St Paul's UMC
March 26, 2023
  • In The Garden
  • We Bow Down
  • Doxology

      • John 11:1–45NIV2011

      • Psalm 130NIV2011

  • 'Tis So Sweet To Trust In Jesus (Trust In Jesus)
  • Back when my son was in Boy Scouts with Troop 741 out of St. Michaels, I’d frequently volunteer to be one of the adult leaders during troop camping trips - lending a hand wherever needed. There is one trip I remember pretty vividly. We were camping at Greenridge State Forrest, about 20 miles east of Cumberland and one morning, we drove down to the town of Paw Paw, WV to hike the C&O Canal trail. Except for the initial 1/2 mile, which we had to hike up and over this steep hill, this particular trail is relatively flat. What it lacked in difficulty in made up in length, I believe it was 10 miles each direction and I remember that day being a particularly hot one. We loaded our backpacks up with water and lunch, and headed out. The day started off well, but over time I saw that some of the younger boys were struggling to keep up with the older boys - so I volunteered to run sweep - be the last man and make sure everyone made it back. As the day wore on, this one kid was really struggling. He constantly had to stop and rest. Some of his friends got tired of waiting on him and left him behind.
    So finally I told him to give me his backpack, I will carry it for awhile, along with mine, so he could catch up. He happily handed it over and began to pick up the pace. I remember him handing it to me and I was like “what did you pack - provisions for the week?” No wonder he was worn out. After awhile, I would give him his pack back, he would struggle for awhile and then I would take it again so he could catch up. This was our pattern for the whole hike.
    That evening, when we all returned to the campsite, I was worn out. Some older scouts came up to the young boy laughing and asked “hey, can we get those rocks back?” The boy was confused until they opened his pack and began unloading these stones the size of softballs.
    That was the day I unwittingly carried boulders and did not have enough common sense to question the weight of the bag. Instead of addressing the problem, I just trudged along mile after mile.
    I thought of that moment this week when I read the verse,
    Psalm 130:3 (NIV)
    If you, Lord, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand?
    Imagine every time you sinned, a small rock was put in a back pack that you had to carry. How long do you think you would last until you could no longer stand?
    Without Grace - who could stand?
    Without Hope - who could stand?
    Throughout Lent, we have been invited to examine our own souls and hopefully recognized our need and dependance on God’s grace. During the last few Sundays, we have listened to accounts of Jesus’ ministry with the invitation to put our faith in him and allow him to lighten the load. We started off listening as he overcame temptation in the wilderness by speaking God’s Word. Then we listened as he offered living water to the woman at the well and witnessed the weight of shame fall off her shoulders when she believed. Last week, he gave sight to a man born blind - a man who lived in darkness and despair until the Light of the World open his eyes. Heaviness replaced with pure joy and strong belief. Only the Son of God could do the mighty works that He did and in doing them, everyday people were able to stand.
    Now it is not as evident when we jump from passage to passage on Sundays, but if you are reading through the gospel of John, which we are now up to chapter 11, we see that every sign, every miracle results in more people believing Jesus is the Messiah - but it also results in an increasingly dangerous climate in which Jesus operates. Opposition is growing - especially among religious leaders, but also among those who hear what he says and sees what he does but who are too hard hearted to believe. They could not control the Son of God - so sinful people did as sinful people do. They murmured, conspired, and began to look for ways to silence this disturber of the status quo. The burdens that Jesus is lifting off the backs of his people is, in a real sense, being placed on Him.
