John 11:1 Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 Mary was the one who they die, will live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in anointed the Lord with perfume and wiped his feet with her me will never die. Do you believe this?” 27 She said to him, hair; her brother Lazarus was ill. 3 So the sisters sent a message “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, to Jesus, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” 4 But when Jesus the one coming into the world.” heard it, he said, “This illness is not onto death but for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through John 11:28 When she had said this, she went back and called it.” 5 Accordingly, though Jesus loved Martha and her sister her sister Mary, and told her privately, “The Teacher is here 29 and Lazarus, 6 after having heard that Lazarus was ill, he and is calling for you.” And when she heard it, she got up stayed two days longer in the place where he was. quickly and went to him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet come to the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. 31 John 11:7 Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go The Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw to Judea again.” 8 The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews Mary get up quickly and go out. They followed her because were just now trying to stone you, and are you going there they thought that she was going to the tomb to weep there. 32 again?” 9 Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of When Mary came where Jesus was and saw him, she knelt at daylight? Those who walk during the day do not stumble, his feet and said to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my because they see the light of this world. 10 But those who walk brother would not have died.” 33 When Jesus saw her weeping, at night stumble, because the light is not in them.” 11 After and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was greatly saying this, he told them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, disturbed in spirit and deeply moved. 34 He said, “Where have but I am going there to awaken him.” 12 The disciples said to you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will be all right.” 13 Jesus began to weep. 36 So the Jews said, “See how he loved Jesus, however, had been speaking about his death, but they him!” 37 But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the thought that he was referring merely to sleep. 14 Then Jesus told eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?” them plainly, “Lazarus is dead. 15 For your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” 16 John 11:38 Then Jesus, again greatly disturbed, came to the Thomas, who was called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. 39 Jesus “Let us also go, that we may die with him.” said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, already there is a stench because he John 11:17 When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had has been dead four days.” 40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell already been in the tomb four days. 18 Now Bethany was near you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?” 41 Jerusalem, some two miles away, 19 and many of the Jews had So they took away the stone. And Jesus looked upward and come to Martha and Mary to console them about their brother. said, “Father, I thank you for having heard me. 42 I knew that 20 When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the him, while Mary stayed at home. 21 Martha said to Jesus, crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 me.” 43 When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask “Lazarus, come out!” 44 The dead man came out, his hands and of him.” 23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.” resurrection on the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the John 11:45 Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with *Two weeks since we were told to shelter in place, since Mary and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him. restaurants had to close, since non-essential businesses were shuttered. / Two weeks since people began hoarding toilet Lenten Conversations: What Makes for True Life? paper, of all things, and other paper goods and canned goods Today we hear the last of our passages from John’s gospel and non-perishables and now eggs, I hear / And two weeks during this year’s Lenten season. All this month, we’ve had since schools move to home schooling for everyone, with dad stories about long conversations between Jesus and people who the teacher and Mom the principal, or the other way round either seek him out or whom he happens to encounter along the *The world seemed pretty normal on March 8, the last time we way, conversation that have to do with life and with the kinds worshipped in our sanctuaries: we had Bob Heyman and his of difficult things that happen in life, conversation that all hand pan in Tomales, and we had our hand bell choir in Two focus on the question: what makes for true life? Rock, and since then we have been pretty much at home, Today we heard the story of Lazarus and of his sisters Martha felling stuck and wondering how many closets we can clean and Mary; a story of delay and yet it being the right time, a and how many windows we can wash; and how are we going story of dying and being raised, a story of love and deep to keep our children occupied in confined spaces? compassion and vulnerability, story of overcoming death in an And then we hear of more coronavirus cases and more deaths incredible, astounding way. It is a story about faith, hope, and — We need some relief, Lord! In our fear and frustration, do love, and about the divine power to give life. we also have some faith that Jesus can help?

But the story didn’t start out that way. Instead, it began with And then there is Jesus’ deep love for his friends, together with worry by Lazarus; family, his sisters Martha and Mary, his personal vulnerability. Because if Jesus journeys to “Lazarus is not feeling well today, he may be getting sick”, Bethany, which is about 2 miles outside of Jerusalem in those which would have quickly progressed to fear n a day or two, days, he would do so at great risk to his own live: twice, “Lazarus is really ill, what are we going to do?” And then it already, in John 8:59 and John 10:31, leaders of the Jews who becomes an emergency, “Lazarus is so ill, we have to send a oppose Jesus’ message picked up stones to throw at him, to message to Jesus.” And obviously in those days it’s not a text stone him, [for saying that he was before Abraham even message with the click of a button; someone actually has to go existed, for saying “I and the Father are one”, to stone him] for from Bethany, the home of Martha and her family, to where blasphemy. Jesus is, at the place beyond the Jordan where John had Is it any wonder that Jesus remains where he is for two days baptized people (John 10:41). That takes a while. But this longer (John 11:6) ? I imagine him in prayer, profound prayer family has faith, this family trusts Jesus, this family truly to God whom he calls Father, prayer to discern the danger to believes that Jesus can help. Lazarus and to himself, prayer to figure out if he will really have to risk his life and perhaps give his life so that he can And then worry, fear, sense of urgency and emergency turn to restore the life of his friend. frustration: isn’t Jesus going to come? Where is he? Lazarus is Do you think our medical responders, doctors, nurses, aids; and really, really sick by now! What’s going on? our store clerks, and the people who keep our utilities going We know such frustration well, these last two or three weeks. and transportation rolling and all the other things functioning *Almost three weeks since the coronavirus came down on our that we need: do you think they are in prayer before they state and county, and is still coming down hard. venture out each day: “Lord God, keep me safe from this virus, keep my family from harm while I serve the community; in your compassion, protect me”. They too face this dilemma of Will we have faith, respond in love, and hang onto hope when wanting to serve others and wanting to protect their own life we hear Jesus’ passion story next week? Will we have faith, and the lives of their family members. A daily dilemma for respond in love, and hang onto hope as this coronavirus danger many people right now! unfolds further? Whenever we struggle these next few weeks, Of all the disciples, Thomas gets it, practical, hand-on Thomas whatever we may face, may we remember that God’s power who seem to know a thing or two about real life, who seem to and glory lie in giving life, and new life, even life beyond understand the dilemma between helping a friend in dire need death. And our Lord offers us such new life, even now, out of and endangering one’s own life. He says words of faith in Jesus the abundance of God’s compassion and love for us. and deep commitment to Jesus, says to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.” (John 11:16). Like Jesus, Thomas has a sense what this errand of compassion and love may cost Jesus, and, with Jesus, he refuses to let death set the agenda; even facing grave danger, love wins the day Faith, love, and then there is hope. Martha has hope, hope beyond hope, even after Lazarus dies. Mary has hope even as she weep for her brother who is already in the tomb. Both speak the same words, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” (John 11:21, 32), and Martha adds daringly, “But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him” (John 11:22). Martha is also the one who confesses her deep faith, both in the Jewish tradition and in Jesus, saying “I know that Lazarus will rise again in the resurrection on the last day” (John 11:24) and “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world” (John 11:27). Out of deep faith, and from knowing Jesus’ love, Martha and Mary have hope, hope beyond death & the tomb, hope for life

And then Jesus calls out to God, the Father in heaven, knowing that God hears him; and wanting to share with his friends the glory of God, wanting to help his disciples believe that God sent him into the world, so that the world might be saved through him.

And so Jesus saves Lazarus, restores his earthly life out of love, and restores it so that people may come to greater faith. By doing that, Jesus shows forth God’s true glory, which lies in the Divine power to give life and new life.