The Shepherd’s Voice

Readings for Sunday, November 1^st
Isa 25:6-9
Ps 24
Rev 21:1-6a
Jn 11:32-44

The Shepherd’s Voice – Sermon Audio

Last week we spent a fair amount of time with our eyes closed trying to sense the struggle, the limitations, the frustrations of being blind. Some of you may have checked out during that time, I know for me it was very hard to preach to people with their eyes closed.

This week we have a different text, a different message. Of course, today we will talk about death. So I’ve prepared some kool-aid, put it in the baptismal font at the entrance to the sanctuary so we can all really relate to Lazarus’ death experience. Just kidding….

However, based on our Gospel text today we might be asking – Death, what is it good for? We know it’s distressing for many. In our story we see Mary weeping as Jesus comes on the scene. She says in an almost sarcastic tone, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” She was upset, she just lost her brother. Her tone, her fears, her frustration was very understandable. It’s part of the normal grieving process.

Death, what is it good for? Death is the only way you can become a saint in the Roman Catholic Church. In Catholic tradition you need to die, go through Beatification, and then Canonization before one can become a saint. Last night was all-hallows-eve, Halloween.

Obviously, most of us don’t wish to become a saint under those by dying.

Looking at becoming a saint, it was a little easier to be declared a saint in New Testament times, the time of Christ and the Apostles, we see that Jesus, Paul, Peter, and others often refer to “the saints.” In fact over sixty times the word is used in the New Testament.

A saint is Christ’s bride, totally attached, faithful, dependent. A saint is also totally independent, detached from idols and from other husbands. A saint works among these others money, power, pleasure — as a married woman works with other men, but will not marry them or even flirt with them.
– Peter Kreeft

When we think of saints today perhaps most of us think about those who have departed this life prior to us and from our experience with them, we thought of them as saints. You had a chance before the service started this morning to do that. Light a candle, say a prayer, and remember them in a positive way.

In thinking about saints today, it almost seems like we have degraded the term saint. We hear of Yves Saint Laurent – I doubt if you are have to many saintly thoughts when you splash Yves Saint Laurent on or you smell it on someone else. In the secular view, perhaps our view as well this world has become distorted especially in regards to saints.

However, enough of saints, I mentioned upon beginning this sermon I was going to talk about death. Is our gospel text this morning really about death or is it about life?

Death, what is it good for? Outside of our gospel text Jesus had some things to say about death. He said, when talking to his disciples “unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain.” He was talking here about His own death of course.

It would seem somehow that the miracle of life is actually encased in death. A kernel of wheat, which is what Jesus was talking about, has a case around it. That case falls away, disintegrates as the kernel of wheat takes possession of the earth. As life sprouts forth the casing is pushed aside, it’s overcome with new life. New life overcomes death in a miraculous way.

Jesus prefaced this analogy by saying, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.” (Jn 12:23) The hour had come for death to be overcome with new life.

In our text from John this morning we see weeping, yes, even Jesus was weeping, we see sadness because death brings that kind of emotional response. People recognize this as one of the most significant moments in Jesus’ life, a time when his humanity showed through. It was natural to weep as he related to a friend losing her brother. It was normal, human to be sad in a situation where someone dies before their time, so to speak.

In this case Mary was mad, sad, frustrated that death had swallowed up Lazarus. Yes, even Jesus, the God/man was was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved, the text says. Some people who were watching this unfold said, “See how he loved him!” Put yourself in his place.

Both my mom and dad have gone on to glory. I consider both of them saints. Perhaps you have lost someone very close to you as well. When I envision my mom or dad in their caskets, being prepared for their final resting place I can be overcome by a disturbed spirit. I remember their faces, I remember their touch as loving parents, I remember their words of encouragement and it deeply moves me as I realize I won’t ever be able to talk to them anymore or feel their warm touch again. The sadness occurs because I miss them deeply.

However, death, what is it good for? In our story, when Jesus said take the stone away from the cave, Martha, the other sister said – no there is a stench, we should not do that. I like how they translate this in the KJV, it says “he stinketh.” So we know what death is not good for – people stink after they die, people decay, Martha said there will be a stench, but Jesus was undeterred, unmoved by here plea.

And here is why, this is the meat this scripture this morning. Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?” Do you believe, do you want to see the glory of God revealed today, the majesty of our creator in bold view……

Death, what is it good for? It’s good for us to “see the glory of God” as it was for Mary and Martha. God’s glory plays out as a part of life, scripture helps us better understand the natural order of things.

From scripture we better understand how this world is ordered, how it works. “Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain.”

God’s glory has been revealed to us today through scripture. God’s story has been played out for us today in this text.

The very essence of Law and gospel can be seen in this text because when we consider death, what is it good for Jesus says, it’s so we can see the glory of God.

The law, from the beginning of time, from the moment Eve took the bite of the fruit and Adam tried to cover it up and blame Eve, the law always thinks it has the last word in our lives. Opinio legis a Latin term Luther used to use when talking about our will or freedom versus the law as the hammer.

“God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden, nor shall you touch it, or you shall die.’ ” But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not die; for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

Our culture tells us this everyday. You will not die if you just take one drink or one puff of that weed. You deserve it. It will enhance your life. It will make you smarter, more attractive, more competent, wiser; surely, “You will not die.”

The law of this world, the natural order of this world leads to death. Our story today shows us this, all of scripture tells us the wages of sin is death. Lazarus died. Mary cried. Jesus sighed. He sighed because Mary and Martha didn’t seem to believe.

Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?”

Death, what is it good for? It’s so we can see the glory of God today and live!

The law doesn’t have the last word in our lives, it didn’t for Lazarus, it doesn’t for us.

There will be a short time of silence after I finish. God, through the work of the Holy Spirit is speaking to you today, this morning. We will all die sometime in the future. It could be soon, it could be months, maybe years away.

Death, what is it good for? Somehow when we reflect upon death it drives us back to our life.

Do you believe and do you see the glory of God unfolding in your own life?

If not, what needs to change? Lazarus died. Mary cried. Jesus sighed.

Amen!

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