WEBVTT 00:00:00.280 --> 00:00:06.020 We've been in a series this Lent following the lectionary readings in John. 00:00:07.100 --> 00:00:17.460 ! And John is showing us these vignettes, these encounters that Jesus has with various people. 00:00:17.460 --> 00:00:24.839 ! And as he tells us these encounters, we wonder why is he picking these and not any of the other 00:00:24.839 --> 00:00:29.140 innumerable encounters that he could have chosen. And the reason, 00:00:30.140 --> 00:00:35.820 he makes explicit in chapter 20 of his gospel, he says this, very plain, puts his cards on the table. 00:00:36.700 --> 00:00:44.520 These things are written that you may believe, and that by believing you may have life in his name. 00:00:46.000 --> 00:00:50.460 In other words, these aren't just stories about other people who lived a long time ago encountering 00:00:50.460 --> 00:00:57.620 Jesus. These are stories that are written and shared because they're invitations for us to 00:00:57.619 --> 00:01:04.980 encounter Jesus. You know, when we come to church, when we open God's Word, when we kneel in the early 00:01:04.980 --> 00:01:11.280 morning hours for prayer, I wonder how often we do that with an expectation that we're actually going 00:01:11.280 --> 00:01:18.719 to encounter someone. That we're actually going to come face to face with an almost unfathomable being. 00:01:20.879 --> 00:01:25.519 Today, we meet two women, Mary and Martha, who encounter Jesus in the midst of their grief. 00:01:25.519 --> 00:01:32.439 It's not a surprise. Grief is often one of the primary places where people encounter Jesus. 00:01:33.780 --> 00:01:37.219 And we're going to look at this story together. It's filled with mystery. 00:01:37.939 --> 00:01:41.879 We're going to do the best we can with the time we have, and then we're going to talk about what 00:01:41.879 --> 00:01:43.459 this means for us. Let's pray. 00:01:43.459 --> 00:01:49.579 Our Lord in heaven, we are here this morning, and whatever we came in the door expecting, 00:01:50.639 --> 00:01:56.500 we know that we're on dangerous ground because we might actually come face to face with you. 00:01:57.039 --> 00:02:01.899 And we know from these stories that if and when that happens, everything's going to change. 00:02:03.119 --> 00:02:05.459 And Lord, whether we know it or not, that's what we most need. 00:02:05.459 --> 00:02:11.859 And Lord, we pray that by your grace, through these written words, we would come face to face 00:02:11.859 --> 00:02:17.379 with the living word, Jesus Christ. We pray this in his name. Amen. 00:02:18.579 --> 00:02:23.840 So there's a man named Lazarus. Lazarus has two sisters, Mary and Martha. They live in Bethany. 00:02:24.439 --> 00:02:28.859 We know from the scriptures that Jesus is very close to this family. I think it's safe to say 00:02:28.859 --> 00:02:34.379 that when he comes into Bethany, he often stays with them. They host dinners where they invite people 00:02:34.379 --> 00:02:38.620 into their home to spend time with Jesus. So they're very close. You might say they're some 00:02:38.620 --> 00:02:45.900 of Jesus' best friends. And at this point in the story, Jesus is not in Bethany. He's two days 00:02:45.900 --> 00:02:50.539 journey east on the other side of the Jordan River in a more remote part of the country. 00:02:51.219 --> 00:02:55.699 And Lazarus gets sick, and it's not looking good. And so the sisters sin for Lazarus, presumably, 00:02:56.159 --> 00:03:01.219 I'm sorry, they sin for Jesus, presumably expecting that as soon as Jesus hears that Lazarus is sick, 00:03:01.219 --> 00:03:05.300 he'll drop whatever he's doing, he'll cross the Jordan, he'll come, and he'll heal Lazarus. 00:03:05.319 --> 00:03:11.319 They've seen him do it a hundred times. So they send word to Jesus. When Jesus hears the news, 00:03:11.400 --> 00:03:16.699 he says something very odd to his disciples. He says, this sickness will not end in death. 