Readings for the day (5th Sunday in Lent – Sunday, March 26, 2023):
Dear friends in Christ, grace to you and peace from God our Father, and our Lord and Savior Jesus the Christ. Amen.
Well, winter just keeps hanging on, doesn’t it? It just won’t let us go and allow spring to finally get here. It feels as if we are living in Narnia, where it is always winter, but it’s never Christmas. It feels like we’re stuck, doesn’t it? That we’re trapped in this never-ending winter. That we’re unable to move.
A few winters ago, I was driving our pickup on a gravel road that was sort of plowed. We didn’t live on a gravel road, but our childcare provider did. So, after picking up our children early one day because of a snowstorm that had started earlier than anticipated (imagine that), I was heading back to the paved road when I met a semi. Now what do I do? I’m on a narrow gravel road that’s somewhat plowed. It’s snowing. And the ditches full of snow. Do I, put it into reverse and attempt to back up in snowy conditions for nearly half a mile? Or, just do my best to try and get passed this extremely large vehicle. I decided to give it a try; hoping to not hit the semi on one side, while also trying to avoid the snow filled ditch on the other side. So, I missed the semi. The ditch on the hand. Well, I successfully found it. I tried rocking the pickup back and forth. But it was no use. The pickup was stuck. I was stuck. I was unable to move or go anywhere.
When we get stuck, we think that we can do this on our own. We think that we can work ourselves free and get ourselves unstuck. We think we can get ourselves out of whatever situation we got ourselves in, without any assistance from others. Like when I tried to rock that pickup back and forth. I was determined to break free on my own. But sometimes we are just too stuck to break free on our own. Some things are just out of our control. Like getting a pickup stuck in a ditch that is full of snow. Or being stuck in Narnia where it’s always winter, but it’s never Christmas. Or feeling like you’re in a valley filled with some dead, dry bones. Sometimes no matter how hard we try, we are stuck and we cannot get ourselves out of whatever situation we find ourselves in. We are bound to something. My pickup was bound to the pile of snow. And for all of us, we are bound to our sin. And if that isn’t bad enough, our sin binds us to death. And it is death that has a tight grasp on not only us, but on our loved ones as well. Death is something that we cannot avoid. And even though death can’t be avoided, we will do whatever we can to delay death and prolong our lives. We’ll exercise. We’ll eat healthy. We’ll take vitamins. We’ll take less risks. All so that we can keep the shadow of death as far away from us, and far away from our loved ones, as possible. But regardless of our strongest efforts and our deepest desires, we are stuck. We are stuck in our sin and death still comes. We can’t hide from it. We can’t run from it. Our sin has bound us to death, making it completely unavoidable.
And Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha, knows full well how much our sin binds us to death. For Lazarus, he died not once, but twice. He first fell ill and died which is the story that we heard from the Gospel reading. And in his first death, he probably died younger than expected and possibly without much notice. His death came rather unexpectedly for his two sisters, Mary and Martha. And because of their faith, they called out to the One who they trusted could actually help their brother in his time of need. They called out for Jesus. But He was late. By the time He arrived, Lazarus, their dear brother, had died. “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”[1] Mary and Martha so desperately wanted the Messiah to save their brother from death’s cold hand. But He was too late.
And we so resonate with Mary and Martha’s frustration, don’t we? We so desperately want our loved ones back, here living with us. “Oh Lord, if you had just gotten soon, my loved one would not have died.” But death rears its ugly head at us and takes those whom we love sooner than we are ready for them to go. And even though we so desperately want our loved ones back, here living with us, just like how Mary and Martha got their brother Lazarus back. Jesus raised him from death and gave him life again. But we must remember that Lazarus was not raised to new life. He was raised back to life in this sinful, broken world. Lazarus eventually died again; having a second death. When Lazarus died the first time, he broke free from this sinful world. But when Jesus raised him to life again, he returned to being stuck. Being bound to sin and death once more.
Our sin binds us to the tomb of death, where it’s cold, dark depths of darkness will take hold of us, just as it has done with so many of our loved ones. But we can’t stay there. And because of Jesus, we won’t stay there. For our God calls us out of death’s tomb into new life. Just as Jesus called out to Lazarus to come out of that cold, dark tomb of death, one day you will be called out of death’s tomb. But unlike Lazarus, you will not be raised back to this life, being bound to sin and death. Instead, you will be raised to new life, just as Jesus was raised to new life. And God’s promise to you is that not only are you bound to Jesus’ death, you are also bound to His Resurrection from the dead. Your bones are bound to Jesus through His own body and blood.
Death will not and cannot get the last word here. God will not abandon you. And unlike my pickup that was stuck in a snowbank, God will not leave you stuck in your sin. For God calls to you and pulls you out; freeing you from your sin. And unbinding you from death’s grip and instead of just leaving you, God remains with you. Giving you an eternal bond not to your sin, but rather an eternal bond to His Son, Jesus. Out of the depth of death’s tomb, God calls you to new life in Jesus Christ. Amen.
© 2023 Anthony Christoffels. All rights reserved.
[1] John 11:21, NRSV
The Rest for The Weary 