    As we approach the end of Lent and prepare for the coming of Holy Week, the gospel of John gives us a sign of the divine glory to come - one more big sign before we delve into the brutal days that would end with Jesus taking all our burden to the cross. This sign is is the raising of Lazarus back from the dead.
    Once again this week, I want to take some liberty with the story and share an imagined but plausible scenario.
    One day Lazarus starts showing signs of not feeling quite right. He feels tired and achey. He decides to stay home instead of working. As with any sickness, at first he tries to rest and let the illness run its course. His sisters check on him, they bring him food and water. After a couple of days, he is not showing signs of improvement - quite the opposite. They begin to worry. He is sweaty, restless in his sleep, groaning. The sisters stay close by and pray over him. Looking for hopeful signs. Another day passes. His fever is high, he can keep nothing down, he is in pain. Local remedies have no effect.
    Mary and Martha are now really concerned. This is not looking good. Friends stop by, “how can we help?”
    The sisters command in unison, “Go get Jesus! Tell him Lazarus is sick, he will know what to do.”
    The friends immediately race toward Jerusalem to try and find Jesus - it only takes them less than an hour to arrive. They ask around - has anyone seen Jesus of Nazareth? No one seems to know for sure - lots of conflicting information. They finally run across an old friend - one who they know believes Jesus is the long awaited Messiah.
    “Yes, he was here a few days ago. He was teaching in the Temple and some of our people were upset with what he said and tried to stone him. Last I heard, he headed out toward the Jordan - out where John use to baptize.”
    They turn to one another, “Let’s hurry, we may be able to get there before nightfall.” So they set out for the Jordan.
    As they get closer to area beyond the Jordon, they began asking travelers:
    Has anyone seen Jesus of Nazareth? Has anyone seen Jesus of Nazareth?
    It doesn’t take long - one group of excited travelers say “Yes! Follow us, we are going to go and see him. We were baptized by John, yet John did no miracles, but everything he said about this man has come true.”
    Finally, they see him, surrounded by a crowd, and racing up as close as they could get to him, they shout out “Lord, he whom you love is ill!”
    Jesus looks up and sees the friends waving frantically. “We are from Bethany - Mary and Martha sent us. Lazarus is ill and it is not looking good. Come with us!”
    Jesus pauses, his countenance changes, he appears heavy hearted and he looks toward heaven. Then lowering his gaze toward the friends he says:
    John 11:4 (ESV)
    “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”
    Jesus then continues to minister to those around him - teaching them of the Kingdom of God and healing those who approach him with illnesses. The friends of Mary and Martha look at each other and feeling a bit deflated, turn to travel back to Bethany and relay Jesus’ cryptic response to the sisters.
    John 11:5–6 ESV
    Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.
    Do you notice anything strange about verses 5-6?
    The writer of this gospel makes it a point to tell us:
    “Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.”
    And the very next line, “so when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.”
    It is not what you expect to read. What we expect to hear is:
    “And so Jesus dropped everything and went immediately to them.”
    What kind of friend delays coming to your side in times of distress?
    Quite a few people today, both unbelievers and some in the church, pose similar questions.
    “If Jesus loves me, why doesn’t he heal my sickness?”
    If Jesus loves me, why does he allow me to go through hard times? Or suffering? Why doesn’t he drop everything and come to my aid?
    We actually hear it later in this passage - when Jesus finally does show up, presumably too late.
    John 11:35–37 ESV
    Jesus wept. So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?”
    Where was he? Why didn’t he come?
    So what are we to make of this? Well, I would reiterate what the scripture tells us. Jesus loved Lazarus, therefore he permitted him to suffer and die. Right off the bat, this informs me that my understanding of “love” may need to be changed.