00:03:17.639 --> 00:03:23.719 No, it's for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it. Now, if you're Jesus' 00:03:23.919 --> 00:03:27.539 disciples and he says this, you're assuming he's about to drop everything and he's about to 00:03:27.539 --> 00:03:38.060 go and he's about to heal Lazarus. But instead, Jesus waits two more days before departing. He 00:03:38.060 --> 00:03:44.399 waits two more days. And by the time Jesus arrives, Lazarus has been dead for four days. 00:03:45.939 --> 00:03:51.739 There was a Jewish superstition that after somebody died, the spirit of that person would hover around 00:03:51.739 --> 00:03:56.479 the body for two or three days and that there was a hope that that person might be able to be 00:03:56.479 --> 00:04:02.039 resuscitated if they could coax the spirit back into the body. But after four days, there was no 00:04:02.039 --> 00:04:06.039 longer any hope. It's kind of like if you've seen the Princess Bride and, you know, Miracle Max, 00:04:06.399 --> 00:04:11.060 and he talks about the difference between being mostly dead and being all dead. For three days, 00:04:11.159 --> 00:04:15.659 according to this superstition, you're mostly dead. And then, but on the fourth day, you're all dead. 00:04:16.060 --> 00:04:21.680 There's no possibility of resuscitation of any kind. And so the sisters, it's been four days, 00:04:21.680 --> 00:04:26.620 the sisters are utterly devastated. And when they hear that Jesus has arrived, it's interesting. 00:04:27.720 --> 00:04:33.100 Martha, true to her nature, immediately runs out to go try to find Jesus. Mary stays at home. 00:04:34.280 --> 00:04:38.000 We don't know why. We're not given a reason. But I can imagine, given their devastation and given 00:04:38.000 --> 00:04:42.960 what we know of their personalities, it could be that Mary is so upset. And maybe she's so upset with 00:04:42.959 --> 00:04:48.819 Jesus. You can imagine her saying something like, I can't even bear to see him right now. 00:04:51.399 --> 00:04:55.180 Martha approaches Jesus and says, Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 00:04:56.879 --> 00:05:01.659 Then she says, but I know now that even now, God will give you whatever you ask. 00:05:02.439 --> 00:05:07.539 And commentators agree there's more than a note of reproach in her tone. 00:05:07.540 --> 00:05:15.220 And I think it's worth stopping and just asking how many of us can identify with Martha. 00:05:16.480 --> 00:05:21.760 Because here she's saying what most everyone, including me, what most of us say in the midst 00:05:21.760 --> 00:05:27.500 of our grief. Some of you haven't really been through, you're too young to have gone through 00:05:27.500 --> 00:05:33.240 a major time of mourning or grief and loss. But at some point you will. Those of us who have been 00:05:33.240 --> 00:05:37.320 alive a little longer know what it's like to be in the midst of this grief and the kinds of 00:05:37.319 --> 00:05:45.920 questions that bubble up to the surface in the face of cancer, in the face of infertility or 00:05:45.920 --> 00:05:55.360 miscarriage or unwanted singleness or chronic pain or loss or death. There's this question that sort 00:05:55.360 --> 00:06:00.180 of bubbles up in different forms. Lord, if you have the power to do something about this, 00:06:00.180 --> 00:06:10.180 why don't you? That's it. Lord, if you can do something about this thing that I'm feeling, 00:06:10.400 --> 00:06:15.259 why don't you? If you can do something about this person that I love and I'm watching them suffer, 00:06:15.500 --> 00:06:22.519 why don't you? How could you let this happen? The truth is, we know, Jesus could have healed 00:06:22.519 --> 00:06:30.279 Lazarus with a word, with a thought. He didn't need to travel to Bethany to heal Lazarus. He could have 00:06:30.279 --> 00:06:34.399 done it the moment he heard he was sick. In fact, he didn't even need to be told he was sick. 00:06:34.959 --> 00:06:41.899 We assume he probably already knew he was sick. So why doesn't he act? He's healed all of these 00:06:41.899 --> 00:06:49.000 other people. Why not one of his closest friends? And John actually gives us a hint as to the answer, 00:06:49.000 --> 00:06:52.959 and I want you to pay attention to this. Verse 5, 00:06:54.819 --> 00:07:02.319 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus, so when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed 00:07:02.319 --> 00:07:08.939 where he was two more days. And then he said to his disciples, let us go back to Judea. 