Christ the King (Cristo El Rey)

I preached this sermon in the Spanish service; the English translation is below.

Juan 18:33-37

Oremos…

Que las palabras de mi boca y las meditaciones de nuestros corazónes sean aceptables delante de ti, Señor, fortaleza nuestra y redentor nuestro. Amén.

El evangelio de hoy es parte del relato de Juan sobre el juicio de Jesús ante el gobernador romano de Judea, Poncio Pilato. Jesús ha sido arrestado y ahora se encuentra ante Pilato, quien lo está interrogando. Insatisfecho con las respuestas que recibió cuando preguntó a los líderes judíos por qué lo llevaban ante él, Pilato le pregunta a Jesús:

“¿Qué has hecho?”

Al observar la conmoción de su arresto, muchos espectadores probablemente tuvieron la misma pregunta.

¿Qué había hecho Jesús para que Judas lo traicionara y trajera un destacamento de soldados para arrestarlo en el jardín?

¿Qué había hecho para que Simón Pedro lo negara mientras estaba con otros alrededor de una fogata, calentándose en la  noche fria?

¿Qué había hecho para que los sumos sacerdotes, la aristocracia de Judea, lo entregaran al gobernador romano?

Pilato era un político sofisticado, pero no podía entender qué había hecho Jesús para ser tan despreciado

Por supuesto, sabemos lo que Pilato no sabía.

El evangelio de Juan nos dice que la ira de los sumos sacerdotes y fariseos había estado latentes durante mucho tiempo. Su resentimiento hacia Jesús creció a medida que viajaba por Judea, enseñando y sanando, y luego resucitó a Lázaro (Juan 11) y como un cerillo que se enciende para secarse, su ira se encendió y comenzaron a planear su caída.

Cuando le preguntó a Jesús: "¿Qué has hecho?", el gobernador esperaba una respuesta clara.

Pero Jesús no responde a su pregunta. En lugar de decir lo que había hecho, Jesús le dice a Pilato quién es. Describe el reino de Dios y cómo él es el rey de ese reino, contrastando el poder terrenal y humano con el poder encarnado en Jesús.

En este Domingo de Cristo Rey, se nos pide que recordemos que un reino se define por su rey y que su pueblo debe llevar la imagen del rey.

Hace casi cien años, el Papa Pío onceavo estableció en Roma el Domingo de Cristo Rey. Celebrado el último domingo del año eclesiástico, el Papa lo estableció en un momento en que surgían dictaduras no cristianas en Europa, como las del fascismo y el comunismo. Imitando a los antiguos emperadores romanos que habían tomado el título de Mesías y actuaban como dioses divinos sobre sus reinos, esos dictadores intentaron afirmar su autoridad sobre la Iglesia y su pueblo.

El Papa Pío vinculó la creciente negación de Cristo como rey con el ascendimiento del secularismo. Al escribir que a Cristo nuestro Señor se le ha dado todo el poder en el cielo y en la tierra y, por lo tanto, nada está exento de su imperio, el Papa recordó a los cristianos que Cristo, no los gobernantes terrenales, debe reinar en nuestras mentes, en nuestras voluntades, en nuestros corazones y en nuestros cuerpos (párrafo 33, Quas Primas).

Cada año, cuando proclamamos a Cristo como Rey, debemos hacernos la misma pregunta que Pilato le hizo a Jesús:

“¿Qué has hecho?

¿Cómo has tu – como hemos nosotros  llevado la imagen de nuestro Rey, la plenitud de Dios conocida en Jesús?

En Juan 12, Jesús les dice a sus discípulos:

²⁵ El que ama su vida la perdera, y el que aborrece su vida en este mundo la conservará para la vida eterna. ²⁶ El que me sirve, me debe de seguir, ….

¿Qué has hecho para servir a los que conoces?

En Juan 13, Jesús nos da a todos un mandamiento nuevo, diciéndonos:

³⁴Un mandamiento nuevo os doy: que os améis unos a otros. Como yo os he amado, que también os améis unos a otros. ³⁵En esto conocerán todos que sois mis discípulos, si os amáis unos a otros.

¿Qué has hecho para demostrar el amor abnegado que Jesús mostró a las personas que conoció?

Y en Juan 14, Jesús les dice a sus discípulos:

²¹El que tiene mis mandamientos y los guarda, ése es el que me ama; y el que me ama será amado por mi Padre, y yo lo amaré y me revelaré a él.

