mini-easter

I won't be in town this weekend, but I think I'm gonna have to find a church Sunday morning because the possibilities for preaching in the lessons for Lent 5a are too good. It is like a mini-easter as we get ready for Holy Week. Wow, good, good stuff.

Ezekiel's Bones and Lazarus rising from the dead; great stories of resurrection; great promises that ensure hope. What jumps out at me this morning, as it does every time I read of the raising of Lazarus is Martha's response to Jesus' promise, "your brother will rise again." She says, so matter of factly in my head, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day." That is faith. Just four days after his death and just seconds after recognizing that if Jesus were there it wouldn't have happened, Martha, despite it all, is assured of the resurrection of the dead at the last day. She has faith; she has that hope that our Roman's lesson a few weeks ago talked about, "hope will not disappoint."

It is such a great lesson as we come close to the climax of Lent. We are just about finished with self-reflection, if we haven't given up already, and in need of some hope and some joy. All*luia want to spring forth from our lips, but not yet. Instead, we are given a glimpse of the hope that Good Friday and Easter brings - God has not given up on us. We will be restored to right relationship with him in this life and in the life to come. As we grow weary of somberness and penitence we can take solace in this mini-easter; resurrection is here, now.