00:07:09.939 --> 00:07:18.560 Notice what John does not say. He does not say he loved them. However, 00:07:18.560 --> 00:07:25.860 he stayed two more days. He says he loved them, so he stayed two more days. 00:07:27.639 --> 00:07:34.980 I remember the first time I realized this, and it was like getting hit with a two by four. 00:07:36.079 --> 00:07:45.259 He loved them, so he stayed two more days. The delay is not in spite of his love. The delay is somehow 00:07:45.259 --> 00:07:46.860 because of his love. 00:07:49.339 --> 00:07:55.219 Johnny Erickson Tada was paralyzed from the neck down at age 17 in a diving accident. And if you 00:07:55.219 --> 00:07:59.060 know anything about her life, she's endured more suffering than most of us ever will. 00:07:59.060 --> 00:08:08.259 And she spent years wrestling with God over this. And through her grief, she found that she was able 00:08:08.259 --> 00:08:16.920 to encounter and experience Christ in powerful and life-transforming ways. And she has since become 00:08:16.920 --> 00:08:25.040 a source of hope and encouragement for thousands of people who are facing their own various forms of 00:08:25.040 --> 00:08:31.000 suffering. And now when Johnny looks back on her accident, here's what she says. 00:08:32.600 --> 00:08:37.500 Sometimes God allows what he hates to accomplish what he loves. 00:08:39.680 --> 00:08:46.420 Sometimes God allows what he hates to accomplish what he loves. That's exactly what Jesus is doing here. 00:08:46.419 --> 00:08:55.339 Jesus allows Lazarus to die because he intends to use his death to reveal the truth about himself 00:08:55.339 --> 00:08:57.559 to people like us. 00:08:59.079 --> 00:09:04.419 When Mary confronts him and says, if you had been here, he wouldn't have died, Jesus responds and says, 00:09:04.500 --> 00:09:05.860 your brother will rise again. 00:09:07.459 --> 00:09:13.339 I'm sorry, Martha. And Martha hears this and thinks that he's talking about a belief that was prevalent 00:09:13.340 --> 00:09:17.440 among the Pharisees. They said, well, one day there will be a kind of general resurrection. 00:09:17.740 --> 00:09:21.420 At the end of time, God's going, you know. And so she says, yeah, yeah, yeah. 00:09:21.480 --> 00:09:25.960 I know. I know what the Pharisees teach. Yeah, I believe that. One day I'll see him again. 00:09:26.500 --> 00:09:28.940 And Jesus says essentially, no, you don't understand. 00:09:32.060 --> 00:09:35.840 He says, resurrection is not just something I do. Resurrection is who I am. 00:09:38.300 --> 00:09:39.560 I am resurrection. 00:09:39.559 --> 00:09:47.699 I am life. And if you know me and you believe in me, the people who believe in me no longer have to 00:09:47.699 --> 00:09:55.939 worry about death. And we can imagine Martha taking a step back, realizing that she has vastly 00:09:55.939 --> 00:10:00.399 underestimated this man who has stayed in her home and eaten food from her table. 00:10:02.079 --> 00:10:08.099 And then Jesus leans in and he asks her very directly and very personally, do you believe this? 00:10:09.559 --> 00:10:13.459 Can you imagine if you were to encounter Jesus in all of your anger and all of your grief and he 00:10:13.459 --> 00:10:16.479 were to respond that way and then he were to lean in and look you right in the eye and say, 00:10:16.759 --> 00:10:20.019 do you believe this? How would you respond? 00:10:22.759 --> 00:10:27.500 And she says, I believe that you're the Messiah, the Son of God who is to come into the world. 