"Lazarus, Come Out"

In today's Gospel, John 11: 1-45, Jesus is informed that his friend Lazarus is ill. when Jesus hears this, he says:  "This illness is not to end in death, but is for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it." The same is true of the illness that has swept the world in our day.  God's glory will be revealed in it!  Jesus does immediately go to Bethany to comfort Mary and Martha, Lazarus' sisters and also close friends of Jesus.  He waits two days.  His disciples are concerned that Jesus would ever consider going to Judea, where his friends live:  "Rabbi, the Jews were just trying to stone you, and you want to go back there?"  Jesus not only risks his life for his friends, and for us who are also His friends, He actually surrenders his life for us on the cross and is risen from the dead for us. As with Jesus, so with us. Jesus simply and lovingly and faithfully goes before us. We will follow.

Jesus weeps for Lazarus and with Mary and Martha. He also weeps with us in our losses. He approaches the tomb in which Lazarus' body is and says: "Lazarus, come out!" Lazarus comes out wrapped in burial cloths from head to foot.  "Untie him and let him and let him go," Jesus says to Martha and Mary.

As we know, Jesus is the Resurrection and, like Lazarus, enters His tomb and rises from death. He also enters whatever "tomb" you and I are in and calls us to come out of those tombs. Likewise, He asks that we become "untied" of that which interferes with us answering God's call to holiness. We are asked, as well,  to "untie" anyone else that needs our assistance to be free! 

Jesus/God is one with us in all things human!  He cries with us, laughs with us, "dies" with us and "rises" with us. He shares our joys and sorrows! He also celebrates with us and invites us ultimately to His banquet in eternal life!