Thoughts on Today’s Lessons for Sunday, April 6, 2014
Jesus raises Lazarus. Sixth Century mosaic from Ravenna, Italy.
As Holy Week and Easter draw near, this week’s readings begin to tantalize our spirits with promises of victory over death through resurrection. Listen to the poetry of the Prophet Ezekiel’s vision of the valley of dry bones, an eerie and frightening sight. Was this the scene of a battle? A massacre? Through God’s power the dry bones are restored to life; God’s promise of resurrection offers us hope of eternal life.
Psalm: Psalm 130
This Psalm may be most familiar for its use, under the Latin title “De Profundis” (“out of the depths”), as one of the Psalms recommended for the burial of the dead in the Book of Common Prayer. It reminds us that in times of grief, pain and despair, we wait in hope for God’s love and grace. Even in death we await the resurrection, as in night’s darkest hours we wait for morning light.
Second Reading: Romans 8:6-11
This reading offers just a glimpse of Paul’s extended examination of the distinctions between flesh and spirit. All of us – even Jesus, as fully human – live embodied lives. But Jesus’s life, death and resurrection have given us a new reality: When we accept God’s spirit within us through Jesus, we gain the hope of life, peace and resurrection.
Gospel: John 11:1-45
Jesus’ dear friends, Mary and Martha, devastated by the death of their brother Lazarus, each confront him in turn with the words, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” To bold, brash Martha, Jesus offers the promise, “I am the resurrection and the life. … everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.” When he sees quiet Mary crying, though, Jesus simply weeps. And then he calls Lazarus back from death. But there’s more to this story. Jesus thanks God that the amazed crowd that witnessed Lazarus rising will now believe that Jesus is the Messiah. But, in the verses that follow today’s reading, things take an ominous turn: The temple authorities, fearful about the uproar that Jesus is causing, decide that he has to die.