00:10:28.919 --> 00:10:33.219 And then Martha sends for her sister Mary saying, the teacher's here and he's calling for you. 00:10:33.279 --> 00:10:36.799 You can imagine Jesus saying, where's Mary? She normally comes out to see me. Where is she? 00:10:36.799 --> 00:10:43.519 Well, she's still at home. Go get her. So Mary comes and falls at Jesus' feet and says the exact 00:10:43.519 --> 00:10:49.019 same thing as Martha. Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But Jesus gives a 00:10:49.019 --> 00:10:56.259 very different response to Mary than he does Martha. When he sees Mary weeping and then he looks up and 00:10:56.259 --> 00:11:01.099 all of these people who have come to support her, the Jews are wonderful. They have beautiful 00:11:01.100 --> 00:11:06.500 traditions of grieving in solidarity with one another. I think we in our sort of Western American 00:11:06.500 --> 00:11:13.500 context have so much to learn from people who actually know how to grieve well. And so all of 00:11:13.500 --> 00:11:17.139 these people are there and Jesus looks and he sees all of their faces and he sees right in the middle 00:11:17.139 --> 00:11:23.180 Mary and she's on the ground at his feet and they're all weeping. And it says in the text that we read 00:11:23.180 --> 00:11:27.879 that he's deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. And with all due respect, that's a very 00:11:27.879 --> 00:11:34.059 sanitized translation. What it actually implies in the Greek is that he's shaking with anger. 00:11:35.679 --> 00:11:40.519 Maybe it makes us uncomfortable to think of, you know, the lamb, the shepherd, you know, 00:11:40.639 --> 00:11:48.360 gentle Jesus shaking with rage. But that's what it says here. He's shaking with anger. And then one of 00:11:48.360 --> 00:11:59.519 the most profound verses in all of Scripture, it says Jesus wept. Now, immediately it raises questions. 00:11:59.720 --> 00:12:09.440 Why would the Lord of life, why would the man who has just said, this is not end in death, 00:12:10.100 --> 00:12:16.600 your brother will rise again, I am resurrection, I am life, do you believe in this? Why would he then 00:12:16.600 --> 00:12:23.100 weep in the face of Lazarus in the tomb? Does he not believe his own words? Does he not believe that 00:12:23.100 --> 00:12:37.139 this is going to happen? People have debated this for centuries. I believe that Jesus weeps because 00:12:37.139 --> 00:12:47.539 Jesus is perfect. Because this is what a perfect human being does in the face of grief and loss and death. 00:12:49.000 --> 00:12:54.500 You know, a lot of people in our culture, especially men, have been taught that maturity means being 00:12:54.500 --> 00:13:01.319 strong and keeping yourself together and not getting all emotional. Crying is what weak people do, 00:13:01.320 --> 00:13:07.220 or it's what children do. Crying as an adult means that you can't handle life. If you're a Christian, 00:13:07.340 --> 00:13:11.600 it means that you lack faith. You know, don't you believe in the resurrection? Don't you believe 00:13:11.600 --> 00:13:20.000 that this is true? So why are you crying? Jesus is the most mature, perfect, powerful being there is. 00:13:20.860 --> 00:13:24.720 He's the one who raised the mountains. He's the one who fills the oceans. 00:13:24.720 --> 00:13:33.779 And yet here he is weeping. And then after he weeps, and after he shakes with rage, then he goes 00:13:33.779 --> 00:13:38.660 to the tomb. Then he has the stone rolled away. And then he calls out, Lazarus, come out. And you can 00:13:38.660 --> 00:13:45.399 imagine the confusion as Lazarus walks out of the tomb and says, still wrapped in the burial linens, 00:13:45.660 --> 00:13:51.740 still has his face wrapped. And he sort of comes out, you know, obviously the most disoriented 00:13:51.740 --> 00:14:00.259 person there, having no idea what just happened. And then it starts to become clear why Jesus, 00:14:02.620 --> 00:14:10.580 because he loved Mary and Martha and Lazarus, decides to wait two more days. He wanted to be 00:14:10.580 --> 00:14:18.100 clear. He wanted there to be no doubt that Lazarus was dead, that he was all dead. 00:14:18.100 --> 00:14:24.200 So that when he raised him to life again, there could be only one explanation. 