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Scripture Text (NRSV)

 

John 11:32-44

 

11:32 When Mary came where Jesus was and saw him, she knelt at his feet and said to him, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died."

11:33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved.

11:34 He said, "Where have you laid him?" They said to him, "Lord, come and see."

11:35 Jesus began to weep

11:36 So the Jews said, "See how he loved him!"

11:37 But some of them said, "Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?"

11:38 Then Jesus, again greatly disturbed, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it.

11:39 Jesus said, "Take away the stone." Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, "Lord, already there is a stench because he has been dead four days."

11:40 Jesus said to her, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?"

11:41 So they took away the stone. And Jesus looked upward and said, "Father, I thank you for having heard me.

11:42 I knew that you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me."

11:43 When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus come out!"

11:44 The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Unbind him and let him go."

 

Comments:

 

Does Jesus weep for Lazarus or for us who do not yet believe? Nancy-Wi


Through the raising of Lazarus, Jesus offers the world a vision of the life to come, when death and weeping will be no more.

The richness of the texts appointed for this day is overwhelming. These texts focus our attention on the saints who have gone before us. As the daylight hours continue to shorten, these texts, combined with the powerful liturgical images and the remembrance rites in many congregations, present the preacher with many opportunities to engage significant issues of life and death and resurrection. Many congregations provide opportunities on this day to light candles in memory and honor of those saints who have given witness to faith and life, as well as those who have been baptized over the past twelve months. The preacher may be surrounded by the light of these flickering candles as a sign of the witness of those who have gone before us.

The flickering lights represent the stories of life and death that have touched those who come now to hear a word of good news. The flames are signs of the aching hearts and the tears of those present who know of the shroud of death that is cast over all peoples. It is a shroud we share with each other and all living things. It is the shroud where much ministry takes place in any worshiping community. It is the shroud the preacher knows of in her or his own life. It is the shroud we share with Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of the living God.

Hearers on this day need to know that God knows and honors their aching hearts, their memories, and their tears. They need to hear the truth spoken regarding death as well as new life. They need to hear the promise that the Alpha and Omega also weeps for Lazarus. This same promised one bends to wipe away all the tears shed in the shadows of death and bring us to the feast of all time and beyond time. On this day, we gather with all the saints around the foretaste of that feast, trusting that the death of Jesus has taken the disgrace of God's people from all the earth.


I'm thinking about going with an emphasis on Jesus' saying "Father, I thank you for hearing me. I knew that you always heard me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe you sent me."

Many saints have touched our lives, not because God needs them but because WE need them. Seems to me that those who influence us most deeply have been sent by God just when we most need them.

Mother Theresa's recent beatification comes to mind. She didn't need to work out her salvation--the cross of Christ already did that. But the people she helped--THEY needed a model of faith, a model of love. Is it fair to say that our saintly role models serve "for the sake of the crowd, so that they may believe" that God sends them (and us) out into the world?


Nancy, Maybe Jesus wept because he knew that Lazarus was in Paradise and he was going to yank him back! Toni


That is pretty interesting. On All Saints Day many of us will probably be telling people that they should be eagerly awaiting their joining with the other saints in the Kingdom. When they leave this world and go to the one where there will be no death and no weeping and they will be united with God eternally. (Kind of like a funeral sermon with no specific funeral.)

But the gospel has Jesus bringing his pal back from that world into this world, with more death and more weeping, not united with God yet.

Is Jesus' mission about living in this world or dying and going to the next world?? For many it seems that it is ALL about going to heaven, but it's hard to make that conclusion with this story. jw in tx


Does anyone have any interesting insights, resources, etc. into the liturgical and ecclesiastical tradition of All Saints' Day? With secular society's fascination with Hallowe'en reaching an all-time high, it seems that humanity's interest in the "other world" has not waned. Roberta


The custom of commemorating all of the saints of the church on a single day goes back at least to the third century. Our All Saints' Day celebrates the baptized people of God, living and dead, who make up the body of Christ. On Nov. 1 or the Sunday following, many congregations will remember the faithful who have died during the past year.

The liturgy abounds with references to the saints and to our continual relationship with them. The preface in the Lutheran Book of Worship for All Saints' describes the relationship this way: "that moved by their witness and supported by their fellowship, we may run with perseverance the race that is set before us and with them receive the unfading crown of glory." All Saints' Day invites people to reflect on others - living and dead - who have moved and supported others by their lives of faith.

Hallowe'en is the eve before "Hallow" or the evening before "All Saints' Day." As the day is observed by remembering and thanking God for all saints, both dead and living. It is a day to glorify Jesus Christ, who by his holy life and death has made the saints holy through Baptism and faith. It is a day to celebrate the triumph of "Good" over "Evil."

The wearing of costumes appears to have developed from this war between "Good" and "Evil." During the eve before the triumph it was believed that the "Evil" and "Good" would come into our worldly realm and fight. As part of the fight, "Evil" would snatch people to fight for them. By wearing costumes "Evil" couldn't tell who the people were, and might leave them alone. If a person wore a costume that made them look like they were on the side of "Evil" (such as a witch, warlock, devil, etc.) then they were almost assured of being left alone that night.

The custom of trick-or-treating is thought to have originated not with the Irish Celts, but with a ninth-century European custom called souling. On November 2, All Souls Day, early Christians would walk from village to village begging for "soul cakes," made out of square pieces of bread with currants. The more soul cakes the beggars would receive, the more prayers they would promise to say on behalf of the dead relatives of the donors. At the time, it was believed that the dead remained in limbo for a time after death, and that prayer, even by strangers, could expedite a soul's passage to heaven. While we no longer believe that to be true, we continue to remember our beloved dead in our prayer.

The Reformation ushered in an era of examining our religious traditions. May we also examine our secular traditions and find their religious origins. At each and every Hallowe'en, we can take the time to remember it is a celebration of the triumph of "Good" over "Evil." Ultimately, that is what our Lord reminds us of each and every day.


Hi,

I'd like to use the previous posting, but need to know how to credit it. From where does the information come?

Michelle


In lighting the candles, I usually call for those who've died in the past year and then open it up for any who wish to call a name. I just put a votive down and the acolyte lights it (watch the sleeve of your robe if you wear one) as each name is called. Simple simon. Yet, I've always wondered - does anyone know the liturgical appropriateness for calling the same name every year??? I find nothing wrong with it, seeing it as a memorial, another time to remember - others have differed from my opinion, saying that once we've represented them with an eternal flame, that's that. Their name should be called no more.

Thanks for the info on Hallowe'en. Around these parts there's quite a bit of superstition about Halloween. I've explained and explained it, but with little success. I, too, would like to cite your source.

Last - I've always thought Jesus comes off kind of arrogant in John, at least read by modern eyes and heard by modern ears. I'm almost insulted when he prays out loud not for his own prayer's benefit, but for us nincompoop disciples to overhear so we can understand. Just seems manipulative, or something ... I don't know ... just a weird thought I've always had in John, and especially in v. 42. An earlier post-er put it pretty well, with the illustration of the beatification of Mother Teresa.

I'm more drawn to Revelation at this point.

Sally in GA


I've used this text (including Jesus' conversation with Martha) for a couple of funerals but the part that always gets me is that Jesus does not weep until he speaks with Mary. Martha's "matter of fact" reality approach is dealt with in a straight forward affirmation of her faith. Mary's pain is shared. Both are given what they need at that moment but in entirely different ways because they are entirely different persons. Isn't that part of the "love your neighbor" concept: weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice. In Christian love, allow yourself to feel for the other person and re-affirm them in faith. Mike in Soddy Daisy, TN