lazarus saturday

Come to Stillness: Take a few minutes to allow your mind and heart to be still before God.

Opening Prayer:
     O Christ our God, Who by Thy voice didst release Lazarus from the bonds of death after four days in the tomb, restoring him again to life: Thyself. O Master, enliven us who are deadened by sins, granting life that none can take away; and make us who put our hope in Thee, heirs of life without end.
     For Thou art our Life and Resurrection, and to Thee belongeth glory: together with Thine immortal Father, and Thine All-holy, and Good, and Life-creating Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Scripture for the Day: John 11:1-45

Reading for Reflection:

     I don't know why, but for some reason I always find myself trying to defend Martha whenever I read one of these familiar passages containing her and her sister Mary's story.  Maybe it is because I feel sorry for the criticism she endures from various religious circles.  Maybe it is because I believe (or hope) she is simply misunderstood.  Probably it is because I am really trying to defend (and feel okay about) my Martha-like tendencies.  Whatever the case, something always seems to rise up in me--and really rise up in the midst of the folks I talk to from time to time--whenever the Mary/Martha discussion rears its head.  It is understandable; we live in a Martha-like culture that values and applauds performance and productivity, busyness and getting things done.  I too, through the years, have fallen into the "well Martha can't really help it, that's just the way she's made...it's her personality" way of thinking.  But after reading and reading and rereading these stories...I'm not so sure that's the case.
     For example, in this particular instance, if we look closely at the details of this interaction, it actually leaves me with a lot of questions.  On the surface, Mary and Martha's reaction to the death of their brother looks very similar, but the closer I look, the more and more different they seem to be.  For instance, as they hear of Jesus' arrival near Bethany, Martha immediately goes out to meet him, but Mary stays home.  Why is that?  And as they each approach him, Martha seems to march right up, while Mary falls at his feet.  And then there's the fact that Jesus asks Martha a question:  “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"  But for Mary he has no question...only his tears.  Instead of asking her about her belief (as he does Martha), He weeps for her.  Why are there no tears when Martha comes?  And even when He orders them to take away the stone, Mary is silent (I believe hopefully so) while Martha responds:  “But, Lord, by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.”  Is this the comment of one who truly believes that Jesus is indeed the resurrection and the life?  Could it be that as Martha spent her time worried and anxious about many things, and distracted by all the preparations that had to be made, and Mary was sitting at his feet listening to what He had to say, that something happened deep in the heart of Mary that convinced her to her core that Jesus was indeed worthy of her trust, regardless of the circumstances of life?  Mary had developed both a posture (at His feet...Luke 10:39, John 11:32, John 12:3) and a practice (listening to what He had to say) that  seem to allow her to trust Jesus in a way that Martha was not yet capable of.
     Am I being too hard on Martha...maybe...probably.  But it has nothing to do with not being fully convinced of the fact that Jesus loved her deeply (see John 11:5) .  It has more to do with the quality--or lack thereof--of her relationship with Him.  I don't know about you, but I just want more than that.  There is so much depth and quality that Martha seems to be missing. I want so much more, and I'll bet you do too.  In contrast, Mary just seems to get it.  I mean, if you had to pick one of them to sit down with and talk deeply about Jesus, which one would you pick?  For me it's a no brainer.  I want the one who sat at his feet and listened to all he had to say; the one whose heart was totally and completely captured by Him.   
     So, I think there is something significant in all of this for me: that the difference between Martha and Mary is not simply one of personality, but something much bigger than that.  The difference is one of paradigm; the way the two of them see things.  It is a difference in the way they see themselves, and the way they see life, and the way they see Jesus.  When we begin to see with Mary's eyes; to see what the better part really is, and set our eyes and our hearts on that...on Him, then true transformation takes place.  Transformation that allows us to know God's heart so deeply that we are able to trust His heart, even when we can't see His hand.
                                                           ~Jim Branch, January 2013

    
Reflection and Listening: silent and written

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Closing Prayer:

Dear Lord Jesus, until recently I never noticed the timing of your raising Lazarus from the dead. It was the very day before you entered Jerusalem to begin what we call “Passion Week”—your final days in this world. How fitting it is that you would raise Lazarus the day before Palm Sunday—the prelude to the resurrection of all resurrections, yours. Indeed, what a most glorious preview of coming attractions.

     But not long after you called out to a dead man, “Lazarus, come out!” you offered a much more passionate cry to your Father, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” The price of Lazarus’ resurrection, and ours, was your death as the second Adam—taking our place, our guilt, and our judgment.
     Lord Jesus, we humbly and gladly acknowledge, you were pierced for our transgressions, you were crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brings us peace was on you, and by your wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the LORD has laid on you the iniquity of us all. (cf. Isa. 53:5-6)
     How we praise you for the tragic, necessary and glorious cross, Lord Jesus. For on your cross you were made sin for us that in you we might become the righteousness of God (2 Cor. 5:21). We honor, worship and adore you. We bow down—we fall down convicted of our sins and convinced of the unsearchable riches of the gospel. We sing with our loud voices raised…
    “Oh, to see my name, written in the wounds, for through Your suffering I am free. Death is crushed to death; Life is mine to live, won through Your selfless love. This, the pow’r of the cross; Son of God—slain for us. What a love! What a cost! We stand forgiven at the cross.” (K Getty)
     As “Passion Week” begins, we ask you to fill these next seven days with much boasting in the cross. Grant us more freedom to worship you as you deserve to be worshipped, Lord Jesus, that we might serve you as you delight to be served.
     As your already beloved, just and raised-in-you Bride, please remove even more of our grave clothes and set us free. Set us free, Lord Jesus, set us free to live and to love to your glory. So very Amen, we pray, in your holy and loving name.

                                                                          ~Scotty Smith