00:14:26.180 --> 00:14:29.600 The power and the glory of God at work. 00:14:31.560 --> 00:14:32.440 Crystal clear. 00:14:33.720 --> 00:14:39.060 So what does all of this mean? Why would John take this encounter and offer it to us? 00:14:39.059 --> 00:14:44.399 In 1 Thessalonians 4, Paul writes to Christians, 00:14:46.599 --> 00:14:51.059 grieve, but don't grieve as those without hope. 00:14:53.659 --> 00:14:58.659 I think Paul is saying here that when it comes to grief, there's two ways that we can go off the 00:14:58.659 --> 00:15:05.159 rails. One mistake we can make is to not grieve. What we were saying a moment ago, to stuff the 00:15:05.159 --> 00:15:11.159 feelings down, to minimize the pain, to distract ourselves, to numb ourselves, to act as though 00:15:11.159 --> 00:15:20.779 everything's okay, to put on a strong face. But the other way we can go off the tracks is to grieve 00:15:20.779 --> 00:15:28.939 in a way where we come on board. Right? So if you make the mistake of not grieving, sooner or later, 00:15:29.079 --> 00:15:33.059 those feelings that you're stuffing down, those feelings that you are trying to suppress, 00:15:33.059 --> 00:15:38.619 they're going to come back. They don't go, feelings like that don't go away. It might be 20 years 00:15:38.619 --> 00:15:43.799 later, but they're going to come back. They don't go away. And if you've ever grieved, you know how 00:15:43.799 --> 00:15:48.239 weird it is. You can go for months and feel okay, and then you're standing in the frozen food section 00:15:48.239 --> 00:15:52.219 at Trader Joe's, and you're holding a bag of frozen peas in your hand, and all of a sudden, 00:15:52.519 --> 00:15:57.959 you come undone. And a wave of grief crashes over you. It feels like you're going to drown. 00:15:57.960 --> 00:16:04.160 So one mistake is to not grieve, but the other mistake is to grieve in a way where we become 00:16:04.160 --> 00:16:10.820 entirely unmoored. We lose all sense of perspective. We lose all sense of what's true and real and good 00:16:10.820 --> 00:16:15.460 and beautiful. We feel overwhelmed. And for some people, grief can sort of become an identity. 00:16:16.160 --> 00:16:21.540 It can become a new sense of who you are. There can be a sense that it's never going to change or get 00:16:21.539 --> 00:16:30.219 better. Jesus Christ makes it possible for us to grieve but without losing hope. Because the kind 00:16:30.219 --> 00:16:37.279 of hope that Jesus offers is a very unique kind of hope. It is resurrection hope. It's resurrection 00:16:37.279 --> 00:16:43.879 hope. And the author of Hebrews says that resurrection hope is a sure and steadfast anchor 00:16:43.879 --> 00:16:51.279 for the soul. And that's what you need when you're grieving. The job of an anchor is to keep you firmly 00:16:51.279 --> 00:16:57.159 rooted in place. That's exactly what we need when we're grieving. We need an anchor that anchors our 00:16:57.159 --> 00:17:03.439 soul in what is true so that no matter how bad the storm of grief gets, no matter how much it rages, 00:17:03.639 --> 00:17:08.539 and no matter how much it feels like we're getting swept away, we stay firmly rooted in what is true. 00:17:10.420 --> 00:17:16.720 Right? So to believe in Christ, as he says, is to believe in the resurrection and the renewal of all 00:17:16.720 --> 00:17:23.380 things, that there's an anchor there that anchors your soul that continues to testify that one day 00:17:23.380 --> 00:17:31.200 everything sad will come untrue. That one day we will realize that heaven is not just some future bliss, 00:17:31.519 --> 00:17:37.460 that heaven, once attained, will work backward and turn even this agony into glory. 00:17:37.460 --> 00:17:43.360 It's to believe that those who now sow weeping will one day reap with songs of joy. 00:17:46.120 --> 00:17:47.000 That's the anchor. 