Bible Reading: John 11:32-44
Dear Friends,
In the opening section of this week’s Gospel reading John 11: records Jesus’ response to the serious illness that has overtaken his friend Lazarus. Mary and Martha send word to Jesus of their brother’s illness. On receiving the news Jesus makes the point that the illness has a positive prognosis and that it will serve to bring glory to God, but then he waits a further two days before undertaking the day long journey to Bethany. The sign itself will certainly honor God in Christ, but it will also set in motion the events that lead up to the ultimate expression of God’s glory, namely, the death and resurrection of Christ. When Jesus finally decides to set off for Bethany, the disciples hesitate at going anywhere near Jerusalem, what with the present fury of the religious authorities. In their understanding, there is no need for a return trip, given that Lazarus is now on the mend (“sleeping”). Jesus finally explains that Lazarus is dead and that their faith is about to be strengthened.
Jesus is the resurrection and life; person who believes
in him, mortal though they may be, will never die spiritually eternity is theirs.
What is it that we fear most about death? Is it annihilation? Many people will answer “no”, claiming that the business of dying actually outweighs their fear of death. We fear the loss of dignity, of freedom and particularly the painful side of dying. It was not so long ago that if someone had a serious fall in old age, or some other medical emergency, pneumonia, “the old man’s friend”, would set in and the person would pass away quietly in their own bed. Now we take our pain to unbearable limits just to squeeze out a few extra moments of existence. That we hang on desperately to life probably illustrates that the stoic resolve with which we face our annihilation is more front than fact.
There are still some people who fear death because they fear hell, although notions of a place of eternal punishment are fast receding in the psyche of human beings. Growing old, facing disability, pain and the loss of dignity, along with the end of being, these are our fears, and powerful motivators they are. Increasingly the urban technocrat looks to salve these fears through the white-coated medical professional rather than the robed priest. None-the-less, the words of Jesus remain to confront today’s self-reliant humanity. Jesus claims of himself to be the resurrection and the life. He claims that there will be a coming day when he will raise the dead from their grave, that the dust of our mortality will live again. He claims also that once raised, we will never die again; Jesus is resurrection and life.
This reality of eternal life is for all who believe, who believe in Jesus, or in simple terms, all who ask Jesus for eternal life. There is no escaping the indignity of dying. The body disintegrates with age and there is nowhere to hid, even for those who believe in the healing ministry of the church. Yet, what about after death? When it comes to our dust, Jesus claims authority. The issue is, do we recognize and trust Jesus’ authority?