5th Sunday of Lent Year A, March 29, 2020-“It will not end in death”

INTRODUCTION
“In Him, the hope of blessed resurrection has dawned, that those saddened by the certainty of dying might be consoled by the promise of immortality to come. Indeed for your faithful, Lord, life is changed not ended, and, when this earthly dwelling turns to dust, an eternal dwelling is made ready for them in heaven” (preface of the dead 1).
On this Fifth Sunday of Lent, the readings point our attention to resurrection hope as a defeat over death in the mortal body thanks to Jesus who died and rose from the dead.

FIRST READING: Ezekiel 37:12-14
The prophet Ezekiel was a priest ministering in the Temple of Jerusalem before the year 597 B.C when king
Nebuchadnezzar took over the city. The prophet in the company of king Jehoiachim was among the first deportees to babylonian exile. Successively after few years, the babylonian soldiers raided Jerusalem again and evacuated many into exile.
Therefore the first reading today places us in the context of the babylonian exile. And the image painted by the author about the valley of the dry bones is a description of a battlefield that saw the destruction of Jerusalem and the ruin of its inhabitants. In this prophetic vision, Ezekiel assures his fellow Jews that their period of captivity is about to end. Thus the description of bones rising from their graves is a message of hope that captivity will not have the final word; that through the Spirit of God, the devastated nation will rise beyond their present catastrophe and return to their homeland.

SECOND READING: Romans 8:8-11
This passage of Paul’s letter to the Romans is one of the favourite passages for Christian funerals.The Apostle reminds the Christian community of Rome caught up in the culture of death and persecution and who were no less afraid of the finite nature of the earthly existence that though the mortal body will bow to death (death as a consequence of sin), but since they have been justified by faith through Christ, death will not have the final word, for they will rise to life on the last day thanks to the resurrection of Christ (the hope of our resurrection).

GOSPEL: John 11:1-45
The Gospel is a fulfilment of Ezekiel’s prophesy of the dry bones and the grave and a foretaste of the definite resurrection of the mortal body as St. Paul pointed out.
It is only John who recorded the miracle of bringing Lazarus back to life. There were other cases whereby Jesus brought dead persons back to life, like the little daughter of Jairus (Mt 9:18-26; Mk 5:22-43; Lk 8:41-56) and the son of the widow of Nain (Lk 7:11-17). I used the expression ‘bringing back to life’ instead of resurrection because the term resurrection in its strict theological sense is a Christian mystery which only Christ had been able to accomplish in the history of humanity and which he will accomplish in the life of believers only at the end of time.

LET’S LOOK AT SOME THEMES
“LORD HE WHOM YOU LOVE IS ILL.” This was the message Jesus got from the sisters of Lazarus and in response he said, “This illness is not unto death; it is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by means of it.” The emphasis made by Mary and Martha reveals that Lazarus is simply an image of man loved by his God. However, this love does not exonerate him from suffering. But it’s interesting to know that this suffering cannot have the final word. This is why Jesus said “this sickness is not unto death.” Sickness and death are two realities that threaten the peace of man, and their close connection is noticed in the fact that one triggers the thought of the other. The death Jesus speaks of is in reference to the last enemy of man. Hence, bringing Lazarus back to life will be an anticipation of his power to defeat this last enemy of man at the end of time.

LET US GO INTO JUDEA AGAIN.” The disciples of Jesus were shocked to hear him opt for such a move after he barely escaped death from the Jews. This expression captures the motive of Jesus’s mission that is, for the sake of his love for man (who though sinful and rebellious), he must climb the hill of Jerusalem. Yes he must go back to the danger zone to save his miserable creatures even at the cost of his own life.

LORD IF YOU HAD BEEN HERE, MY BROTHER WOULD NOT HAVE DIED.” This was a statement made by Martha and Mary at different occasions in the passage. It is an expression of a man of suffering who feels that his God is far away. I could imagine Mary and Martha saying: “Lord why? We sent you text messages. We called your phone several times. We even sent someone to tell you to hasten up before he dies, yet you delayed. Lord why? You do not have a single idea of what we went through watching our only brother die. We waited until he gave up his ghost. We thought you could still make it. Lord why? Even at the funeral you were nowhere to be found. Now the death watch is over. It is already four days gone. We truly do not know why it took you so long to come. Lord why? What did we do to deserve this?”
These imaginary questions of Mary and Martha tells us the type of relationship that exists sometimes between man and his God. We all live the experience. Yes faith in God cannot be lived in silence. Faith is faith when it is able to ask questions: “Fides quaerens intellectum” (faith seeking understanding of St. Anselm of Canterbury).

