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​After The Stone Is Rolled Away

38 Then Jesus, again greatly disturbed, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. 39 Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, already there is a stench because he has been dead four days.” 40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?” 41 So they took away the stone. And Jesus looked upward and said, “Father, I thank you for having heard me. 42 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.” 43 When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.” Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him. John 11: 38-44

Just over a year ago my family’s life was flipped upside down when a routine blood clot in my wife’s leg suddenly moved into her lungs and nearly killed her. The clotting was so massive that her heart was having difficulty functioning and she ended up in the ICU fighting for her life. The doctors asked to meet with myself and Kari’s parents to share that things did not look good and they asked us whether or not we wanted them to use a clot busting drug that had a 50/50 chance of either killing her or saving her life. So much goes through a persons head and heart as the gravity of the situation permeates every square inch of your body. Our decision was to hold off on the clot busting drug and pray that Kari’s body would slowly heal and the blood clots would dissolve thus relieving the stress on her heart. Within about 24 hours Kari began to miraculously improve and two days after that she was able to go home.

To experience such a closeness to death and healing with little explanation is both powerful and extremely humbling. Our doctors continued to say this was miraculous and one even made a special visit to the intensive care room to share that in his 40 years of practicing medicine, this was his one miracle. The experience moved him so much that he shared a blessing with our family.

I am grateful each day for the gift of Kari’s healing and recovery as well as the support of family, friends, and community that lifted us up in prayer. I am grateful to my creator for walking with me and my family in such a scary and difficult time.

When I read the above portion of Sunday’s gospel I don't struggle with the miracle of Jesus bringing Lazarus back from the dead as much as the great responsibility that comes with a miracle of this magnitude. How will Lazarus live out his life from this day forward? How will Mary and Martha be changed by this miracle? How do you repay or pay forward such a gift?

After the stone is rolled away, how might we be a witness to Christ’s incredible and unending love?

Peace- John Holt

Director of Youth and Family Ministries

Tags: Weekly Word