If
John’s gospel is full of semeia, "signs" that point to a
larger truth, then the story of the raising of Lazarus is like
blinking casino lights that illumine Jesus’ own resurrection. This
story provides the immediate reason—in John’s gospel—for the
execution of Jesus.
Jesus? Emotional? Verse 33: "When Jesus saw her weeping
. . . he was . . . deeply moved. ["deeply moved" = NRSV;
"deeply moved in spirit and troubled" = NIV; "disturbed
in spirit like being angry" = Gr. Manuscript P45 ;
German translators follow Luther’s translation to render the
phrase as verbs of anger. According to Greek texts, Jesus is
described as angry in v. 33. Why anger in the presence of tears?
Barrett: in addition to being troubled by the approaching end of his
ministry, Jesus is angry because he feels pressed to reveal himself
through the raising of Lazarus.
The
connection for this story is the twin-theme of death and
resurrection. In the Lazarus story we hear assertions about death
and responses that reflect our own harsh and sad assessments about
the seemingly cruel joke that death plays on us. Yet when Jesus
confronts Mary with "Do you believe this?" he asks her to
believe both that he is the resurrection and the life and
that as the resurrection and the life he defeats the power of
death.
At core is a claim—for Mary and Martha, the disciples, the Jews,
the mourners, and the Church-in-the-world: God is present in Jesus
and has decisively altered human experience of life and death. In
the story, Martha’s action (v 39) suggests that she cannot fully
grasp that claim. Martha mirrors contemporary Christians in that we
often respond to Jesus’ claim with the same waffling spirit as
Martha—"theologically yes, but functionally, no—after
all, he’s been dead four days."
You
might begin this "tomb story"
(the tomb being the primary piece of furniture in the story) by
describing the relationship that Jesus has enjoyed with brother
Lazarus and sisters, Mary and Martha. Freeze the action on
the stage of the retelling of the story long enough to become the
narrator pointing out certain nuances of the characters and how they
are much like some of our own responses to death.
- Shift to "overhearing" another tomb story
—Jesus
crucified, dead, and buried.
- Shift once more to another tomb story—our stories!
The
idea: one doesn’t have to be six-foot under or some dust in a
jar to be dead. Tell us about people you know who were dead, but
heard Jesus say, "_____, Come forth!" Talk about
congregations who heard Jesus command them, "First Church of
_____, Come forth!" Etc.
Wit (a movie starring Emma Thompson) could either begin or
end the homily. Powerful piece about dying and death. To which
Christian faith can add what is missing in the movie—faith and
hope in the resurrection and the life.
_________________________
1)
Discussed
in The New Interpreter’s Bible IX (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1995),
page 690.