    What if something greater for me is only possible if I go through suffering and pain? What if death actually brings life?
    Early Church Father, St. John Chrysostom once wrote: Many are offended when they see any of those who are pleasing to God suffering anything terrible. There are those, for instance, who have fallen ill or have become impoverished or have endured some other tragedy. Those who are offended by this do not know that those who are especially dear to God have it as their lot to endure such things, as we see in the case of Lazarus, who was also one of the friends of Christ but was also sick.
    In fact, I’m not aware of any person of strong, tested faith who has not suffered.
    Consider Francis Asbury, early Methodist Bishop who was instrumental in the growth of the Methodist movement here in America. During his 45-year ministry, he traveled on horseback or in carriage an estimated 300,000 miles and delivered some 16,500 sermons.
    According to an article in Christianity Today, “When in October 1771, Asbury landed in Philadelphia, there were only 600 Methodists in America. Within days, he hit the road preaching but pushed himself so hard that he fell ill that winter. This was the beginning of a pattern: over the next 45 years, he suffered from colds, coughs, fevers, severe headaches, ulcers, and eventually chronic rheumatism, which forced him off his horse and into a carriage. Yet he continued to preach.”
    “Asbury pushed himself to the end. After preaching what was to be his last sermon, he was so weak he had to be carried to his carriage. By then, though, Methodism had grown under his leadership to 200,000 strong. His legacy continued with the 4,000 Methodist preachers he had ordained: by the Civil War, American Methodists numbered 1.5 million.”
    Asbury is just one example among many. Saints whose life is marked by pain, suffering, loss and death - and yet whose rewards are greater than we can imagine.
    The Apostle Paul’s words come to mind:
    2 Corinthians 12:7–9 ESV
    So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
    God’s power in us is not seen in what we can do for ourselves - it is seen when we are fully dependent on him and walk through the hardships and difficulties of this life with our eyes on Jesus..
    Jesus could have immediately come to the aid of his friend Lazarus. He could have cured his disease. But God had something greater in mind. By dying and then walking out of the grave four days later, people far and wide would hear about how Jesus prayed to His Father...
    John 11:41–43 (ESV)
    “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.” When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.”
    How many people either witnessed this event, or heard about it, and believed that Jesus was sent by the Father and that he was the Savior of the World?
    John 11:45 ESV
    Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what he did, believed in him,
    The Kingdom of God was expanded greatly by Jesus’ delay. Lazarus experienced first hand the power of Jesus over death - he had seen for his self what lies beyond and when he heard his name echo through Sheol to “come out” - he was able to come back, to stand and to share that there was nothing to fear if you follow Christ. Mary and Martha’s pain and grief was replaced with awe, unbridled joy and deeper faith.
    Before I end, I also want to point out that Jesus does not ignore our suffering, or feel ambivalent about our pain. This is no “suck it up buttercup” moment. Jesus fully participates in our suffering.
    When Jesus saw his friends grieving, when Mary was at his feet crying, we read that
    John 11:35 ESV
    Jesus wept.
    I do not believe anyone grieves and weeps over the human condition more than Christ. But he has shown us the way to overcome this world, and to stand - it is through his death and his resurrection. We experience new life today, freed from the burden of sin, when we believe in the Son of God, Jesus Christ.
    And one day, when He returns, he will shout and all will rise.
    1 Thessalonians 4:16 ESV
    For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.
    Amen.