¿Qué has hecho para guardar los mandamientos de Dios, para estar en relación con Dios y con los demás de maneras que den vida, sean verdaderas y compasivas?

En este Domingo de Cristo Rey, se nos pide que recordemos que nuestro primer llamado es vivir como ciudadanos del reino de Dios y llevar el amor de Dios al mundo.

Oremos.

Dios Santo,

Gracias por tu Hijo Jesús, quien nos muestra la plenitud de tu amor y misericordia y nos otorga la ciudadanía en tu reino.

Muéstranos cómo seguirlo y servir a los demás a medida que nos acercamos a ti. Guíanos por tu Espíritu Santo.

Oramos en el nombre de tu Hijo, nuestro Salvador y Señor, Jesucristo. 

Amén.

John 18:33-37

The gospel for today is part of John’s account of Jesus’ trial before the Roman governor of Judea, Pontius Pilate. Jesus has been arrested and now stands before Pilate, who is questioning him. Unsatisfied with the answers that were given to him when he asked the Jewish leaders why they were bringing Jesus to him, Pilate asks Jesus,

“What have you done?”

Watching the commotion of his arrest, many onlookers probably had the same question.

What had Jesus done so that Judas betrayed him and brought a detachment of soldiers to arrest him in the garden?

What had he done so that Simon Peter denied him as he stood with others around a fire, warming himself in the cold night?

What had he done so that the high priests, the aristocracy of Judea, turned him over to the Roman governor?

Pilate was a sophisticated politician, but he couldn’t understand what Jesus had done to be so despised.

Of course, we know what Pilate didn’t.

John’s gospel tells us that the anger of the chief priests and Pharisees had been smoldering for a long time. Their resentment of Jesus built as he traveled throughout Judea, teaching and healing, and then he raised Lazarus (John 11) and like a match touched to dry kindling, their rage flared, and they began to plan his downfall.

When he asked Jesus, “What have you done?” the governor was hoping for a clear answer.

But Jesus doesn’t answer his question. Instead of saying what he had done, Jesus tells Pilate who he is. He describes God’s kingdom and how he is the king of that kingdom, contrasting earthly, human power with the power embodied in Jesus.

On this Christ the King Sunday, we are asked to remember that a kingdom is defined by its king and its people are meant to bear the image of the king.

Almost one hundred years ago, Pope Pius the 11th in Rome established Christ the King Sunday. Celebrated on the last Sunday of the church year, the Pope established it at a time when non-Christian dictatorships in Europe, like those of fascism and communism, were rising. Mimicking the ancient Roman emperors who had taken the title Messiah and acted as divine gods over their kingdoms, those dictators attempted to assert their authority over the Church and its people. Pope Pius connected the increasing denial of Christ as king to the rise of secularism. Writing that Christ our Lord is given all power in heaven and on earth and therefore, nothing is exempt from his empire, the pope reminded Christians that Christ, not earthly rulers, must reign in our minds, in our wills, in our hearts and in our bodies (paragraph 33, Quas Primas).

Every year, when we proclaim Christ is King, we must ask ourselves the same question Pilate asked Jesus:

“What have you done?

How have you- how have we - born the image of our King, the fullness of God known in Jesus?

In John 12, Jesus tells his disciples,

²⁵ Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. ²⁶ Whoever serves me must follow me, ….

What have you done to be of service to those who you know?

In John 13, Jesus gives us all a new commandment, telling us,

³⁴I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. ³⁵By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.’

What have you done to show the self-giving love that Jesus showed to the people he met?

And in John 14, Jesus tells his disciples,

²¹ They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me, and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.”

What have you done to keep God’s commandments – to be in relationship with God and with each other in ways that are life-giving and true and compassionate?

On this Christ the King Sunday, we are asked to remember our first calling is to live as citizens of God’s kingdom and to bear God’s love in the world.

Let us pray.

Holy God,

Thank you for your Son Jesus who shows us the fullness of your love and mercy and gives us citizenship in Your kingdom.

Show us how to follow him and serve others as we draw near to You. Guide us by your Holy Spirit.

We pray in the name of Your Son, our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. 

Amen.

Lectionary 33B

Mark 13:1-8

Today, we are nearing the end of our lectionary year centered in Mark’s gospel, and it’s the last Sunday we’ll hear from Mark, before we celebrate the Reign of Christ next Sunday and begin Advent after Thanksgiving.

