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Those words are often spoken...I've spoken them many times myself...during a funeral or memorial service for one who has died. The words are meant to console those who mourn and to proclaim one of the "bottom-line" beliefs of our faith: that death is not the end but is, in fact, only a transition to a new and everlasting life with God.
It's interesting, though. No one ever looks terribly comforted when those words are spoken. Maybe it's the situation, the formality, the grief, the discomfort of the moment. But the simple truth is that our awareness of the resurrection promise doesn't always help to diminish our fears about death.
Supposedly, there's a tombstone in an Indiana cemetery that's over 100 years old and has written on it this epitaph:
"Pause Stranger, when you pass me by, As you are now, so once was I. As I am now, so you will be, So prepare for death and follow me."
An unknown passerby read those words and underneath them scratched this reply:
"To follow you I'm not content, Until I know which way you went."
I think everyone has some fears about dying. That's actually pretty human and natural; death is, after all, the greatest of all the unknowns we might encounter.
But I'm not interested, this morning, in trying to talk you out of your fears about dying. Actually, I think that fear of death – to a point – can be productive and beneficial. That fear just might prompt one to stop smoking...to lose weight...to drive more carefully (or, at least, to hang up the phone!).
You see, I'm not worried about whether you're afraid of dying or not. I believe – and our faith insists – that resurrection after death is a literal thing. And it's going to happen whether we have doubts about it or not. Our Gospel story today uses a literal resurrection from death to point us toward the coming resurrection of Jesus...the one that secures eternal life for us.
But, again, today I'm not interested in looking at the fear of dying; that will take care of itself, for all of us, in due course. I am, however, very interested this morning in looking at the metaphor – the figurative kinds of resurrection we can have now, in this life, today. "Life out of death" is an idea we truly need to embrace. The final resurrection is secure; it's the day-to-day resurrections we need to look for, work for, seek and strive for. You see, Jesus didn't just come to secure eternal life for later; Jesus is also here with us to secure abundant life for us in the here and now.
When Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the life" Martha assumed he was reminding her that her brother Lazarus would live again someday. So Jesus performed his last great miracle to show her -- and us -- that the resurrection he offers is not only a future promise, but a present reality. It's the present power of hope. It's the life-giving force of faith. It's the resurrecting energy that comes from believing in One who is greater than death itself.
The meaning of the miracle of Lazarus is that in those times when we feel like our very life has dried up, Jesus can still come to us with life-renewing power. If, in the midst of those times, we can still believe, then, we can emerge with new life. If we trust Christ to raise us from death, then we can also trust Christ to raise us up when grief or trouble or failure or loss has crushed the joy of life from us. The offer of healing, help, and hope is for the living of these days.
To experience these day-to-day kinds of resurrections, though, we must notice some things about the resurrection of Lazarus. First of all, when Jesus arrived at the tomb, he said "Take away the stone," meaning "move that big boulder that's keeping Lazarus enclosed."
In times of trouble, we may allow things to come between us and God. It might be anger...or pride...or resentment...or fear. And the longer we stay closed up, by ourselves, in our tomb of pain, the more our lives start to stink! We must allow the stone to be rolled away and let Christ peer into our place of pain. We might accomplish that by admitting to ourselves, to others and, especially, to God just how rotten things have become!
And once we've opened the entrance to the tomb, then we must take a step toward coming out. Did Jesus run into the tomb and take Lazarus in his arms and carry him into the light? No! Jesus commanded him, "Lazarus, come out." "Use the strength and the power you have been given. Don't just sit there waiting to be rescued; get up and move!" Jesus expected Lazarus not just to wake up but to respond and take action!
But notice that once Lazarus came out of the tomb, then Jesus had others come to help. Jesus said to the people gathered around, "Unbind him, and let him go." Sometimes we all need help. Experiencing a chance at a new life won't make much difference if we try to keep walking around bound by all the same stuff that had us all wrapped up during our time of emotional and spiritual "death." God provides the power for us to take a step out of the tomb and then let others assist us so that we can experience the fullness of life once again.
Just ask the man who has lived for years enduring the torment of clinical depression and has emerged again from the depths to which that condition can take you. He knows what the valley of death is. A place where the anguish, the doubts, the pain, the hopelessness are so intense that death feels like the most desirable option possible. Then, when things get so bad that he can't even lift his voice to God for help anymore, friends, loved ones, and caring professionals step in to help him do what he cannot do on his own. Some rest, some support, new medications – all are necessary. The man does his part, does whatever he can, to help the healing process proceed. And, for a while, the weeks creep by with very little improvement. But, then – one day – he wakes up and things are a little lighter, a little clearer. The next day is a little better...and the next day things get even better. God has used all the power, the people and the possibilities around him to bring new life, healing and hope. Whatever you do, don't tell this man that there's no such thing as resurrection in this life.
And consider the numerous women and men in our own congregation who have gone into battle against life-threatening diseases. They know how frightening and hopeless things can get. Physical pain...incredible fatigue...a "cure" that sometimes seems far worse than any disease could ever be. And yet, somehow, they found within themselves a strength they didn't know they had and have found in those around them support they never imagined they would have. God's hand at work in their own spirits and in the people and events of their lives has reduced the power of disease to a mere shadow and the power of resurrection has renewed life's light.
Jesus called to Lazarus, "Come out!" "Don't stay there in the stench your life has become, wrapped up in the trappings of death! Come out and let others embrace you and love you. Listen to my voice and believe in my power and you, too, will know what resurrection means."
It can be frightening to face all various "deaths" that life brings to us, that's true. We're afraid to fail, we're afraid to lose, we're afraid to ask for help, we're afraid to depend on God. But that is not how we were meant to live. We were meant to face all the trials, demands, difficulties and even the great unknowns of life with faith and trust and belief...in God, in the goodness of others, in the worth of ourselves...and in the power of resurrection.
The question for us becomes: when the shadow of death comes over us, as it will in life over and over again, will we listen for the voice of Christ and ready ourselves for resurrection? Or will we stay in that tomb of doubt, surrounded by the stench of death and bound up by whatever fears have overtaken us?
Christ says, "Whoever lives and believes in me will never die." Church, by the power of Christ and in the name of the Love that is the Living God, WE DON'T HAVE TO BE AFRAID TO DIE AND, BY ALL MEANS, WE MUST STOP BEING AFRAID TO LIVE! Remember what Jesus said: "I am the resurrection and the life!" Not just someday...but here and now and everyday! Believe it...and you will know the power of resurrection, too! Amen.
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