Lent 1 Lazarus Lectio March 9, 2014
As a way of reading and praying through the text this week, I will use a portion of John 11 to practice ‘holy reading’ which is what our small groups are doing throughout Lent. We still have lots of openings for those who would like to participate. Small groups begin today and meet once a week.
Part of what may keep some of you from signing up is that you don’t know what the practice of holy reading is. So, we’re going to try it now…
I am going to read part of our text for today 3 times. As I read it the first time, try to notice a word or phrase that rises to your attention. Something that stands out. One word or phrase. After I read it, we will share silence for a moment. Then, I’ll read it again. After the second time I read it I will invite you to say your word or phrase aloud… not loud, but loud enough that it’s more than a mumble. I want you to hear the word in your head come out of your mouth. After you’ve said the word or phrase, you will then be given a moment to reflect on a couple questions which will be projected at that time. Finally, after you’ve reflected, I’ll read it a third time. And we’ll rest in that reading for a moment after the 3rd reading. So…
“We read scripture slowly and attentively, savoring each word. As I read, listen for a word or phrase that captures your attention.” And let it stand out that God may speak to you through it…
17 When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. 18 Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, some two miles away, 19 and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them about their brother. 20 When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary stayed at home. 21 Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him." 23 Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." 24 Martha said to him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day." 25 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" 27 She said to him, "Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world."
“Remain silent for a moment paying attention to the word or phrase that stood out.”
“after this second reading you will be invited to speak your word or phrase into the silence.”
17 When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. 18 Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, some two miles away, 19 and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them about their brother. 20 When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary stayed at home. 21 Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him." 23 Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." 24 Martha said to him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day." 25 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" 27 She said to him, "Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world."
* Speak the word or phrase that has stood out for you…
a moment of silence…
* “We reflect on Scripture trusting that God is at work through it to transform our lives. Take a moment to begin reflecting on this word or phrase by considering these questions:
1) What emotions, memories or images come to mind as you consider God speaking to you through this word or phrase?
2) Do you sense an invitation from God for you?
Take 2 minutes…
* “Scripture helps us to simply rest in God’s love. After the text is read for a third time, we shall sit for a moment and allow our hearts to open to God. When thoughts come to your mind, and they will, let them go and return simple openness. Not because thinking is bad but because you are practicing letting go and resting in God. Repeat a short word or phrase, known as a “sacred word” such as: “trust”, “peace”, or “be still” to help you let go of your thoughts. You might use a word from the scripture you’ve just read or the same word each time you do Centering Prayer.”
17 When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. 18 Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, some two miles away, 19 and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them about their brother. 20 When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary stayed at home. 21 Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him." 23 Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." 24 Martha said to him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day." 25 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" 27 She said to him, "Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world."
… rest… for a moment.
It’s not that Scripture can’t talk to us otherwise, but too often, we hear it read in worship, or we read at home and we just don’t hear it. We don’t take the time to chew on it, to swallow it. We just gulp it down. But God wants us to taste it. I mean, we treat fast food and our favorite meal differently, don’t we? Everything about a fast food restaurant is done so that you get in, get out and get the next people in as fast as possible. And so they typically don’t encourage you to linger, to savor, to push back from the table, feel your belly and tell the chef well done. Think of a feast you love to eat. Where every bite matters to you. You chew it like it’s a treasure. You try to eat slowly because you’re already sad at the prospect of an empty plate.
Scripture is not meant to be treated like fast food. Twitter: fast food. Scripture is pollo saltimbocca from Kate’s on State which in Italian means “jumps in the mouth”…a dish so good it jumps off the plate and into your mouth. And it’s fun to say: ‘pollo saltimbocca.’ You don’t snarf down ‘pollo saltimbocca’ like a double cheeseburger and fries. And you don’t read Scripture like a newspaper, or like you scan facebook. We Lutherans believe Scripture is divinely inspired… that it is the Word of God. It provides the foundation for everything we teach, for everything we believe. Holy Scripture is to be read in a very intentional way… not just so that we can understand it with our head, but so that we can hear God with our hearts through its words, images, feelings, and memories. I strongly encourage all adults to sign up for a small group so that for 6 weeks you could get a taste for how good Scripture really is. Take a bite. I know you’ll love it.
Now, I know I could be done here. My sermon time has pretty much been used up. But of all the stories in all of Scripture, other than Jesus himself being raised from the dead, this one matters as much to me as any other. John 11… I can’t just use it as an example to pull you in to our Holy Reading Small groups. I have to say something about it. Because it tells us so much about death, about faith, and most of all about Jesus.
As you heard (three times) Lazarus has been dead 4 days. He’s been buried. And if you’ve ever suffered the death of a loved one, you know how lonely and awful it can feel after the funeral is done, everybody else has returned to their lives, but your life will never be the same. As comforting as prayers and hugs and casseroles maybe were, 4 days after the funeral, your loved one is no less dead. Your grief isn’t ‘all better’. It is into this place, this time for Martha and Mary that Jesus chooses to show up. He even waits where he was a little longer so that he arrives at this most terrible time.
I think we have much to learn from this text by what Jesus does not say to Martha when she approaches him. He doesn’t say, “Turn that frown upside down. Everything’s gonna be OK.” It’s not OK. Lazarus is in fact dead. Jesus also doesn’t try to make the best of it. “Well, Lazarus is up in heaven already. Playing golf.” Or whatever Lazarus liked to do in his life. Jesus does not try to excuse her pain, get her to feel differently than grieved, or explain how this really isn’t as bad as it seems. Why do we do these things amidst grief? We try to pretend that death isn’t that bad. Our loved one just passed away – which seems to be the more polite way to say it – he just passed away and is now in a better place. Jesus never mentions that Lazarus is in any better place to Martha. And this would be a good opportunity for him to say it if that’s how all this really goes. Instead of trying to find a silver lining, or make Martha feel better, Jesus weeps with her. But he also makes a promise that only he can make.
Jesus says, “your brother will rise again.” And she says, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” And Jesus says, “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live. Do you believe this?”
Now, notice, Jesus doesn’t ask this question after the happy ending. He makes his promise that I am the resurrection right in the midst of Martha’s sharpest grief. And so Martha is perhaps – along with Mary the mother of God – the most amazingly faithful person in all of Scripture. Jesus makes this promise (after coming too late to save Lazarus in the first place) that he is the resurrection and at that moment asks if she believes him. And she says, yes.
That’s where we live, too. We live in that faith place. A Martha place, where our beloved dead are dead… like Lazarus was… they’re not kind of dead in a way because their soul somehow got separated from their bodies already and they now exist somehow some other way. Jesus says nothing about Lazarus’ soul. We live in that time when our beloved dead are dead, but we hear the promise of Christ: as he says, “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, though they die, will live”. Do we believe? Even though we haven’t seen the outcomes of our faith… yet?
This story from John makes the claim that death is real, even according to Jesus. It makes him cry. BUT it also makes the claim that death is not final. That no one is abandoned in death. That’s why we say ‘rest in peace’ to our beloved dead… we are saying rest in the peace of Christ. Or as St. Paul says, neither death nor life can separate us from the love of God. Where do you think Paul got that? John 11 makes a pretty strong case for the claim that no one is abandoned in death.
After exhibiting his empathy for Martha, after sharing with us what faith looks like – believing in Jesus before actually seeing the goods… Jesus needs to do one more thing. And that is show his power over death. Yes, Martha is right, and it is our faith as well to believe that our beloved dead “will rise again on the last day.” But to give them all a taste of what that last day will be like… Jesus walks over to that tomb, has them roll away that stone, and through the stench of death, wakes Lazarus as though he were simply asleep.
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