Fourteen days until the empty tomb is blown open. It was superbly done, but there was something that left me a bit cold and I think it was that it is put over as something that happened to Jesus, but I want to say, that is of limited impact, unless it’s something that can happen to me too. Last week, I enjoyed seeing the musical Jesus Christ Superstar at the Harlequin. Lazarus is raised from the dead, and if he is raised then can we anticipate the same thing coming our way too. Our reading is wonderful because it shows the Easter Day event happening to someone other than Jesus. So much seems to hem us in and prevent our flourishing. We know the freedom of our faith is more than words, but it is hard to get to the point where we feel truly free. We know there is a goodness and a love we ought to be able to tap into. Martha and Mary find Jesus’s inaction when their brother is sick and then dies to be inexplicable, but nevertheless, in spite of the time delay, they still believe he can do something.īethany stands as an icon for the frustrations we sometimes face in our own lives. They hope the children stay healthy because getting to the hospital can be a problem.Īnd so at the end of this long Gospel reading, Jesus cries “Lazarus, come out!”…and then to the bystanders, “unbind him and let him go”, and I think that might remain his prayer for Bethany today for it is a place where people remain captive. There is a school just down the road, and we supported it in the Lent appeal last year The staff and orphaned children battle cheerfully against the odds. The church of Martha and Mary is a peaceful oasis in the midst but you may not be able to visit the tomb of Lazarus, for it is under the control of the local Muslim community. Refuse collection is irregular and water supplies disconnected at a whim. If you start out from Jerusalem, It is situated beyond the security wall and, by road, you can only get there by a round about route. It took Jesus a while to get to Lazarus’s tomb in Bethany and if you go there today, it will take you a while too.
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