When Mark wrote his gospel, his audience would have been accustomed to hearing stories told about Jesus and his ministry. But Mark’s Gospel is the first written account we have. We believe it was written in response to changes he witnessed.

We don’t know for certain what changed – it appears from things Mark says in this chapter that there were false teachers claiming to come in Jesus’ name but leading believers down wrong paths, and there were believers being persecuted and arrested, silencing their witness and testimony. Whatever was happening, now it was important to have a reliable written record of the “good news of Jesus Christ” (1:1).

Today we get to eavesdrop on Jesus. He has moved away from the crowd and is in what Mark describes as a private conversation. You know what this looks like. Four of his disciples pulled him aside to ask him what he meant when he told the others that the great buildings surrounding them would be destroyed.

But, when Peter, James, John and Andrew ask Jesus to tell them, “…when will this be, and what will be the sign that all these things are about to be accomplished?” (v. 4) Jesus tells them, there isn’t a clear sign. There will be betrayal. There will be alarming rumors. There will be disasters.

But the obvious, unambiguous sign they are looking for doesn’t exist.

The only assurance Jesus gives them is that the turmoil will not last forever.

We don’t know what turmoil Jesus is referring to. He may have been recalling earthquakes and famines in the same timeframe as we think of the Dust Bowl or the Great Depression. Or wars from decades earlier – in our context, it would be like talking about the Korean conflict today - or any number of more immediate, local disputes put down by Roman authorities. In any case, he was referring to historical events that shape our narrative. It’s all the stories that we carry around with us that have shaped how we look at the world.

And then Jesus says,

“This is but the beginning of the birth pangs.” (v. 8)

And there is The Good News. Birth pangs hurt, but they are necessary for new life to enter the world. And “God is always about the business of making new futures possible.”[i]

Last Saturday, our younger child, Emerson, took the GRE. Emerson is applying to graduate school and the test is one of the requirements. The scores for two of the three parts were available immediately, but we’re all waiting for the third part to be graded.

Waiting is hard.

You can guess what choices you may have, but everything is one giant question mark. There are so many unknowns. And it can be excruciating if you fall into the trap of wondering, “What if…”

Like Peter, James, John and Andrew, we want to know what the future holds. We want certainty, assurance and clear direction. It makes us anxious to realize how little we know and how little we control.

What Jesus reminds the disciples, and us, is that faith calls us to trust God. We can have confidence that the future will be what God ordains for us. As Jesus teaches in his Sermon on the Mount, none of us can add even a single hour to our lives by worrying. (Mt. 6:27)

What we can be certain of is God’s love for each one of us.

We may not have signs of what will come next, but the signs of God’s love for us are all around us. They are in the prayers that are said when we are sick, grieving or scared. They are in the time given to mentor a student or spend time with one as a study buddy. They are in the gifts of skills and knowledge shared in ministries every day in our congregation – people who know how to read financial statements and help us be good stewards of financial gifts; people whose gifts of hospitality welcome others and foster a place of belonging; people who enliven our music and worship; and people who help us stay connected with our community partners and know how we can best help our neighbors.

All of these signs point to a God-given future, one we can anticipate with unwavering faith and hope.

Let us pray…

Good and gracious God,

Help us always to follow Jesus

and not be led astray by imposters or false promises.

Draw us near to You and

open our eyes to the signs of Your love that surround us.

Show us how to share the Good News of Your Love through our words and actions.

We pray in the name of Your Son Jesus, our Savior and Lord.

Amen.

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[i] Amanda Brobst-Renaud. “Commentary on Mark 13:1-8”. Working Preacher. Luther Seminary.

Lectionary 32B

I preached this sermon in the Spanish service; the English translation is below.

Marcos 12:38-44

Oremos…Que las palabras de mi boca y la meditación de nuestro corazón sean gratas delante de ti, Señor, fortaleza nuestra y redentor nuestro. Amén.

“No tengas temor”. (1 Reyes 17:13)

Estas palabras se repiten a lo largo de las Escrituras. Las escuchamos por primera vez cuando el Señor le habla a Abram (Génesis 15:1) y son repetidas, una y otra vez, por Dios y los enviados de Dios. La última vez es cuando Juan de Patmos relata haberlas oído dichas por “uno como el Hijo del Hombre” en Apocalipsis. (Apocalipsis 1:17)

Y una y otra vez, son seguidas por la promesa de que Dios actuará, que el reino de Dios vendrá, que Dios no ha olvidado las promesas de Dios a su pueblo.

