Scripture Text (NRSV)
11:32 When Mary came where Jesus was and saw him, she knelt at his feet and
said to him, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died."
11:33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was
greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved.
11:34 He said, "Where have you laid him?" They said to him, "Lord, come
and see."
11:35 Jesus began to weep
11:36 So the Jews said, "See how he loved him!"
11:37 But some of them said, "Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man
have kept this man from dying?"
11:38 Then Jesus, again greatly disturbed, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone
was lying against it.
11:39 Jesus said, "Take away the stone." Martha, the sister of the dead man,
said to him, "Lord, already there is a stench because he has been dead four
days."
11:40 Jesus said to her, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see
the glory of God?"
11:41 So they took away the stone. And Jesus looked upward and said, "Father, I
thank you for having heard me.
11:42 I knew that you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd
standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me."
11:43 When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus come out!"
11:44 The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his
face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Unbind him and let him go."
Comments:
Does Jesus weep for Lazarus or for us who do not yet believe? Nancy-Wi
Through the raising of Lazarus, Jesus offers the world a vision of the
life to come, when death and weeping will be no more.
The richness of the texts appointed for this day is overwhelming.
These texts focus our attention on the saints who have gone before us.
As the daylight hours continue to shorten, these texts, combined with
the powerful liturgical images and the remembrance rites in many
congregations, present the preacher with many opportunities to engage
significant issues of life and death and resurrection. Many
congregations provide opportunities on this day to light candles in
memory and honor of those saints who have given witness to faith and
life, as well as those who have been baptized over the past twelve
months. The preacher may be surrounded by the light of these
flickering candles as a sign of the witness of those who have gone
before us.
The flickering lights represent the stories of life and death that
have touched those who come now to hear a word of good news. The
flames are signs of the aching hearts and the tears of those present
who know of the shroud of death that is cast over all peoples. It is a
shroud we share with each other and all living things. It is the
shroud where much ministry takes place in any worshiping community. It
is the shroud the preacher knows of in her or his own life. It is the
shroud we share with Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of the living God.
Hearers on this day need to know that God knows and honors their
aching hearts, their memories, and their tears. They need to hear the
truth spoken regarding death as well as new life. They need to hear
the promise that the Alpha and Omega also weeps for Lazarus. This same
promised one bends to wipe away all the tears shed in the shadows of
death and bring us to the feast of all time and beyond time. On this
day, we gather with all the saints around the foretaste of that feast,
trusting that the death of Jesus has taken the disgrace of God's
people from all the earth.
I'm thinking about going with an emphasis on Jesus' saying "Father, I
thank you for hearing me. I knew that you always heard me, but I have
said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so that they may
believe you sent me."
Many saints have touched our lives, not because God needs them but
because WE need them. Seems to me that those who influence us most
deeply have been sent by God just when we most need them.
Mother Theresa's recent beatification comes to mind. She didn't need
to work out her salvation--the cross of Christ already did that. But
the people she helped--THEY needed a model of faith, a model of love.
Is it fair to say that our saintly role models serve "for the sake of
the crowd, so that they may believe" that God sends them (and us) out
into the world?
Nancy, Maybe Jesus wept because he knew that Lazarus was in Paradise
and he was going to yank him back! Toni
That is pretty interesting. On All Saints Day many of us will probably
be telling people that they should be eagerly awaiting their joining
with the other saints in the Kingdom. When they leave this world and
go to the one where there will be no death and no weeping and they
will be united with God eternally. (Kind of like a funeral sermon with
no specific funeral.)
But the gospel has Jesus bringing his pal back from that world into
this world, with more death and more weeping, not united with God yet.
Is Jesus' mission about living in this world or dying and going to the
next world?? For many it seems that it is ALL about going to heaven,
but it's hard to make that conclusion with this story. jw in tx
Does anyone have any interesting insights, resources, etc. into the
liturgical and ecclesiastical tradition of All Saints' Day? With
secular society's fascination with Hallowe'en reaching an all-time
high, it seems that humanity's interest in the "other world" has not
waned. Roberta
The custom of commemorating all of the saints of the church on a
single day goes back at least to the third century. Our All Saints'
Day celebrates the baptized people of God, living and dead, who make
up the body of Christ. On Nov. 1 or the Sunday following, many
congregations will remember the faithful who have died during the past
year.
