The God we serve is not an indifferent God

Rev. Marcel E. Okwara, CSsR

Homily for the Fifth Sunday of Lent, Year A

St. Alphonsus Catholic Church, Brooklyn Center, MN

Sunday, March 29, 2020

Sisters and brothers, today’s Gospel is about the raising of Lazarus from death. It’s  about Jesus bringing Lazarus from eternity back to time. Although the story begins on a sad note but it ends with great joy. It is a story that reminds us once again of the fragility and vulnerability of the human person. And for those Christians who believe and teach others that faith in Jesus Christ immunes and exempts a believer from life’s misfortune, I hope this Gospel will help you to understand better. Lazarus, together with his two sisters, Martha and Mary were friends of Jesus. Jesus loved them and would occasionally visit them in Bethany to rest and hang out with his disciples. As fate would have it, Lazarus fell ill. It seems his condition was a critical one for his two sisters to send word to Jesus saying, “Master, the one you love is ill.” After Jesus received their message, he did not leave immediately to Bethany. His immediate response was, “This illness is not to end in death, but is for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be gloried through it.” By the time he came to Bethany, Lazarus had been dead and been buried for four whole days. 

Going by the emotional speech made first by Martha, and later by Mary to Jesus, they seemed disappointed, and may be upset with Jesus. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she did not wait for him to enter their village. She went straight to him and exclaimed, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” When she returned to the house and informed Mary that the teacher was around, Mary too did not wait for him to enter their village and their house. Rather, she sprang to her feet, and on reaching to where Jesus was, she fell at his feet and repeated the very same words uttered previously by her sister, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” Falling at the feet of Jesus could be an expression of anguish or reverence or both.

Now, this Gospel has a few catch phrases, hit quotes and punchline. One of them is an unprecedented yet powerful declaration by Jesus: “I am the Resurrection and the Life.” Another is in a question form. When Jesus asked that the stone used to cover the tomb of Lazarus be taken away, Martha quickly warned, “Lord, by now there will be a stench; he has been dead for four days.” Responding to her comment of objection, Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe you will see the glory of God?” Another punchline is a definitive statement again made by Jesus: “Your brother will rise.” In all of these declarations, Jesus demonstrates that he is the very incarnation of God, Yahweh in human flesh who is moving among his people. In this time of heightened fear, worry, anxiety, confusion and uncertainty, it is important for us all to remember that we are not alone. The Psalmist assures us that “The Lord of host is with us; and the God of Jacob is our stronghold” (Psalm 46:8). Like I said before, Martha and Mary seemed disappointed and angry that Jesus delayed in coming, yet they still put their hope and trust in him. While Martha, at the zenith and apex of her grief, still proclaimed her faith in Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God, the one coming into the world; her sister with anguish and sorrow falls at Jesus’s feet. Like Martha, let us continue to hope and trust in the Lord. Like Mary, let us with total abandonment fall at the feet of Jesus. 

You know, the good news is that the God we serve is not an indifferent God. He is not a Deus absconditus— a God who absconds, runs away, hidden somewhere and ignores our suffering. He is suffering with with us. He identifies with us. At the house of Martha, Mary, Lazarus, Jesus wept. He wept with his friends. He wept because he cares and by so doing he shows his humanity and identifies with their pains and sorrows. The same manner he identified with the two sisters is the same manner he identifies with us today in our worries and fears. As we take all the precautionary measures each of us is encouraged to undertake to reduce the spread of coronavirus like washing our hands regularly, intentionally practicing social distancing, covering our mouth and nose when we sneeze and cough, not touching our face, sheltering in place etc, let’s also emulate the example set for us by Martha and Mary. Even in the face of pain and grief, they demonstrated their unyielding trust in Jesus as the Resurrection and the Life.

God bless you. We miss you. I really miss you. We are praying for you here and remember to pray for us as well. Together in prayer we will defeat this invisible enemy. Amen.