JESUS WEPT.”
1. This is an affirmation of the humanity of Jesus:
He wept because of the misery of man who has fallen helpless in the hand of death.

2. He wept because on the faces of Mary and Martha were written the suffering of a helpless humanity begging her God for mercy.

3. He wept because sin has succeeded in disfiguring the image of God in man.

4. He wept because he wanted to take their tears to himself and give them his joy. Yes he needed to weep in order to express the true face of “God with us”, close to us, feels with us…

HE LIFTED UP HIS EYES AND SAID, FATHER…
This verse is strictly catechetical because it teaches the divine Sonship of Christ. John points the attention of his readers to heaven affirming that Jesus did not come on his own accord, but sent by the Father. The verse is equally instrumental in the whole narrative because the Jews had always doubted that Jesus came from the Father. Thus the lifting up of his eyes to heaven and the prayer address to the Father and consequently the bringing of Lazarus back to life were proof of the source of his power to those who once accused him of working through the power of Belzebul.

LAZARUS, COME OUT!”
To understand my reflection, we must allow ourselves to enter into the spirit of the passage by moving beyond the ordinary. There is something that transpired between Jesus and Lazarus at this moment. At the very moment Jesus arrived, Lazarus was at alert. He knew that Jesus had arrived. The power of our Lord is so enormous that wherever he steps in, everything both animate and inanimate listens. Hear this! Jesus did not say “Lazarus arise.” He said rather, “Lazarus come out!” He did not negotiate with death. He commanded it. I could imagine his voice saying: “You death, listen to me. I knew him. We was my subject just like you. But I purposely delayed my coming on time just to allow you to take him for some time. You have held him captive for four days. You have managed to convince all those around him that it is over and nothing to do about it again. You have even deceived Martha that by now he will be smelling. But now I command you to take your filthy hands off him!” And guess what? Lazarus came out.

LIFE MESSAGE:
1. TOMBS OF PROBLEM
There are moments in life when we feel hidden behind a heavy stone of problems. We struggle to come out but to no avail because the stone is too heavy and our hands and feet are also bound by the problem. We cry for help but non seems to come. Friends and relations are desirous to help but they are limited because it is apparently beyond their power. Let us at this moment imagine those living with terminal phase of CANCER. What about the patients of COVID-19 at an intensive unit? What about other extreme cases and problems? Don’t they look like Lazarus in the tomb of problem? But the Gospel tells us that no situation is extreme for our God. Even when he has taken much time to come to our rescue, let us remember that he did it in the case of Lazarus who was already decaying with his problem. It does not matter when he comes, but he will always come. He does not need to raise us up from the immediate problem for us to believe that he is present. Yes, sometimes he allows the Lazarus in us to go (that which is so precious to us and which we think without it we cannot survive). The good news is that while we think that all hope is gone, he gives us comfort and strength to face the future with courage. Let us think of how people still survive even when the one they consider as the pillar of their life is no more. It can only be the Lord’s doing.

2. NOTHING SMELLS OUR GOD
Martha retorted, “Lord by now we will smell because it is already four days gone.” ‘O poor Martha how I wish you will understand the power of the one standing before you?’ When we have spent many years in the same problem we are tempted to lose hope because “it is now four days and smelling, and there is nothing anyone can do about it.” Jesus who stands before Lazarus is telling us, “I did not just come to raise a fresh corpse but a decomposed corpse. Yes, it is an extreme situation in the eyes of men but with me nothing is extreme.” Friends, have we ever thought about what happened to the smell that Martha spoke about even as they went ahead to remove the stone? Little did Martha know that he who commanded that the stone be removed had long taken care of the smell. And Lazarus came out with a sweet fragrance instead of odour. May our God in Jesus exchange your decayed situation with a fresh solution.

3. NO FRIEND LIKE JESUS
For the sake of love he came to Bethany at the expense of his own life.
For the sake of love and without hiding his feeling, he wept.
For the sake of love still he lifted his gaze to heaven and pleaded to the Father on their behalf. He gave them back their only brother.
Every single day is a renewal of his love for us. But sometimes we are tempted to think that he does not love us, simply because he did not “raise our own Lazarus from death.” What has he not done for us? Do we think that our present problem is more than the debt he paid on the cross by uniting us back to the Father?
Have we ever imagined how heavy and crushing the cross was? He did nothing to deserve it, but because he fell in love with us, he could not say no. Who could ever do that for the sake of love if not Jesus?