      • John 11:5–6NIV2011

      • John 11:35–37NIV2011

      • 2 Corinthians 12:7–9NIV2011

      • John 11:45NIV2011

      • John 11:35NIV2011

      • 1 Thessalonians 4:16NIV2011

  • Back when my son was in Boy Scouts with Troop 741 out of St. Michaels, I’d frequently volunteer to be one of the adult leaders during troop camping trips - lending a hand wherever needed. There is one trip I remember pretty vividly. We were camping at Greenridge State Forrest, about 20 miles east of Cumberland and one morning, we drove down to the town of Paw Paw, WV to hike the C&O Canal trail. Except for the initial 1/2 mile, which we had to hike up and over this steep hill, this particular trail is relatively flat. What it lacked in difficulty in made up in length, I believe it was 10 miles each direction and I remember that day being a particularly hot one. We loaded our backpacks up with water and lunch, and headed out. The day started off well, but over time I saw that some of the younger boys were struggling to keep up with the older boys - so I volunteered to run sweep - be the last man and make sure everyone made it back. As the day wore on, this one kid was really struggling. He constantly had to stop and rest. Some of his friends got tired of waiting on him and left him behind.
    So finally I told him to give me his backpack, I will carry it for awhile, along with mine, so he could catch up. He happily handed it over and began to pick up the pace. I remember him handing it to me and I was like “what did you pack - provisions for the week?” No wonder he was worn out. After awhile, I would give him his pack back, he would struggle for awhile and then I would take it again so he could catch up. This was our pattern for the whole hike.
    That evening, when we all returned to the campsite, I was worn out. Some older scouts came up to the young boy laughing and asked “hey, can we get those rocks back?” The boy was confused until they opened his pack and began unloading these stones the size of softballs.
    That was the day I unwittingly carried boulders and did not have enough common sense to question the weight of the bag. Instead of addressing the problem, I just trudged along mile after mile.
    I thought of that moment this week when I read the verse,
    Psalm 130:3 (NIV)
    If you, Lord, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand?
    Imagine every time you sinned, a small rock was put in a back pack that you had to carry. How long do you think you would last until you could no longer stand?
    Without Grace - who could stand?
    Without Hope - who could stand?
    Throughout Lent, we have been invited to examine our own souls and hopefully recognized our need and dependance on God’s grace. During the last few Sundays, we have listened to accounts of Jesus’ ministry with the invitation to put our faith in him and allow him to lighten the load. We started off listening as he overcame temptation in the wilderness by speaking God’s Word. Then we listened as he offered living water to the woman at the well and witnessed the weight of shame fall off her shoulders when she believed. Last week, he gave sight to a man born blind - a man who lived in darkness and despair until the Light of the World open his eyes. Heaviness replaced with pure joy and strong belief. Only the Son of God could do the mighty works that He did and in doing them, everyday people were able to stand.
    Now it is not as evident when we jump from passage to passage on Sundays, but if you are reading through the gospel of John, which we are now up to chapter 11, we see that every sign, every miracle results in more people believing Jesus is the Messiah - but it also results in an increasingly dangerous climate in which Jesus operates. Opposition is growing - especially among religious leaders, but also among those who hear what he says and sees what he does but who are too hard hearted to believe. They could not control the Son of God - so sinful people did as sinful people do. They murmured, conspired, and began to look for ways to silence this disturber of the status quo. The burdens that Jesus is lifting off the backs of his people is, in a real sense, being placed on Him.
    As we approach the end of Lent and prepare for the coming of Holy Week, the gospel of John gives us a sign of the divine glory to come - one more big sign before we delve into the brutal days that would end with Jesus taking all our burden to the cross. This sign is is the raising of Lazarus back from the dead.
    Once again this week, I want to take some liberty with the story and share an imagined but plausible scenario.
    One day Lazarus starts showing signs of not feeling quite right. He feels tired and achey. He decides to stay home instead of working. As with any sickness, at first he tries to rest and let the illness run its course. His sisters check on him, they bring him food and water. After a couple of days, he is not showing signs of improvement - quite the opposite. They begin to worry. He is sweaty, restless in his sleep, groaning. The sisters stay close by and pray over him. Looking for hopeful signs. Another day passes. His fever is high, he can keep nothing down, he is in pain. Local remedies have no effect.
    Mary and Martha are now really concerned. This is not looking good. Friends stop by, “how can we help?”
    The sisters command in unison, “Go get Jesus! Tell him Lazarus is sick, he will know what to do.”
    The friends immediately race toward Jerusalem to try and find Jesus - it only takes them less than an hour to arrive. They ask around - has anyone seen Jesus of Nazareth? No one seems to know for sure - lots of conflicting information. They finally run across an old friend - one who they know believes Jesus is the long awaited Messiah.
    “Yes, he was here a few days ago. He was teaching in the Temple and some of our people were upset with what he said and tried to stone him. Last I heard, he headed out toward the Jordan - out where John use to baptize.”
    They turn to one another, “Let’s hurry, we may be able to get there before nightfall.” So they set out for the Jordan.
    As they get closer to area beyond the Jordon, they began asking travelers:
    Has anyone seen Jesus of Nazareth? Has anyone seen Jesus of Nazareth?
    It doesn’t take long - one group of excited travelers say “Yes! Follow us, we are going to go and see him. We were baptized by John, yet John did no miracles, but everything he said about this man has come true.”