Hoy escuchamos al profeta Elías decir estas palabras.

Elías había estado viviendo de la comida que le traían los cuervos y del agua de un wadi, o arroyo, pero el agua se había secado. Una sequía hizo que el agua y la comida escasearan.

Pero Dios envía al profeta a una viuda en Sarepta, un pueblo fuera de Israel, prometiéndole que lo alimentará. Cuando Elías se encuentra con la mujer, ella le dice que ella y su hijo solo tienen un poco de harina y aceite, y se están preparando para comer lo que tienen y luego esperar a morir.

En el mundo antiguo, la gente creía que el rey podía controlar la lluvia, por lo que una sequía era una señal del fracaso del rey. El rey también era responsable del bienestar de las viudas y los huérfanos, por lo que cuando la viuda le dice a Elías que ella y su hijo se están muriendo de hambre, es otra señal del fracaso del rey.

Pero Elías sabe que su confianza no está en los líderes del mundo, sino en Dios, y Dios lo ha enviado a la viuda. Confía en la provisión de Dios para él. Su confianza surge de su obediencia a seguir la dirección de Dios. Su obediencia surge de su confianza en la fidelidad de Dios a lo largo de las generaciones hacia el pueblo de Dios. Surge de saber que pertenece a Dios.

Entonces le dice: “No tengas temor”.

Y la jarra de comida no se agota, ni falta el aceite , y la viuda, su hijo y Elías comen muchos días más.

En el evangelio nos encontramos con otra viuda. No está en casa, sino en público, donando al tesoro. El tesoro era un lugar en un patio fuera del templo donde la gente podía hacer ofrendas voluntarias para apoyar el templo, como el plato de ofrendas que tenemos sobre la mesa aquí.

Jesús está en los atrios del templo, enseñando a una gran multitud y observando a la gente depositar sus ofrendas en el tesoro.

Y mientras observa, advierte a su audiencia contra los líderes religiosos que son como actores que desempeñan un papel. Saben qué decir y cómo vestirse, pero sus palabras y acciones son vacías. Dan desde un lugar de comodidad y tranquilidad, sin sacrificar nada ni arriesgar nada.

Cuando Jesús ve a una viuda depositar dos pequeñas monedas de cobre, les dice a sus discípulos que “[ella] ha depositado más que todos [los demás]”.

Jesús dice que el regalo de la viuda era un regalo sacrificial, no, como los regalos que muchos de nosotros hacemos, dando de lo que sabemos que podemos prescindir, sino dando de lo que Dios nos ha dado primero, confiando en la providencia de Dios para ella.

Estos personajes no nos dan un modelo fácil de seguir.

Elías y las dos viudas confían en la providencia de Dios. Su confianza surge de su obediencia a seguir la dirección de Dios. Su obediencia surge de la confianza en la fidelidad de Dios a través de las generaciones hacia el pueblo de Dios. Proviene de saber que pertenecemos a Dios.

Por supuesto, el mundo moderno tiene un mensaje diferente. Nos dice que somos responsables de asegurar nuestro futuro a través de nuestros propios esfuerzos. Almacenar, ahorrar y protegernos de nuestros enemigos. Mirar hacia dentro y poner nuestra confianza en los líderes que vemos en la plaza pública. El mundo nos pide que le demos a los humanos autoridad sobre nuestras vidas y nos enseña a ver el mundo a través del lente de la escasez y el miedo.

Pero Dios nos enseña que en Cristo no recibimos “un espíritu de esclavitud para volver al temor, sino… un espíritu de adopción”. El Espíritu da testimonio de que somos hijos de Dios. (Romanos 8:15-16)

Somos a quienes Jesús se dirige cuando dice: “³² No tengan miedo, manada pequeña, porque a su Padre le ha placido darles el reino”.

La Palabra de Dios nos invita a tener una visión diferente del mundo, donde nos sometamos a Dios y veamos el mundo como Dios lo ve, a través del lente de la abundancia y la obediencia.

La escasez no es una realidad del Reino; es una construcción humana que Elías rechaza y que la viuda en el tesoro del templo niega. En cambio, Dios nos promete la plenitud de la vida (Juan 10:10). Sus historias nos recuerdan que el “poder vivificante de Dios puede transformar situaciones de derrota, desesperación y muerte”.ⁱ

“El Reino -o Reinado- de Dios es una realidad que está más allá de nuestra percepción…”ⁱⁱ Y en lugar de tratar de controlarlo, diseñarlo o dominarlo, Dios nos llama a caminar en sumisión, humildad y obediencia, mientras esperamos su realización, en el tiempo de Dios, no en el nuestro.

