Ezekiel 37:1-14, John 11:1-45
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ
All this Coronavirus stuff is beginning to wear on us all, and it’s not just the disease, it’s also the quarantine stuff, it’s all the petty bickering between our elected politicians, it’s the fact that we have not found a way to provide for the very basics of needed medical equipment. And in our homes, parents are, a lot of them, struggling to take care of their kids, 24/7. Family members of the sick, those in nursing homes and hospitals, sit at home worrying, not permitted to even visit those they love; the sick wondering where their family is. Hard working, good employees are sitting at home, laid off, not sure how they will pay their bills. Medical personnel, grocery store workers, mailmen and women, manufacturing workers, mechanics, policemen and women, firefighters, transportation and delivery workers and other such people are going to work each day to serve us, worried about their own health and worried that they may in some way bring home the coronavirus to their aging parents or their families. The people on TV speak of a hope of controlling the spread, but an end to the spread seems so very far away. For those of us who belong to churches we are beginning to realize that our Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and even Easter services may, like this service, be available to us only on a computer screen, or a TV set.
I think of Ezekiel and how he was asked to look upon a valley of dried bones (human bones), the bones of Israel he was told. The people of Israel, were in a way like us, they were not really dead, they were lost, they were spiritually spent or adrift, afraid and suffering with feelings of hopelessness; some of them had even started worshipping other God’s. The message of God to Ezekiel was that the People of God were not yet lost, there was hope, Ezekiel could prophesy to them, he could preach to them God’s word, and when they (like those bones) would come back together and when they would stand back on their feet to listen, the Lord will put his spirit back within them. There was hope; there is always hope; Ezekiel would be God’s instrument to bring hope and new life to Israel. We today have not abandoned the Lord; we have not set aside our faith in Jesus but we like Israel, like Mary and Martha in today’s Gospel could use a word of hope, and maybe as Mary and Martha wanted something more than hope, wanting to experience the resurrection for their brother, maybe we too want to see life restored around us as it once was. What most of us are looking for is a quick end to this virus, that has so disrupted our lives, killing some and making many others sick, upset and afraid.
Jesus heard the appeal from Mary and Martha that Lazarus was deathly ill. (But) Jesus continued his business and waited for a couple days, before finally telling his disciples that he would go to Lazarus who had “fallen asleep”; in other words, who had died. When they got there, Jesus was told what he already knew that Lazarus had been dead for, already, 4 days. Mary and Martha were by then without hope that their brother Lazarus would walk again among them. Mary and Martha expressed this so very clearly. Mary and Martha were saying nothing wrong; everything in life had proved that they were right; they did not consider the fact that God is not bound by even his own laws embedded in nature and life; he could restore the dry bones of Israel to life; he could restore Lazarus’ rotting body to wholeness and life. Jesus said as much about God, thanking God Jesus said for all to hear, “Father, I thank you for having heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me.” This was all about helping the people to believe in Jesus and believe in the one true God who knows no limitations; Lazarus’ death was for the purpose of displaying to the people, to Mary and Martha, the power and the love of God.
Even the stench of death would not dissuade Jesus from having the stone that covered Lazarus’ tomb removed. There was hope! And as Jesus called for Lazarus to come out, all their hopes, once lost, since restored, were fulfilled. Lazarus shuffled from his tomb and Jesus had them release Lazarus from his burial wrappings, I tell you today, that there is hope for us here and now. The stench of unrest, illness, worry, fear and such may be found around us, but there is hope. The people of China seem to be turning a corner, the doctors here are trying experimental treatments on the seriously ill, but of greater importance, Jesus is with us and Jesus will help us get through this. Jesus is already helping us to get through this. It may not happen as we might want; it might not happen as the political leaders expect; it might not happen in the time that we think is right and the resolution of our current issues may look very different from what we think they should, but we will get through this.
In the meantime there is ministry to be done, there are churches on the edge of financial collapse, there are families struggling to put food on their tables, there are sick people needing our prayers, there are charitable agencies and organizations that are trying to function without their usual support and there are businesses, both small and large that are facing their demise. How can we who live by faith, who have hope, help these people who may not themselves know hope? A church’s ministry looks outside of itself to find needs to fill, people to help. We are the Ezekiel’s of our day sent to those who have no hope, sent to bring them word of God’s love and forgiveness and hope. We are the ones who are called upon by Jesus to offer by our actions, words and resources God’s love. This is not a time for us to allow our comfort or our fears to keep us from ministry; we are needed at this time more than ever. We as a congregation have found a way to stream our worship services, now we need to find new ways to help those around us, to do ministry.