    Finally, they see him, surrounded by a crowd, and racing up as close as they could get to him, they shout out “Lord, he whom you love is ill!”
    Jesus looks up and sees the friends waving frantically. “We are from Bethany - Mary and Martha sent us. Lazarus is ill and it is not looking good. Come with us!”
    Jesus pauses, his countenance changes, he appears heavy hearted and he looks toward heaven. Then lowering his gaze toward the friends he says:
    John 11:4 (ESV)
    “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”
    Jesus then continues to minister to those around him - teaching them of the Kingdom of God and healing those who approach him with illnesses. The friends of Mary and Martha look at each other and feeling a bit deflated, turn to travel back to Bethany and relay Jesus’ cryptic response to the sisters.
    John 11:5–6 ESV
    Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.
    Do you notice anything strange about verses 5-6?
    The writer of this gospel makes it a point to tell us:
    “Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.”
    And the very next line, “so when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.”
    It is not what you expect to read. What we expect to hear is:
    “And so Jesus dropped everything and went immediately to them.”
    What kind of friend delays coming to your side in times of distress?
    Quite a few people today, both unbelievers and some in the church, pose similar questions.
    “If Jesus loves me, why doesn’t he heal my sickness?”
    If Jesus loves me, why does he allow me to go through hard times? Or suffering? Why doesn’t he drop everything and come to my aid?
    We actually hear it later in this passage - when Jesus finally does show up, presumably too late.
    John 11:35–37 ESV
    Jesus wept. So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?”
    Where was he? Why didn’t he come?
    So what are we to make of this? Well, I would reiterate what the scripture tells us. Jesus loved Lazarus, therefore he permitted him to suffer and die. Right off the bat, this informs me that my understanding of “love” may need to be changed.
    What if something greater for me is only possible if I go through suffering and pain? What if death actually brings life?
    Early Church Father, St. John Chrysostom once wrote: Many are offended when they see any of those who are pleasing to God suffering anything terrible. There are those, for instance, who have fallen ill or have become impoverished or have endured some other tragedy. Those who are offended by this do not know that those who are especially dear to God have it as their lot to endure such things, as we see in the case of Lazarus, who was also one of the friends of Christ but was also sick.
    In fact, I’m not aware of any person of strong, tested faith who has not suffered.
    Consider Francis Asbury, early Methodist Bishop who was instrumental in the growth of the Methodist movement here in America. During his 45-year ministry, he traveled on horseback or in carriage an estimated 300,000 miles and delivered some 16,500 sermons.
    According to an article in Christianity Today, “When in October 1771, Asbury landed in Philadelphia, there were only 600 Methodists in America. Within days, he hit the road preaching but pushed himself so hard that he fell ill that winter. This was the beginning of a pattern: over the next 45 years, he suffered from colds, coughs, fevers, severe headaches, ulcers, and eventually chronic rheumatism, which forced him off his horse and into a carriage. Yet he continued to preach.”
    “Asbury pushed himself to the end. After preaching what was to be his last sermon, he was so weak he had to be carried to his carriage. By then, though, Methodism had grown under his leadership to 200,000 strong. His legacy continued with the 4,000 Methodist preachers he had ordained: by the Civil War, American Methodists numbered 1.5 million.”
    Asbury is just one example among many. Saints whose life is marked by pain, suffering, loss and death - and yet whose rewards are greater than we can imagine.
    The Apostle Paul’s words come to mind:
    2 Corinthians 12:7–9 ESV
    So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
    God’s power in us is not seen in what we can do for ourselves - it is seen when we are fully dependent on him and walk through the hardships and difficulties of this life with our eyes on Jesus..
    Jesus could have immediately come to the aid of his friend Lazarus. He could have cured his disease. But God had something greater in mind. By dying and then walking out of the grave four days later, people far and wide would hear about how Jesus prayed to His Father...
    John 11:41–43 (ESV)
    “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.” When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.”
    How many people either witnessed this event, or heard about it, and believed that Jesus was sent by the Father and that he was the Savior of the World?
    John 11:45 ESV
    Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what he did, believed in him,
    The Kingdom of God was expanded greatly by Jesus’ delay. Lazarus experienced first hand the power of Jesus over death - he had seen for his self what lies beyond and when he heard his name echo through Sheol to “come out” - he was able to come back, to stand and to share that there was nothing to fear if you follow Christ. Mary and Martha’s pain and grief was replaced with awe, unbridled joy and deeper faith.
    Before I end, I also want to point out that Jesus does not ignore our suffering, or feel ambivalent about our pain. This is no “suck it up buttercup” moment. Jesus fully participates in our suffering.
    When Jesus saw his friends grieving, when Mary was at his feet crying, we read that
    John 11:35 ESV
    Jesus wept.
    I do not believe anyone grieves and weeps over the human condition more than Christ. But he has shown us the way to overcome this world, and to stand - it is through his death and his resurrection. We experience new life today, freed from the burden of sin, when we believe in the Son of God, Jesus Christ.
    And one day, when He returns, he will shout and all will rise.
    1 Thessalonians 4:16 ESV
    For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.
    Amen.