Oremos…

Dios bueno y misericordioso,

Te damos gracias por nuestro pan de cada día,

por lo que necesitamos para vivir en la plenitud de la vida.

Ayúdanos a rechazar las cosas que no dan vida,

las cosas que nos separan de ti.

Enséñanos a confiar en tu provisión y en la vida que nos das.

Que tu Espíritu Santo nos guíe a dar generosamente de todo lo que tenemos.

Envíanos a compartir tu amor con todas las personas que conozcamos.

Oramos en el nombre de Jesús.

Amén.

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[i] Walter Brueggemann. Smith & Helwys Bible Commentary on First and Second Kings. 217.

[ii] Mike Breen. Covenant and Kingdom: The DNA of the Bible. 3DM. Kindle Edition.

 

Mark 12:38-44

Let us pray…

May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in your sight, Lord, our strength and our redeemer. Amen.

“Do not be afraid.”

These words are repeated throughout Scripture. We first hear them when the Lord speaks to Abram (Genesis 15:1) and they are repeated, again and again, by God and those sent by God. The last occurrence is when John of Patmos recounts hearing them spoken by “one like the Son of Man” in Revelation. (Revelation 1:17)

And time after time, they are followed by the promise that God will act, that God’s kingdom will come, that God has not forgotten God’s promises to God’s people.

Today we hear the prophet Elijah speak these words.

Elijah had been living on the food that ravens brought him and the water of a wadi, or stream, but the water had dried up. A drought made water and food scarce.

But God sends the prophet to a widow in Zarephath, a town outside Israel, promising that she will feed him. When Elijah meets the woman, she tells him that she and her son only have a little meal and oil, and they are preparing to eat what they have and then wait to die.

In the ancient world, people believed that the king could control the rain, so a drought was a sign of the king’s failure. The king also had responsibility for the welfare of widows and orphans, so when the widow tells Elijah that she and her son are starving, it is another sign of the king’s failure.

But Elijah knows that his trust is not in the leaders of the world, but in God, and God has sent him to the widow. He trusts in God’s provision for him. His trust comes out of his obedience to follow God’s direction. His obedience comes from his confidence in God’s faithfulness throughout generations to God’s people. It comes from knowing that he belongs to God.

So, he tells her, “Do not be afraid.”

And the jar of meal does not get emptied, and the oil does not fail, and the widow, her son and Elijah eat for many more days.

In the gospel we meet another widow. She isn’t at home, but in public, donating to the treasury. The treasury was a place in a courtyard outside the temple where people could make freewill offerings to support the temple, like the offering plate we have on the table here.

Jesus is in the temple courts, teaching a large crowd, and watching people put their offerings in the treasury.

And as he watches, he warns his audience against the religious leaders who are like performers playing a role. They know what to say and how to dress, but their words and actions are empty. They give from a place of comfort and ease, not sacrificing anything, or risking anything.

When Jesus sees a widow put in two small copper coins, he tells his disciples that “[she] has put in more than all those [others].”

Jesus says that because the widow’s gift was a sacrificial gift, not, as many of us do, giving from what we know we can spare, but giving from what God has first given us, trusting in God’s providence for her.

These characters don’t give us an easy model to follow.

Elijah and both widows trust in God’s providence. Their trust comes out of their obedience to follow God’s direction. Their obedience comes out of confidence in God’s faithfulness throughout generations to God’s people. It comes from knowing that we belong to God.

Of course, the modern world has a different message. It tells us that we are responsible for securing our future through our own efforts. Stockpile, save and protect ourselves against our enemies. Turn inward and put our trust in the leaders whom we see in the public square. The world asks us to give humans authority over our lives and teaches us to see the world through the lens of scarcity and fear.

But God teaches us that in Christ, we do not receive “a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but … a spirit of adoption.” The Spirit bears witness that we are children of God. (Romans 8:15-16)

We are the ones that Jesus addresses when he says, “³² ‘Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”

The Word of God invites us to have a different vision of the world, where we submit to God and see the world as God sees it, through the lens of abundance and obedience.