00:17:52.000 --> 00:17:53.759 If you know that deep in your soul, 00:17:55.220 --> 00:17:57.779 no matter how hard things get in this present moment, 00:17:58.600 --> 00:18:02.100 you know in your heart of hearts 00:18:02.099 --> 00:18:05.000 that this is but a light momentary affliction 00:18:05.000 --> 00:18:08.359 when compared to the eternal weight of glory. 00:18:09.919 --> 00:18:11.559 You know how the story ends. 00:18:12.240 --> 00:18:13.519 You know where all this is going. 00:18:15.480 --> 00:18:18.519 And when you have that kind of hope that anchors your soul, 00:18:18.639 --> 00:18:20.299 it actually sets you free to grieve. 00:18:21.419 --> 00:18:22.719 You don't need to suppress it. 00:18:22.799 --> 00:18:23.859 You don't need to stuff it down. 00:18:23.959 --> 00:18:25.279 You don't need to drink it away, 00:18:25.799 --> 00:18:27.539 numb it, distract it into oblivion. 00:18:29.279 --> 00:18:31.159 You can just let those feelings come. 00:18:32.099 --> 00:18:35.980 You know, I like to think here that when Jesus weeps, 00:18:36.019 --> 00:18:39.719 it's not some sort of, you know, sort of demure, elegant, 00:18:40.039 --> 00:18:41.059 that he's ugly crying. 00:18:42.339 --> 00:18:43.019 You know? 00:18:43.159 --> 00:18:44.879 And there's something deeply comforting. 00:18:45.639 --> 00:18:47.899 I may sound like I'm being irreverent here, 00:18:47.980 --> 00:18:50.059 but I think there's something deeply comforting for me 00:18:50.059 --> 00:18:53.059 when I think about Jesus ugly crying next to Mary. 00:18:57.179 --> 00:19:00.399 A man who's simply allowing those feelings to flow freely. 00:19:02.099 --> 00:19:05.459 And I think that being able to do that at times 00:19:05.459 --> 00:19:08.099 is absolutely crucial for the healing of our souls. 00:19:08.740 --> 00:19:12.279 Sometimes the most appropriate response to life in this world 00:19:12.279 --> 00:19:13.480 is to shake with anger. 00:19:14.879 --> 00:19:18.919 Sometimes the most mature response to life in this world is to weep. 00:19:18.920 --> 00:19:23.420 And it's necessary for healing, friends, 00:19:23.480 --> 00:19:25.080 because you can't think your feelings. 00:19:25.600 --> 00:19:26.840 You have to feel your feelings. 00:19:28.759 --> 00:19:30.960 And most of you, with all due respect, are so smart 00:19:30.960 --> 00:19:33.240 that you forget this. 00:19:33.620 --> 00:19:34.539 I forget this. 00:19:35.800 --> 00:19:38.400 We think that we can think our way out of our feelings, 00:19:39.200 --> 00:19:41.600 that we can rationalize our way out of our grief. 00:19:41.800 --> 00:19:42.480 It doesn't work. 00:19:43.039 --> 00:19:45.120 You can know the right theology in your head, 00:19:45.220 --> 00:19:47.120 but that's not what you need. 00:19:47.700 --> 00:19:49.480 The theology is the anchor, yeah. 00:19:49.680 --> 00:19:51.779 But knowing and feeling are two different things. 00:19:51.839 --> 00:19:53.339 You can't think your way out of grief. 00:19:53.579 --> 00:19:55.519 Even with all the right theological frameworks 00:19:55.519 --> 00:19:56.720 and knowledge and terminology, 00:19:56.980 --> 00:19:58.640 the only way to deal with feelings is to, 00:19:58.740 --> 00:19:59.819 guess what, feel them. 00:20:00.779 --> 00:20:03.180 And the most mature people are the ones who know this. 00:20:03.779 --> 00:20:04.940 You know, Jesus is the strongest, 00:20:05.099 --> 00:20:06.700 most mature human ever to have lived, 00:20:06.740 --> 00:20:07.279 and he weeps. 00:20:07.279 --> 00:20:10.000 And that tells us that the strongest, 00:20:10.240 --> 00:20:13.099 most mature people are the ones who are most like Jesus, 00:20:13.339 --> 00:20:15.359 and they're the ones who can enter into grief 00:20:15.359 --> 00:20:16.319 honestly and directly. 00:20:16.839 --> 00:20:18.599 They're the ones who don't suppress their emotions 00:20:18.599 --> 00:20:19.559 or numb themselves. 