      • John 11:5–6NIV2011

      • John 11:35–37NIV2011

      • 2 Corinthians 12:7–9NIV2011

      • John 11:45NIV2011

      • John 11:35NIV2011

      • 1 Thessalonians 4:16NIV2011

  • Back when my son was in Boy Scouts with Troop 741 out of St. Michaels, I’d frequently volunteer to be one of the adult leaders during troop camping trips - lending a hand wherever needed. There is one trip I remember pretty vividly. We were camping at Greenridge State Forrest, about 20 miles east of Cumberland and one morning, we drove down to the town of Paw Paw, WV to hike the C&O Canal trail. Except for the initial 1/2 mile, which we had to hike up and over this steep hill, this particular trail is relatively flat. What it lacked in difficulty in made up in length, I believe it was 10 miles each direction and I remember that day being a particularly hot one. We loaded our backpacks up with water and lunch, and headed out. The day started off well, but over time I saw that some of the younger boys were struggling to keep up with the older boys - so I volunteered to run sweep - be the last man and make sure everyone made it back. As the day wore on, this one kid was really struggling. He constantly had to stop and rest. Some of his friends got tired of waiting on him and left him behind.
    So finally I told him to give me his backpack, I will carry it for awhile, along with mine, so he could catch up. He happily handed it over and began to pick up the pace. I remember him handing it to me and I was like “what did you pack - provisions for the week?” No wonder he was worn out. After awhile, I would give him his pack back, he would struggle for awhile and then I would take it again so he could catch up. This was our pattern for the whole hike.
    That evening, when we all returned to the campsite, I was worn out. Some older scouts came up to the young boy laughing and asked “hey, can we get those rocks back?” The boy was confused until they opened his pack and began unloading these stones the size of softballs.
    That was the day I unwittingly carried boulders and did not have enough common sense to question the weight of the bag. Instead of addressing the problem, I just trudged along mile after mile.
    I thought of that moment this week when I read the verse,
    Psalm 130:3 (NIV)
    If you, Lord, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand?
    Imagine every time you sinned, a small rock was put in a back pack that you had to carry. How long do you think you would last until you could no longer stand?
    Without Grace - who could stand?
    Without Hope - who could stand?
    Throughout Lent, we have been invited to examine our own souls and hopefully recognized our need and dependance on God’s grace. During the last few Sundays, we have listened to accounts of Jesus’ ministry with the invitation to put our faith in him and allow him to lighten the load. We started off listening as he overcame temptation in the wilderness by speaking God’s Word. Then we listened as he offered living water to the woman at the well and witnessed the weight of shame fall off her shoulders when she believed. Last week, he gave sight to a man born blind - a man who lived in darkness and despair until the Light of the World open his eyes. Heaviness replaced with pure joy and strong belief. Only the Son of God could do the mighty works that He did and in doing them, everyday people were able to stand.
    Now it is not as evident when we jump from passage to passage on Sundays, but if you are reading through the gospel of John, which we are now up to chapter 11, we see that every sign, every miracle results in more people believing Jesus is the Messiah - but it also results in an increasingly dangerous climate in which Jesus operates. Opposition is growing - especially among religious leaders, but also among those who hear what he says and sees what he does but who are too hard hearted to believe. They could not control the Son of God - so sinful people did as sinful people do. They murmured, conspired, and began to look for ways to silence this disturber of the status quo. The burdens that Jesus is lifting off the backs of his people is, in a real sense, being placed on Him.
