If the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, the one who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also,
through his Spirit dwelling in you.
After I totaled my car a few weeks ago, and suffered another compression fracture of a vertebra, I would gladly trade in this old body for a new, smaller model. In early morning, when I do much of my writing, it feels already half "dead because of sin," even as I hope "the spirit is alive because of righteousness." I think I keep going out of pride, anger, and fear of the Lord. The doctor said I'd be better in six to eight weeks. But we're not half way there yet.
Today the Church celebrates the Lord's promise to those who hear his word and abide in his Spirit. I see the corpse of Lazarus, moldering in the tomb after four quiet days, suddenly hearing the Voice and stirring.
"I know that Voice!" he might say. It's familiar from conversation and prayer, from listening and singing. He's heard it in church and synagogue, in silence and in shouts. It has the familiar resonance of a mother's voice, something heard, recognized, and welcomed even before we emerge from her body.
Hearing the commanding Voice he has no choice but to sit up and stumble toward the light that shines unexpectedly where a stone had been. Hearing that beloved Voice calling his name, he remembers who he was and everything he knew and loved, and to whom he belongs. "I am Lazarus; I am his friend; I am the brother of Martha and Mary!" he says. He does not hesitate to obey despite the tightly-wrapped linen around his ankles and legs.
Even as he stand blindly in the brilliant light of day, he hears another command. This time it's for his friends and loved ones, "Untie his and let him go free!"
In the coming days, as he settles back into the routines of family life, he surely remembers the familiar words of Ezekiel.
O my people, I will open your graves
and have you rise from them,
and bring you back to the land of Israel.
Then you shall know that I am the LORD,
when I open your graves and have you rise from them,
O my people!
How many times has he asked the rabbis what they might mean to him? Is it possible that Death itself will obey the Voice of our God? That graves will surrender their captives and the dead will live?
Our scriptures remind us that a vague belief in "life after death" is no guarantee of eternal bliss. A culture committed to skepticism and scientific certainty knows nothing of such an uncertain and insubstantial notion. It sells no merchandise, offers no vacation tours, and appears on no one's bucket list.
Rather, our scriptures tell us that the Spirit which drove Jesus into the desert, back to Galilee, and onto the highway toward Jerusalem and Calvary; that same Spirit which compelled us to pray and make sacrifice for the love God and neighbor will call us out of the dust of death. It will refresh our memories of love, hope, and trust, and drive us into his Eternal Kingdom.
We believe in the promise because we believe in Our Lord. We hold to the promise because know his Voice; it is already so familiar, so lovely, and so good.
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.