Listen

Jesus was deeply disturbed again when he came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone covered the entrance. Jesus said, “Remove the stone.”

Martha, the sister of the dead man, said, “Lord, the smell will be awful! He’s been dead four days.”

Jesus replied, “Didn’t I tell you that if you believe, you will see God’s glory?” So they removed the stone. Jesus looked up and said, “Father, thank you for hearing me. I know you always hear me. I say this for the benefit of the crowd standing here so that they will believe that you sent me.” Having said this, Jesus shouted with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his feet bound and his hands tied, and his face covered with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Untie him and let him go.”

John 11:38-44

Think

I like to both remind others and to be reminded that as Christians, we are people of fresh starts and “do-overs.” We believe in clean slates and second chances. To put it another way, at our core we are “death and resurrection” people.

We tend to think of resurrection in mostly literal ways. Resurrection can seem more like a resuscitation, like the return of biological processes to a body that has ceased functioning. What if we challenged ourselves also to imagine resurrection in terms of new life being brought to something that is no longer what it used to be—a strained relationship, a dormant dream, a dying hope?

As important as it is to reflect on the miracle of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead, what if we also thought about the new life Jesus brings to others around Lazarus: his sisters, their community, the crowd? What if we also saw the glorious work of Jesus bringing a fresh start or a second chance to us, while we’re still very much alive?

Peter Hanson

Question to Ponder:

What are some ways God might be bringing new life to dormant or dying things in your life?

Pray

Thank you, Jesus, for the chance to start over from time to time. Help me to glory in the gift of your love and mercy in my life.

Amen.

Go

As God’s beloved, you are invited to share in God’s dream for the future, full of happiness and hope, justice and joy. God’s dream is already coming true!