL-MEANING
CAREGIVERS ARE WRONG. SHE DOESN'T WANT TO DIE, AND GOD DOESN'T WANT
HER TO DIE EITHER.
AND GOD, WHO HAS ENTERED
INTO HER SUFFERING, AS HE DOES WITH EACH OF HIS CHILDREN WHEN THEY
SUFFER, WILL DO WHAT ONLY GOD CAN DO, AND DOES DO; HE WILL BRING
RESURRECTION OUT OF DEATH, JOY OUT OF SUFFERING, GOOD OUT OF EVIL.
WE HAVE FREE WILL. THERE HAVE TO BE CONSEQUENCES TO OUR CHOICES.
AMONG THOSE CONSEQUENCES ARE THAT WE WILL SUFFER, WE WILL DIE.
AND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT
GOD'S WILL, THAT IS WHAT WE REALLY MEAN. GOD'S WILL, AND HIS WILL IS
NEVER BLOCKED, IS TO TAKE WHAT HE IS GIVEN AND BRING GOOD OUT OF IT.
AND HE IS WITH MY FRIEND, SUFFERING WITH HER, AND WAITING FOR THAT
MOMENT WHEN SHE SURRENDERS TO DEATH. AND HE WILL SAY, “THAT IS THE
MOST TERRIBLE THING THAT CAN HAPPEN TO ONE OF MY CHILDREN. BUT I CAN
WORK WITH THAT, I CAN BRING GOOD OUT OF IT.” AND HE WILL SMILE
AND SAY TO MY FRIEND, “DAUGHTER, COME OUT!”
