"The Lenten Pilgrimage" - Day 30

Tuesday, March 23rd 

     “When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out!’  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.’”

John 11:43-44

     By the time we get to the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead during the season of Lent, the shadow of the cross is beginning to take shape across our pilgrimage path.  As John tells the story of Jesus, this is the seminal moment that drives the religious leaders to scheme for arrest, trial and crucifixion. 

      Today, we stand with the crowd by Lazarus’ tomb in Bethany.  We see Jesus weeping, along with the other mourners assembled.  And we hear his bold command to the dead man inside the tomb.  And we see the unbelievable, the impossible taking place right before our eyes!

      And maybe, if we can call upon our sanctified imaginations, we may even be able to hear him calling out to the entombed places in our lives.  Perhaps we can hear him speaking a word of restoration and hope to our deepest places of brokenness. 

     While we make our pilgrimage to the cross during our 40 day Lenten sojourn we pause for a moment in Bethany, simply to give thanks to Jesus, who is “the resurrection and the life.”

Prayer

     O Christ, the resurrection and the life.  As you called Lazarus forth from the tomb,

     call us forth from every place of darkness and death in our lives.  Teach us what it means

     to know you as the resurrection and the life.  Empower us to rise above the tomb of 

     sin and despair.  Help us to hear and heed your call when you speak our name, calling

     us out of the darkness as you did Lazarus.  In your name we pray.  Amen.