Scarcity is not a Kingdom reality; it is human construction that Elijah rejects and that the widow at the temple treasury denies. Instead, God promises us the fullness of life (John 10:10). Their stories remind us that God’s “life-giving power can transform situations of defeat, despair, and death.”[i]

“The Kingdom - or Kingship - of God is a reality just beyond our perception….”[ii] And instead of trying to control it, engineer it or dominate it, God calls us to walk in submission, humility and obedience, while we wait for its realization, in God’s own timing, not our own.

Let us pray…

Good and Gracious God,

We give you thanks for our daily bread,

for what we need to live in the fullness of life.

Help us reject the things that are not life-giving,

the things that separate us from you.

Teach us to trust in Your provision and the life you give us.

May your Holy Spirit lead us to give generously of all we have.

Send us out to share Your love with everyone we meet.
We pray in Jesus’ name.

Amen.

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[i] Walter Brueggemann. Smith & Helwys Bible Commentary on First and Second Kings. 217.

[ii] Mike Breen. Covenant and Kingdom: The DNA of the Bible. 3DM. Kindle Edition.

All Saints Sunday

John 11:32-44

Last Sunday we celebrated the affirmation of baptism for three of our youth. As part of that milestone, we ask them to choose a verse that’s meaningful to them, and we only exclude one verse. It’s the one that shows up in our gospel today: “Jesus began to weep.” In at least two other Bible translations it’s even more succinct, saying simply, “Jesus wept”.

It almost becomes a joke with the students because we hope they’ll remember the verse they chose, and choosing a verse that’s only a couple of words long isn’t much of a challenge.

But I’m rethinking those instructions this morning.

Today, as we celebrate All Saints Day, and we remember people who have died, in our congregation, among our family and friends, and in the wider world, I would guess that more than a few of us are weeping. And I think it is reassuring for us to know that Jesus also wept.

Jesus is fully human and because of that, he experienced the full range of emotions that we have – love for his friends, joy and thanksgiving for the gifts God shares with us, exhaustion from a weary world, anger at injustice, and as we hear in today’s gospel, deep sorrow and grief at the death of a dear friend.

And he is fully divine. Jesus is Emmanuel - God with us - throughout our lives, and bears witness to our tears. God accompanies us in the dark valleys of pain, loss and grief.

But that’s not all. Just as we do, Jesus experienced the helplessness and the heartache of not being able to stop death.

Lazarus died, and the man’s sisters and friends buried him in a tomb. It certainly felt like the worst thing had happened.

Reflecting on the gospel text, I wonder whether each of us can name grave moments we have experienced.

When have we felt like life was over?

When have we felt buried by life’s circumstances?

The wonder of the sign Jesus performs here in John’s Gospel is that, in Frederick Buechner’s words,

The worst isn't the last thing about the world. It's the next to the last thing. The last thing is the best.[i]

The last thing is the resurrection promise that we have new life in Christ.

In his first letter to the Corinthians Paul writes, “The sting of death is sin [and the things that separate us from God]” (15:56) and in the story of the restoration of Lazarus, God triumphs over death. It is a miracle or sign that points to God’s power over the death that threatens us all.

As Lutheran pastor Delmer Chilton says, “Jesus had to go into the tomb so we could come out…. we emerge from the decay and the rot”, new creations, restored to life by God’s love for us.[ii]

That doesn’t mean that the bad stuff doesn’t stink.

It doesn’t mean that death doesn’t sting.

It doesn’t mean that we don’t shed tears.

But it does promise us as our Scriptures say, that God will wipe away our tears (Rev. 21:4) and soothe our spirits. God will be the Comforter we are promised later in John’s gospel. (John 14:16,26)

The author of Revelation assures the community that not only does God live among us, but God is making all things new. (Revelation 21:3-5)

Of course, there’s no promise about God’s timing for all of this. We know from Scripture, and from experience, that it won’t be our timing, but the promise stands.

So, in the meantime, what do we do?

We could blame others, like Mary did when she told Jesus, “If you had been here, my brother would not have died.” (John 11:32)

We could be resigned to our circumstances, like Martha, when she said, “already there is a stench because he has been dead for four days.” (John 11:39)

A better way is to follow Jesus who saw what had happened and talks to God about it. He believes in God’s power to disrupt death, and he calls out, remembering God’s faithfulness and asking God to do what only God can do.

And Lazarus is revived and restored to his family and community.

May we always follow Jesus and have confidence in God’s promises for us and the world God created, believing that death is not the last thing.

Amen.

[i] Frederick Buechner, The Beast.

[ii] “All Saints Sunday, Year B”. The Rev. Delmer Chilton. Lectionary Lab Live Podcast.