| Readings: | Ezekial 37:12-14 |
| Date: | March 22, 2026, Fifth Sunday in Lent, Cycle A |
One commentator that I read preparing for preaching today said that today's Gospel passage has enough deeply significant detail in it for a whole book. Most of the time when we listen to this story we focus on the miracle of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. But this morning I would like to reflect with you on two of these significant details that we sometimes overlook: Jesus delaying his visit, and the conversation between Jesus and Martha just before he raises Lazarus.
Why does Jesus delay in going to see Lazarus when he hears the new that Lazarus is sick? On the surface, that seems to be pretty indifferent of Jesus to temporarily ignore his dear friend's sickness. The first thing that both Martha and Mary say to him when he finally goes to their house is, "If you had been here sooner, Lazarus would not have died!"
How often do we pray or just think, "God why are you ignoring my prayer? Don't you see how much I need you to help me, now?" Maybe next time we are inclined to pray this way, we can remember this story and realize that, just maybe, God has a much better outcome in mind if we trust in God's timing rather than our own. Maybe it can help us to remember that God is always answering our prayers; it is just that if we trust God's love, God's power, and God's wisdom—all of which are perfect and unlimited and infinite—God will do something better than we ask for, not something worse.
In this one Gospel passage Jesus shows us God's love, God's wisdom, and God's power. He shows us God's love by what is called the shortest verse in the Gospels, "And Jesus wept." Jesus weeps because he feels not only the death of Lazarus but the pain of all those left behind, especially Martha and Mary. He shows God's wisdom by delaying, so that an even greater miracle could happen than the healing miracle Mary and Martha expected. He showed his power by conquering not just sickness but death itself, simply by his word. He commanded, "Lazarus, come out!" and Lazarus came out. Even death has to obey his power. His power is infinite. He also shows his power in his exchange with Martha even before raising Lazarus.
We already know something about the differences between Martha and Mary. True to her nature of tending to the practical, Martha rushes to meet Jesus when she hears he is coming. Mary is content to remain behind and wait for Jesus to come to her, or to call for her. Both have faith in Jesus but at some level, Mary's faith is deeper. Martha feels she has to point out to Jesus what she thinks he should have done. She wants Jesus to do her will, while we can think of Mary's faith as demonstrating that she understands it is Jesus' will she needs to trust.
In one way, what Jesus does next in that short dialog with Martha is an even greater miracle than what he is about to do in raising Lazarus from the dead. He raises Martha's faith. You see, in raising Lazarus from the dead he is confronting death which has no power to resist Jesus. But in talking with Martha he is dealing with a human being and her will, which does have the power to resist Jesus, and he still overcomes it with love. Just like the earlier story of Jesus interacting with Martha and Mary, Jesus makes the point that faith in him is not really about works versus prayer, or doing versus believing, but rather consists entirely of believing that Jesus is everything, he is life itself. Not just when we die but here and now, everywhere and everytime. And Martha finally sees that, and chooses that, and submits herself to Jesus.
I would pray that each of us reflect on this dialog that Jesus has with Martha, with the full knowledge of what Jesus is about to do at that sealed up tomb.
Jesus is the resurrection and the life; everyone who believes in Jesus, even if they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in Jesus will never die.
Do you believe this?