This week’s reading is from John 11:1-45. That’s one long chapter. When I’ve introduced people to the story in the past I’ve used either video or drama. For video there’s the Jesus of Nazareth version and there’s the Gospel of John Visual Bible. There is plenty of room for drama. I’ve involved children as the people who wrap Lazarus up with rolls of paper towels or toilet paper. It becomes very powerful later as Lazarus is unwrapped by the same people.
There is so much to draw from in this story.
With some groups I’ve used the story to bring to the surface deep grief about the state of the church. It’s an opportunity to name the losses that people must face as they move into the future. And then to reflect on where Jesus is in that. There’s sometimes a sense that he’s frustratingly absent, doing nothing to stop us in our decline. When I’m daring enough, I talk about being past the point of death, and into decay to the point that out situation stinks.
And then Jesus finally turns up. Understandably some people are upset that Jesus hasn’t arrived immediately. Why didn’t he help us out when we needed him? Some of people feel a bit guilty about their feeling sad and depressed. They’re expecting Jesus to tell them off for their lack of ‘triumphant living’. But how does Jesus respond to all of this? First of all, he resists our arm-twisting approaches. He won’t become part of our magic show. Instead he enters into our grief with us. He weeps. Not only is he moved by our grief, he shares it with us.
In 1992 I took the funeral of a 21 year old woman who had been killed in a car crash. She had been a person of great potential. Her peers were asking, “Why did God make this happen?” Others were suggesting there was a plan and that this woman’s life was meant to finish this way. I explained that God was the first to grieve at the lost opportunities. Before any one of us knew what had happened, God was ready to join in our sense of frustration and bewilderment.
And then Jesus walks up to the tomb and, despite the stench, calls Lazarus into life again. The stone is opened. Out comes Lazarus, still wrapped up. Jesus gets his peers to unwrap him so he can breathe and move.
This part of the story lends itself to exploring the good news of deliverance to the addicted. More in the next post.