No friend like Jesus

PRAYER

Lord you answered Mary and Martha and gave them back their lost hope. We humbly implore you to hear our cry for mercy upon our world sickened by the viral epidemic and heal us. Amen.

PAX VOBIS!

About the Author

Father Lawrence Obilor belongs to the religious Congregation of the Servants of Charity (Opera Don Guanella). He is originally from Nigeria. As a lover of the Scriptures, he is the author of "Hour of Hope. Sermons on the healing power of Jesus". This was his first publication (2019). Fr Lawrence is equally a lover of liturgical and gospel music. In the quest to push forward the work of evangelisation, he has recently published his first music album titled, "Hour of Hope Worship" and an audio four track sermons on the power of His Word. Facebook page.. P.Lawrence Obilor homilies and commentaries

Author Archive Page

19 Comments

  1. I pray for all the families who have lost loved ones and are heartbroken because of this terrible disease. May the Lord take care of them at this dark time.

  2. Thanks Fr for the hope. May Jesus keep you safe. The pandemic weighs us down but certainly the Lord is addressing it through blessed servants like you.🙏

  3. Glory and praise be to God almighty for his constant guidance through our priest like you.

    Fr. God unfailing grace shall continue to abide in you.

  4. Thank you father for the message of hope and for reassurance that God is in control despite the current global viral challenge.
    I pray for the faith of the Church, that may she be strong and hope in the Lord, our Lord of resurrection.

  5. Thanks Father for these hope and life giving reflections.May God continue guiding and protecting you as you continue doing his work.

  6. I fullness of each age God brings prophets who will relay His mind to us. Fr. Obilor! You are such a prophet and God will sustain you in this mission He called you into. Thank you for being a wonderful vessel for Him.

  7. What a timely reflection that turns our despair to a living hope in Jesus, the Emmanuel.
    Find more Graces from on high, Don Lawrence.

  8. Fr. This is a wonderful reflection that is touching on current crisis. May God bless you.

  9. “There’s not a friend like the lowly Jesus. No not one. No not one.”
    Love this simple hymn. We are never alone, never.
    Thank you for the reflection and the song, Father.

  10. One of my favorite Gospel stories; and even as I approach 60 years old in about 2 more months, this tale always brings me to tears. I can just ‘see’ Jesus commanding Lazarus to ‘come out;’ and as he stands just outside the tomb looking like a mummy the power of God in this world is reaffirmed, over and over again. I cry because I wanted to be there when it happened; to imagine what it must have been like not only for the apostles but all those people who witnessed it first-hand. A simple thing for God of course, but an amazing truth revealed about Jesus and God at that moment for the everyday people. A stunning display of love also, although it doesn’t immediately appear to be that. These 3 people, Lazarus and his 2 sisters loved Jesus and were followers of Him as well. Jesus returns love back to them in an extraordinary way; that they and others–including us 2,000 years later–would know and feel the love as well as the great forgiveness of God for all mankind in the expression of Lazarus emerging alive from his tomb of 4 days. Thank you so much Father; your words touch our hearts and minds and definitely stir my soul as well. God bless us and save us in this year of Wuhan Virus! Amen

  11. Totally hits home today with all of what is going on…
    Great reflection Father…
    God will pull us through…
    Be blessed….

  12. Thank you Father for uniting us–people from all over the world–in prayer, in hope, and in our faith.

  13. Thank you Father, (and Mike Ruzza- great commentary). Debbie, are you the same Debbie who a few years ago was asking prayers for your brother? If yes, how is he doing?

  14. Thank you Father for this! It’s beautiful. One of the ways that the Gospel spoke to me, was that this experience was for the glorification of the Father. My experiences, suffering, failing, doubt, etc and the Grace and Mercy God gives me are all for the glorification of the Lord. My experiences are not mine. They put me in a unique position to help others struggling with the same suffering, failing, doubt, sin, etc that I have gone through and thus glorification of the Almighty! Thank you!

  15. Thank you Father. Beautifully guided on the 5th Sunday of Lent with a heartfelt story of a family in desperate need of our Lord. We plead with him as Mary and Martha did to heal us from this deathly virus. Blessings to all we will overcome.✝️

  16. May our God in Jesus exchange your decayed situation for a fresh solution. Thank you Father, for these words today!

  17. Thank you, Father. Our women’s fellowship did a study of John several years ago. In our discussion of these verses we were never able to figure out why Jesus wept. Thank you for explaining this so clearly. God bless you and all the writers at CM as well as our community of readers. May our Lord continue to keep us safe and healthy and bring a quick end to the spread of this virus.

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