Sunday, March 29, 2020

Fifth Sunday in Lent

The Revised Common Lectionary passages for the Lord’s Day are:

First Reading: Ezekiel 37:1-14
Psalm 130
Second Reading: Romans 8:6-11
Gospel Reading: John 11:1-45

The liturgical color for the day is: Purple

Four days.  Not one day, not two days, not three days, but four full days.  Lazarus had been in the tomb four days.

It was day four when the prophet looked over the field of bones—that point where all possibilities of life are long, long past.  That point where there is no doubt about it at all—where it is not even possible to even wonder—it is all over.

She says “no” and he says “go.”  “Remove it—get it out of the way.  Now, on this day four after all the possibilities have ended—go, remove it.  Get the stone out of there.”

“Unbind him and let him go.”

They are stunned.  This simply cannot be—it just does not happen.  This just is against all odds.  They are so surprised that they are dumb-founded; they are fumbling.

It is stunning, and numbing, and almost too hard to believe that we would be the ones that are recipients of this wonderful grace of God.  But we are—we are the ones locked into the throws of how the world works and it is upon the valley of our dry bones of existence that God speaks over us, “Mortal, can these bones live?”

And we secretly say, “No, no, not these bones.  They are too dry.”  Stunned, oh stunned when that breath blows and we see that there is life in us.

Jesus’ command is immediate.  “Let him go.”

It is time for something else to happen.  It is time.  Different course of action.  It is time.  Why?  Because day four is here.  It is day four now.  And Jesus is here.  He has arrived.  And that event changes the course of action.  That day four event of the cross.  It is day four now.  And it is time for a different course of action because of the cross.

Could it be?  Could it be that the dry bones are actually coming together even when we cannot physically be in the same room?  Could it be that the virus is actually growing sinews upon us for new ways to share the Gospel? Could it be that these bones live?

Rev. Dr. Daris Bultena
General Presbyter and Stated Clerk