It’s Friday! The weekend is almost here! I know, I know...all the days are running together now. It is funny how that happens. Yesterday I was leaving a voicemail for a friend, and I was trying to say what day and time it was when I called. I ended up spending a good 30 seconds of my voicemail debating with myself about whether it was Wednesday or Thursday!
Even if Friday or the coming weekend don’t bring the normal level of excitement or anticipation, we can still find ways to look forward to the things we have to do today or tomorrow. I am excited by the warmer weather we have been having and by the sunny days that are forecasted for Sunday and Monday. I am excited about gathering for worship again on Sunday. Even though we are doing the services all online, I am enjoying the process of learning new ways to worship. I am excited about the trees that are blooming and the fresh cut green grass in my yard. (No, I don’t have allergies...sorry for those of you that do!) I hope you are thinking of your own things to look forward to this weekend.
As we close this week’s devotional emails today, I want to leave you with one of the lectionary readings for this Sunday. These readings were selected by church leaders hundreds and hundreds of years ago, and yet they truly speak to the moment we are in now. That, to me, is a sign of God’s care for us...just the right passage, at just the right time. The text is the story of Lazarus becoming ill, then dying, then rising from the dead. Since the story is familiar, I want to share a modernized version of it. So, enjoy this reading of John 11:1-45 about Lazarus (Larry) taken from “Good As New: A Radical Retelling of the Scriptures,” by John Henson.
(11:1) Larry was taken ill. He lived in Dategrove with his sisters, Mary and Martha. (Mary is best known as the one who gave Jesus a foot massage with scented oil and used her hair as a towel.) The sisters sent a message to Jesus, “Dear Leader, the friend you love is very ill.” When Jesus got the message he said, “This illness isn’t fatal. It’s another opportunity for us to see how wonderful God is. It will be a good advert for God’s Likeness too.” So, although Jesus loved Martha and her sister, and Larry, he seemed to take no notice of the news that Larry was ill, and stayed put for another two days. Only then did Jesus say to his friends, “Let’s go back to Judea!” They said, “Teacher, last time we were there, people wanted to throw stones at you. Surely you can’t risk going back again?” Jesus said, “There are only so many hours of daylight. People who walk during the day don’t bump into anything, because the light from the sun shows them where they’re going. Those who walk at night bump into things, because there’s not enough light for them to see the way clearly. Our friend Larry has gone to sleep, but I’m going to wake him up!” The friends said, “Leader, a good sleep will do him good!” They thought Jesus meant natural sleep, not that Larry had died. So Jesus put it clearly, “Larry is dead. I’m pleased I wasn’t there, for your sake. It will teach you to trust me. It’s time we paid Larry a visit!” Twin said to the others, “Come on, let’s go. We’ll probably end up dead, like Larry!”
(17) When Jesus arrived, he found that Larry had been buried four days before. Since Dategrove was only two miles away from Jerusalem, many people had come out to visit Mary and Martha to offer sympathy on the loss of their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was on the way, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home. Martha said to Jesus, “Leader, if you’d been here, my brother wouldn’t have died! Even now I know that God will do whatever you ask.” Jesus said, “Your brother will live again.” Martha replied, “I know he’ll come to life when everyone else does, at the end of time.” Jesus said, “I’m in charge of bringing people to life. Anyone who trusts me will live, even if they have to die first. Those who are living now, and put their trust in me, will never really die. Do you trust me?” Martha said, “Yes, dear Leader, I trust you. You are God’s Likeness, the one the world’s been waiting for.”
Then Martha went back to have a quiet chat with her sister Mary. Martha said, “The Teacher’s here and wants to see you.” When Mary heard that, she got up quickly and hurried out to meet Jesus. He was still where Martha had left him, outside the village. The friends from nearby who were in the house, looking after Mary, saw her jump up and rush out. They went after her, thinking she was going to the grave to cry. When Mary came face to face with Jesus, she hugged him and said, “Leader, if you’d been here, my brother wouldn’t have died.” Jesus saw that Mary was crying. So were the people who were with her. The sight of their grief disturbed and upset him. Jesus said, “Where have you laid him to rest?” They said, “This way, Sir.” Jesus broke into tears. So some said, “It’s obvious Jesus loved him very much!” But others said, “It’s a pity the one who gave the blind man his sight didn’t use his skill to keep his friend from dying!” When Jesus saw the grave he was so distressed, he snorted like an angry bull. It was a cave with a stone up against it. Jesus said, “Take the stone away.” Martha, the dead man’s sister, said to Jesus, “Leader, think about the smell – the body’s been there four days!” Jesus said, “Didn’t I tell you that if you trusted, you’d see what God can do?” So they took the stone away. Jesus looked up and said, “Loving God, thank you for listening to me. I know you always do, but I want these people to know, so they will accept me as the one you’ve sent.” Jesus’ voice sounded like a dog howling in distress as he shouted, “Larry, come on out!” Larry came out, with his hands and feet still tied by the grave clothes and a cloth over his face. Jesus said to them, “Untie him so he can move.”
(45) Many of the people who had come to visit Mary and saw what Jesus did, put their trust in him.