The liturgy abounds with references to the saints and to our continual
relationship with them. The preface in the Lutheran Book of Worship
for All Saints' describes the relationship this way: "that moved by
their witness and supported by their fellowship, we may run with
perseverance the race that is set before us and with them receive the
unfading crown of glory." All Saints' Day invites people to reflect on
others - living and dead - who have moved and supported others by
their lives of faith.
Hallowe'en is the eve before "Hallow" or the evening before "All
Saints' Day." As the day is observed by remembering and thanking God
for all saints, both dead and living. It is a day to glorify Jesus
Christ, who by his holy life and death has made the saints holy
through Baptism and faith. It is a day to celebrate the triumph of
"Good" over "Evil."
The wearing of costumes appears to have developed from this war
between "Good" and "Evil." During the eve before the triumph it was
believed that the "Evil" and "Good" would come into our worldly realm
and fight. As part of the fight, "Evil" would snatch people to fight
for them. By wearing costumes "Evil" couldn't tell who the people
were, and might leave them alone. If a person wore a costume that made
them look like they were on the side of "Evil" (such as a witch,
warlock, devil, etc.) then they were almost assured of being left
alone that night.
The custom of trick-or-treating is thought to have originated not with
the Irish Celts, but with a ninth-century European custom called
souling. On November 2, All Souls Day, early Christians would walk
from village to village begging for "soul cakes," made out of square
pieces of bread with currants. The more soul cakes the beggars would
receive, the more prayers they would promise to say on behalf of the
dead relatives of the donors. At the time, it was believed that the
dead remained in limbo for a time after death, and that prayer, even
by strangers, could expedite a soul's passage to heaven. While we no
longer believe that to be true, we continue to remember our beloved
dead in our prayer.
The Reformation ushered in an era of examining our religious
traditions. May we also examine our secular traditions and find their
religious origins. At each and every Hallowe'en, we can take the time
to remember it is a celebration of the triumph of "Good" over "Evil."
Ultimately, that is what our Lord reminds us of each and every day.
Hi,
I'd like to use the previous posting, but need to know how to credit
it. From where does the information come?
Michelle
In lighting the candles, I usually call for those who've died in the
past year and then open it up for any who wish to call a name. I just
put a votive down and the acolyte lights it (watch the sleeve of your
robe if you wear one) as each name is called. Simple simon. Yet, I've
always wondered - does anyone know the liturgical appropriateness for
calling the same name every year??? I find nothing wrong with it,
seeing it as a memorial, another time to remember - others have
differed from my opinion, saying that once we've represented them with
an eternal flame, that's that. Their name should be called no more.
Thanks for the info on Hallowe'en. Around these parts there's quite a
bit of superstition about Halloween. I've explained and explained it,
but with little success. I, too, would like to cite your source.
Last - I've always thought Jesus comes off kind of arrogant in John,
at least read by modern eyes and heard by modern ears. I'm almost
insulted when he prays out loud not for his own prayer's benefit, but
for us nincompoop disciples to overhear so we can understand. Just
seems manipulative, or something ... I don't know ... just a weird
thought I've always had in John, and especially in v. 42. An earlier
post-er put it pretty well, with the illustration of the beatification
of Mother Teresa.
I'm more drawn to Revelation at this point.
Sally in GA
I've used this text (including Jesus' conversation with Martha) for a
couple of funerals but the part that always gets me is that Jesus does
not weep until he speaks with Mary. Martha's "matter of fact" reality
approach is dealt with in a straight forward affirmation of her faith.
Mary's pain is shared. Both are given what they need at that moment
but in entirely different ways because they are entirely different
persons. Isn't that part of the "love your neighbor" concept: weep
with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice. In Christian
love, allow yourself to feel for the other person and re-affirm them
in faith. Mike in Soddy Daisy, TN