    As we approach the end of Lent and prepare for the coming of Holy Week, the gospel of John gives us a sign of the divine glory to come - one more big sign before we delve into the brutal days that would end with Jesus taking all our burden to the cross. This sign is is the raising of Lazarus back from the dead.
    Once again this week, I want to take some liberty with the story and share an imagined but plausible scenario.
    One day Lazarus starts showing signs of not feeling quite right. He feels tired and achey. He decides to stay home instead of working. As with any sickness, at first he tries to rest and let the illness run its course. His sisters check on him, they bring him food and water. After a couple of days, he is not showing signs of improvement - quite the opposite. They begin to worry. He is sweaty, restless in his sleep, groaning. The sisters stay close by and pray over him. Looking for hopeful signs. Another day passes. His fever is high, he can keep nothing down, he is in pain. Local remedies have no effect.
    Mary and Martha are now really concerned. This is not looking good. Friends stop by, “how can we help?”
    The sisters command in unison, “Go get Jesus! Tell him Lazarus is sick, he will know what to do.”
    The friends immediately race toward Jerusalem to try and find Jesus - it only takes them less than an hour to arrive. They ask around - has anyone seen Jesus of Nazareth? No one seems to know for sure - lots of conflicting information. They finally run across an old friend - one who they know believes Jesus is the long awaited Messiah.
    “Yes, he was here a few days ago. He was teaching in the Temple and some of our people were upset with what he said and tried to stone him. Last I heard, he headed out toward the Jordan - out where John use to baptize.”
    They turn to one another, “Let’s hurry, we may be able to get there before nightfall.” So they set out for the Jordan.
    As they get closer to area beyond the Jordon, they began asking travelers:
    Has anyone seen Jesus of Nazareth? Has anyone seen Jesus of Nazareth?
    It doesn’t take long - one group of excited travelers say “Yes! Follow us, we are going to go and see him. We were baptized by John, yet John did no miracles, but everything he said about this man has come true.”
    Finally, they see him, surrounded by a crowd, and racing up as close as they could get to him, they shout out “Lord, he whom you love is ill!”
    Jesus looks up and sees the friends waving frantically. “We are from Bethany - Mary and Martha sent us. Lazarus is ill and it is not looking good. Come with us!”
    Jesus pauses, his countenance changes, he appears heavy hearted and he looks toward heaven. Then lowering his gaze toward the friends he says:
    John 11:4 (ESV)
    “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”
    Jesus then continues to minister to those around him - teaching them of the Kingdom of God and healing those who approach him with illnesses. The friends of Mary and Martha look at each other and feeling a bit deflated, turn to travel back to Bethany and relay Jesus’ cryptic response to the sisters.
    John 11:5–6 ESV
    Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.
    Do you notice anything strange about verses 5-6?
    The writer of this gospel makes it a point to tell us:
    “Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.”
    And the very next line, “so when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.”
    It is not what you expect to read. What we expect to hear is:
    “And so Jesus dropped everything and went immediately to them.”
    What kind of friend delays coming to your side in times of distress?
    Quite a few people today, both unbelievers and some in the church, pose similar questions.
    “If Jesus loves me, why doesn’t he heal my sickness?”
    If Jesus loves me, why does he allow me to go through hard times? Or suffering? Why doesn’t he drop everything and come to my aid?
    We actually hear it later in this passage - when Jesus finally does show up, presumably too late.
    John 11:35–37 ESV
    Jesus wept. So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?”
    Where was he? Why didn’t he come?
    So what are we to make of this? Well, I would reiterate what the scripture tells us. Jesus loved Lazarus, therefore he permitted him to suffer and die. Right off the bat, this informs me that my understanding of “love” may need to be changed.
    What if something greater for me is only possible if I go through suffering and pain? What if death actually brings life?
