Dear friends in Christ, grace and peace to you from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Amen.

No doubt, there were skeptics who chided Jesus for not arriving in Bethany earlier.  As he wept beside the tomb of his friend Lazarus, they whispered curiously, “See how much he loved him!”  While others remarked, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?”  After all, Mary, Martha and Lazarus, were not mere acquaintances. They may not have been counted in the inner-circle of disciples known as the twelve; but they were not complete strangers.  They were Jesus’ “unknown and unassuming friends.”

In the gospel, of St. John we read that, “Jesus loved Martha and her sister Mary and Lazarus.”  And why did he love them?  I rather suspect that he loved them precisely because they were his “unknown and unassuming friends.”  All of Judea lifted its eyes unto the spectacle of Jerusalem, but Jesus knew that he could always find a quiet and inviting place in the home of Mary, Martha and Lazarus.  The nation gathered at the royal court of Herod to devour the eloquent words of political and religious pundits, but Jesus trusted that in Bethany, Mary would always listen contently at his feet to his gentle teaching.  Pharisees and scribes feasted in the Jerusalem’s banqueting halls surrounded by servants, while on the outskirts of the city in the village of Bethany, Jesus welcomed the anxious but effective Martha who would prepare meals for her honored guest.  In the Temple’s portico, Rabbis sought the affirmation of the masses, but in Bethany Jesus counted on the companionship of his devoted Lazarus.  Yes, they were Jesus’ unknown, unassuming, but steadfast friends.

Unfortunately, even Jesus’ most loyal friends may be shaken when their loyalty to him is challenged.  It was true for Mary and Martha. It’s what happens when sickness, tragedy and death destroy your perception of God’s love and loyalty towards you.  Your son has been diagnosed with leukemia, a child has been born with a deformed heart, a good marriage has been marred by alcohol abuse, a brother collapses of an undetected brain aneurysm.  Yes, even when an aging mother or father is taken from your sight in death, you may be haunted by the thought, “Jesus, you said that you loved me, so why now?”

As brothers and sisters in Christ, we believe in Jesus’ promise that even when all the world seems to be crashing down around us, that God will give us new life. That is what Martha believed.  We trust that when dreams have been shattered, Jesus will bring us new dreams.  When sin and evil have overtaken us, we know that God will breathe into our struggling lives, a new spirit.  And yes, when death separates from those we love, and those who have loved us are taken from our sight, we embrace Jesus’ promise of the resurrection that brings immeasurable comfort and hope to our broken lives.  But we often struggle as well.  How do we place our trust in God, when we feel empty and lost?

The American poet and essayist, Wendell Berry in his poem Manifesto, encouraged his readers, especially at the loss of a loved one and through the painful transitions of life to “Practice Resurrection.”  It’s a strange command. Berry believed that the gift of the resurrection, God’s great triumph over death and meaninglessness, and the divine cheer of “Yes,” is an exercise-that one has to practice everyday.  Now you may be wondering, so how do I practice resurrection? The story of the raising of Lazarus suggests three ways to learn and embrace.

First of all, to practice resurrection is leave the miracle of life to God’s hands. As Martha first greeted Jesus on the road to Bethany, she was filled with these same thoughts. “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”  But then she trustingly and strangely added, “And even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give to you.”  The unknown and unassuming friends of Jesus often give a blind trust to him.  They do not presume to know what the will of God is, nor do they even know what they themselves ought to ask for.  But Jesus’ unassuming friends are entirely sure of God’s love for them, his compassion toward them, and his power to carry through what no one else could do for them.  And they leave it at that with quiet, contented and sometimes frustrated minds. This is to practice resurrection – to leave everything to the healing in God’s hands.

Secondly, to practice resurrection is to be patient. You simply never know the hour in which Christ will come with healing in his wings. There will always be an awkwardness that occurs when you truly place all of your trust in God’s time.  You may sit up late at night in bed fretting about the details that God has overlooked.  You bargain with God and offer him counsel, instead of listening to him. For poor Martha, it was a quick involuntary protest. She was fearful that something dreadful would happen.  Her brother Lazarus had been buried four days.  In the heat of the Middle East, she was certain that the body had already begun to decompose.  Surely Jesus was forgetting this.  Surely he was not about to bring upon about this crowning, unendurable horror.  “Lord, already there is a stench because he has been dead four days.”  To which Jesus answered, “Did I not tell you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?”  To practice resurrection is to be patient: for God’s time will come.

Finally, you must always keep your eyes on Jesus, and Jesus only.  Do not be obsessed with other ways or answers. Jesus was surrounded by watchful eyes.  Some of them were doubtful, and others quite hostile.  Others hoped to see a complete failure and a ridiculous collapse. Yes, Jesus lifted his eyes and heart to heaven in thanksgiving for what he knew that his Father would give him.  “Father, I thank you for having heard me.”  And then Jesus said, “Come out.” And Lazarus came forth alive. The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in cloth.  Jesus said to the crowd, “Unbind him and let him go.”

But my friends, the promise of the resurrection doesn’t end there.  Even if you are feeling as if you are buried in the darkest tomb, and that a loving God is out of your sight, I can assure you, you are never out of God’s sight. Jesus is inviting you and calling you by name and saying, “Come out.”   Having heard the call of his voice, do not stir only a little while, and then drop off again into a long sleep of doubt, despair and death.  Trust in God’s promise of new life and practice resurrection. The beautiful color and fullness of the life Christ offers is waiting for you- his unassuming friend.   Amen.

May the peace of God which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.  Amen.