The background of this Sunday’s gospel: there is tension in Jerusalem; the leaders of
the people are plotting to kill Jesus. Jesus walks into enemy territory in Jerusalem.
Lazarus is dead, he and his sisters, Martha and Mary are friends of Jesus. Jesus waited
four days to visit the sisters; that means Lazarus was truly dead and he wasn’t in a
coma and was already buried. Jesus is going to perform a sign, bring back Lazarus to
life, a greater need than his own personal security; It wasn’t necessary to bring Lazarus
back to life but it was a sign that revealed who Jesus is, sign of things to come after
Jesus’ own death. Cross shouldn’t be an obstacle to what Jesus is going to reveal, the
resurrection of the dead, Jesus is the resurrection and life, source of healing,
transformed life! Martha, very outspoken person, is upset that Jesus is late to visit his
friend. Jesus wept, grieving at the death of his friend. Jesus called us friends; imagine
Jesus weeping at our own death and then he calls us out of the tomb to eternity. His
presence calls us out of our grief, anguish, fear, doubt when we experience loss and
pain and these days the threat of Coronavirus. A person said: I feel more of the pain of
the cross than the glory of Easter. Jesus is companion of our grief/pain; he walks the
way with us.
Young woman shares her story: tragedy shook her rather comfortable spiritual life. Her
brother Thomas, 17 years old suddenly disappeared. he was in a glacier expedition
group in Alaska. The group was tired, thirsty and ready to settle for the last night, to
cook food and return home the next morning. Thomas offered to collect water; he
removed his hiking pack, picked up two tin buckets and walked off in search of water,
never to be seen again! One bucket was recovered near a drainage hole in a glacier.
Thomas must have slipped falling thousands of feet into the interior of the glacier. My
family went to Alaska, praying, hoping to recover his body. I literally fell to my knees,
feeling completely empty, said a prayer, ‘God please greet Thomas in heaven. We
brought his hiking pack back home, as if carrying his body. My faith risked the same
disappearance. I questioned everything around Thomas’ death, thinking he is still alive;
questioning God and experiencing God in a raw way. Surprisingly, instead of
abandoning God, I had conversation with God everywhere. If I didn’t, how could I
understand the incomprehensible act of my brother’s death other than enveloped in the
embrace of God. Another thing happened: people of my town opened their lives to me in
previously unimaginable way. People began to tell me their stories of loss, not to play
down sadness but greater meaning in love and sense of God!
Physical absence of a loved one reminds you what you miss; the silence of the tomb is
shocking, lonely; create space to welcome Jesus, change your imagination, long for a
rising experience, ask: where is my courage to trust God, what drives away my fear. My
memory, may it be consoling, give me a reason to live joyfully. Gospel says: Lazarus
came out of the tomb wrapped in burial cloths, hands tied. Jesus says: untie him, let him
go! We have hands tied situations in life, feel trapped in tombs of our bad choices.
Jesus constantly calls: come out, I give life to your weary selves. Know you are being
enveloped in the embrace of God!