    Early Church Father, St. John Chrysostom once wrote: Many are offended when they see any of those who are pleasing to God suffering anything terrible. There are those, for instance, who have fallen ill or have become impoverished or have endured some other tragedy. Those who are offended by this do not know that those who are especially dear to God have it as their lot to endure such things, as we see in the case of Lazarus, who was also one of the friends of Christ but was also sick.
    In fact, I’m not aware of any person of strong, tested faith who has not suffered.
    Consider Francis Asbury, early Methodist Bishop who was instrumental in the growth of the Methodist movement here in America. During his 45-year ministry, he traveled on horseback or in carriage an estimated 300,000 miles and delivered some 16,500 sermons.
    According to an article in Christianity Today, “When in October 1771, Asbury landed in Philadelphia, there were only 600 Methodists in America. Within days, he hit the road preaching but pushed himself so hard that he fell ill that winter. This was the beginning of a pattern: over the next 45 years, he suffered from colds, coughs, fevers, severe headaches, ulcers, and eventually chronic rheumatism, which forced him off his horse and into a carriage. Yet he continued to preach.”
    “Asbury pushed himself to the end. After preaching what was to be his last sermon, he was so weak he had to be carried to his carriage. By then, though, Methodism had grown under his leadership to 200,000 strong. His legacy continued with the 4,000 Methodist preachers he had ordained: by the Civil War, American Methodists numbered 1.5 million.”
    Asbury is just one example among many. Saints whose life is marked by pain, suffering, loss and death - and yet whose rewards are greater than we can imagine.
    The Apostle Paul’s words come to mind:
    2 Corinthians 12:7–9 ESV
    So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
    God’s power in us is not seen in what we can do for ourselves - it is seen when we are fully dependent on him and walk through the hardships and difficulties of this life with our eyes on Jesus..
    Jesus could have immediately come to the aid of his friend Lazarus. He could have cured his disease. But God had something greater in mind. By dying and then walking out of the grave four days later, people far and wide would hear about how Jesus prayed to His Father...
    John 11:41–43 (ESV)
    “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.” When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.”
    How many people either witnessed this event, or heard about it, and believed that Jesus was sent by the Father and that he was the Savior of the World?
    John 11:45 ESV
    Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what he did, believed in him,
    The Kingdom of God was expanded greatly by Jesus’ delay. Lazarus experienced first hand the power of Jesus over death - he had seen for his self what lies beyond and when he heard his name echo through Sheol to “come out” - he was able to come back, to stand and to share that there was nothing to fear if you follow Christ. Mary and Martha’s pain and grief was replaced with awe, unbridled joy and deeper faith.
    Before I end, I also want to point out that Jesus does not ignore our suffering, or feel ambivalent about our pain. This is no “suck it up buttercup” moment. Jesus fully participates in our suffering.
    When Jesus saw his friends grieving, when Mary was at his feet crying, we read that
    John 11:35 ESV
    Jesus wept.
    I do not believe anyone grieves and weeps over the human condition more than Christ. But he has shown us the way to overcome this world, and to stand - it is through his death and his resurrection. We experience new life today, freed from the burden of sin, when we believe in the Son of God, Jesus Christ.
    And one day, when He returns, he will shout and all will rise.
    1 Thessalonians 4:16 ESV
    For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.
    Amen.

      • John 11:5–6NIV2011

      • John 11:35–37NIV2011

      • 2 Corinthians 12:7–9NIV2011

      • John 11:45NIV2011

      • John 11:35NIV2011

      • 1 Thessalonians 4:16NIV2011

St Paul's UMC
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