The Upload
Posted on Apr 04, 2014 by
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:
I pray that you have had a blessed week.
Whenever I ask a group of adults to share their favorite scripture verse or bible story, inevitably, someone in the group will offer up John 11:35 which says “Jesus wept.” Now, although this is a powerful verse, for it indicates the love Jesus had for all of creation, most people really remember this verse because it is known as the shortest verse in the bible. Actually, literally from the Greek words it should be translated as “Jesus began to weep,” but in the King James Version of the bible, which so many people love because of its eloquent wording, it is translated as “Jesus wept.”
Now personally, I don’t often use the King James Version because it is not the most accurate translation of scripture, but when it comes to John Chapter 11, which begins with the story of the Raising of Lazarus, which we will hear for our Gospel text this coming Sunday, April 6, I love the King James Version, but not because of Verse 35, but because of Verse 39. At this point in the story Lazarus has been dead four days and his body is in the tomb. Everyone is in mourning and even Jesus, who is standing near the tomb, is overcome with emotion. Both of Lazarus’ sisters, Mary and Martha, have told Jesus that if he had only been there, this would not have happened, Lazarus would be alive. And it is then that Jesus tells them, “Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days” (11:39). Martha describes death perfectly in this translation, death stinkith!”
Don’t we all think death stinks? I know I do. On April 25, 1972, my 13th birthday, my grandfather died; death stinks! On March 31, 1998, my 13 month old niece, Julianne, died from Leukemia; death stinks! On July 28, 1998, my Dad died at the young age of 67; death stinks! Over the years, so many good friends have died, that I know Martha is right and I just want to shout, DEATH STINKS!
But, in this story, as true as Martha’s statement is, Jesus shows that even something as awful, and stinky, as death can be overcome. Jesus cannot prevent death, but he c an overcome it. Without hesitation, Jesus gives thanks to God and then says, “Lazarus, come out!” Jesus calls Lazarus out of death and into a new life and that promise is offered to all of us, too, even to my grandpa, Julianne and my dad. As awful and hard as it is in this life to live without them in my life now, I know Jesus has called them by name into new life already. I know they are in his presence and someday I, too, will be in his presence with them. How do I know this is true, because later in this same Gospel of John, Jesus will say, “if it were not so, would I go ahead of you to prepare a place for you…” (14:2-3).
Brothers and sisters, I know many of you, like me, have experienced death of loved ones and friends and that stinks! Their deaths leave holes in our hearts and in our lives, but Resurrection is real and our Lord has promised that although he cannot take away our pain in this life, he can promise us that for those who believe, eternal life is real.
I pray as we enter into the final days of our Lenten journey that each of you might come to better understand that in the shadow of the Cross, we are promised resurrection ands new life, even in the face of death.
Have a blessed week.
Shalom,
Pastor Dave