Readings: 1st Reading; Ezekiel 37 : 12 – 14.
Responsorial Psalm; Ps. 129
2nd Reading; Romans 8 : 8 – 11.
Gospel; John 11 : 1 – 45.

When your neighbour stumbles through sin or ignorance, do you point the finger to criticize or do you lend a helping hand to lift him up? What about your friend? Colleague? In-law? Student? Superior? Are you always pointing fingers at others and not helping them out of the sinful situation in which they find themselves? The prophet Isaiah tells us that God repays in kind. When we bless others, especially those who need spiritual as well and physical help, God in turn blesses us. When Jesus called a despised tax collector to be his disciple he surprised everyone including Levi himself (also known as Matthew). The religious leaders were especially upset with Jesus’ behaviour towards public sinners like Levi.

People in Palestine were divided into roughly two groups: the orthodox Jews who rigidly kept the law and all its petty regulations, and the rest who didn’t keep all the minute regulations. The orthodox treated the latter like second class citizens. They scrupulously avoided their company, refused to do business with them, refused to give or receive anything from them, refused to intermarry, and avoided any form of entertainment with them, including table fellowship. Jesus’ association with the latter, especially with tax collectors and sinners, shocked the sensibilities of these orthodox Jews. He summarises this by saying that it is the sick who need the doctor, not the healthy.

The story of raising Lazarus would have left anyone excited and astonished. I remember a movie on our national television called ‘Le Revenant’ (if my french does not fail me) where during a funeral the deceased rises from his casket and everyone employs his toes, even the officiating priest. This must have been the type of astonishment, the onlookers had during this miracle. Lazarus was dead and again apparently the impossible situation presents a drama through which Jesus brings resolution. Can a man born blind be given sight, can a dead man rise? The answer is clear, but the physical is a bit symbolic. There is more to seeing than seeing; there is more to living than being brought back from death. Jesus says to Martha that believing in Him is what life is and those who do believe will never die. When Jesus asks her if she believes, she says simply, “Yes Lord.” At the end of the narrative we hear, “Now many of the Jews who had come to Mary and seen what He had done began to believe in Him.” All John’s stories end with such statements of belief. The man who was blind, the woman at the well, those who were fed in the desert, all had to see the “signs” and surrender to what was really present beyond and yet within those gestures.

One Anon once wrote; “I believe in death. I believe it is part of life. I believe that we are born to die, to die that we may live more fully; born to die each day to a little selfishness, to pretence and to sin. I believe that every time we pass from one stage of life to another, something in us dies and something new is born. I believe we taste death in moments of loneliness and rejection, in moments of sorrow and disappointment and failure. I believe too that we are dying before our time when we live in bitterness, in hatred and in isolation. I believe that each day we are creating our death by the way we live” For those with faith, death is not extinguishing the light, it is putting out the lamp because the dawn has come.

In raising Lazarus from the dead, Jesus is turning this darkness into light. In Jesus’ miracles, we see darkness turned into light. Sadness turned into joy. When He receives the news of Lazarus’ sickness, and delays and His disciples question why the delay, He says, it will bring glory to God, if they believe. When He arrives the scene, Martha demonstrates belief; “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died”. But He assures Martha that He is the resurrection and the life.

I am sure you have come over situations where you end up talking like Martha, “if only you had been present”, “if only ….”, “if only and if only …”. You may have said it again, again and again in situations where you are transfixed. It is not unusual to refer to God in your “if only’s …”. We blame Him as much as we would blame the person whom we think should have rescued us from the situation. Basically we should have three lessons to learn from this miracle.

First, that God’s timing is the best. God would not let life be that smooth for His purpose. You certainly never remain the same when such situations are over. This again, on condition that you believe in Him. The second lesson is from Jesus’ command which He gives at the tomb, “Roll away the stone”. The stone is not only heavy but the stench that may have emanated from the tomb may be so pungent to pull you down. The call to be a Christian is not an easy one in a world where demonic forces are taking a better grip, gangs of robbers controlling the state of affairs in our towns, and where secret cults abound and vices are rife. As a Christian, your ministry of ‘rolling away the stone’ may not be an easy one. Another command from Jesus, gives the third lesson, “Take off the grave clothes”. In this wake we must grow together and learn to take away the ‘grave clothes’ of our ‘dead brethren, who are everywhere among us. No Christian is exempted from this mission. Finger-pointing is and should not be part of a true Christian.

When we believe in death, when we believe that death is part of life, we believe that we are born to die, to die that we may live more fully; born to die a little each day to selfishness, to pretence, to greed, to malice and to sin. We should equally believe that as we are passing from one stage of life to another, something in us dies and something new is born for our benefit and that of our Creator.

I believe we taste death in moments of loneliness and rejection, in moments of sorrow and disappointment, when we are afraid of our environment and those who occupy it, when we lose courage and give up, when we see our dreams broken by those we placed our hope and trust in, and every time we have to say goodbye to something or someone we cherished so much. I believe too, that we are dying before our time when we live in bitterness, in hatred and isolation and when we live in fear. I believe that each day we are creating our own death by the way we live. To Christians, who truly believe in Jesus, death should not be an end, it is a gateway, a gateway to eternal life.

A little Prayer.

Lord Jesus, thank you for showing me your power over death. Jesus, Only in you is my soul at rest, from you comes my salvation. You are my rock and my strength, my stronghold, my saviour. I shall not be afraid at all, nor be moved. Only in You is my safety, when the enemy pursues me or when I am found weak and lowly. Release me from the nets of my foes and protect me from their wicked hands. I will rejoice beneath the shadow of your wings as I find a secure dwelling place. Like Lazarus, a thousand may have fallen by my side but I will not be shaken with you by me. Your faithful love is all the amour I need to wage my battle with the foe. Lord, do not let me go astray. Amen.

Have Blessed Week!
Bobe Talla Toh.