00:20:20.680 --> 00:20:22.099 You know, a lot of people make the mistake 00:20:22.099 --> 00:20:23.180 of thinking that Christians, 00:20:23.839 --> 00:20:25.879 if we really believe in Jesus and the resurrection, 00:20:26.079 --> 00:20:26.940 that we wouldn't weep. 00:20:27.019 --> 00:20:29.160 I attended a funeral many years ago, 00:20:29.519 --> 00:20:31.599 and they thought that the, 00:20:33.819 --> 00:20:35.960 there were very specific instructions around the funeral 00:20:35.960 --> 00:20:37.819 that there was to be no weeping and no crying 00:20:37.819 --> 00:20:41.680 because we all know where this person is going, 00:20:42.039 --> 00:20:44.039 and so this needs to be a celebration and a party, 00:20:44.120 --> 00:20:45.079 and they brought in a band, 00:20:45.259 --> 00:20:47.980 and we were all instructed to be happy and to celebrate. 00:20:50.039 --> 00:20:51.920 You can imagine how that party went. 00:20:53.140 --> 00:20:54.400 It was a weird party. 00:20:56.000 --> 00:20:57.319 It was a bizarre party. 00:20:58.819 --> 00:20:59.740 I'm an introvert. 00:20:59.900 --> 00:21:01.779 All parties are kind of weird to me, 00:21:02.240 --> 00:21:05.200 but this one was especially weird and odd 00:21:05.200 --> 00:21:06.559 because it was emotionally dishonest. 00:21:07.860 --> 00:21:10.100 Nobody wanted to dance and clap, 00:21:10.220 --> 00:21:11.160 and we all knew it was true, 00:21:11.220 --> 00:21:12.039 but we wanted to cry, 00:21:12.759 --> 00:21:14.039 and I think everybody went, 00:21:14.080 --> 00:21:14.980 and they put on a brave face, 00:21:15.059 --> 00:21:15.840 and then they left early, 00:21:15.880 --> 00:21:16.580 and then they went and cried. 00:21:19.500 --> 00:21:22.680 Christians should be the best at weeping, right? 00:21:22.700 --> 00:21:24.400 It's our belief in Jesus and the resurrection 00:21:24.400 --> 00:21:25.500 that frees us to weep. 00:21:27.140 --> 00:21:28.940 So I want to apply this in a couple of ways 00:21:28.940 --> 00:21:30.720 with the time that we have left. 00:21:30.720 --> 00:21:37.519 First, I believe this shows us something very essential 00:21:37.519 --> 00:21:38.460 about the heart of God. 00:21:40.380 --> 00:21:42.120 God is not distant from our suffering. 00:21:42.480 --> 00:21:45.539 God is not the kind of God who stands back 00:21:45.539 --> 00:21:48.259 and says, well, I'm sure it'll all work out. 00:21:49.180 --> 00:21:51.000 You know, God is not the kind of God who says, 00:21:51.100 --> 00:21:52.440 well, if you just had a little more faith, 00:21:52.579 --> 00:21:54.319 if your faith was up here and set it down here, 00:21:54.559 --> 00:21:55.980 then you'd be able to handle this better. 00:21:55.980 --> 00:22:00.120 Whatever you might be going through right now, 00:22:00.240 --> 00:22:02.380 whatever you have gone through over the past few years, 00:22:02.480 --> 00:22:04.539 whatever you might go through over this coming year, 00:22:05.759 --> 00:22:08.000 know that whenever you shake with anger 00:22:08.000 --> 00:22:11.220 and you weep in response to the brokenness of this world 00:22:11.220 --> 00:22:13.000 and the suffering that has caused you 00:22:13.000 --> 00:22:14.460 and your life and those you love, 00:22:15.360 --> 00:22:17.620 I believe this shows us that Christ 00:22:17.620 --> 00:22:19.700 is weeping alongside you 00:22:19.700 --> 00:22:23.339 and that Christ feels that righteous indignation 00:22:23.339 --> 00:22:24.460 at the brokenness of the world. 00:22:24.460 --> 00:22:27.700 And if there's anyone who hates it more than us, 00:22:27.740 --> 00:22:28.059 it's him. 00:22:29.220 --> 00:22:31.220 So I believe that when we pray to God, 00:22:31.279 --> 00:22:32.460 we can know that in Jesus, 00:22:32.720 --> 00:22:35.519 Jesus is weeping alongside us, with us, for us. 00:22:38.519 --> 00:22:42.259 What flows out of that is this second implication 00:22:42.259 --> 00:22:44.660 that I, and I think this is very true, 00:22:44.759 --> 00:22:47.019 because of this, Christians above all people 00:22:47.019 --> 00:22:49.400 should be the kind of people who know how to weep 00:22:49.400 --> 00:22:50.299 with those who weep. 00:22:52.240 --> 00:22:53.920 Christians should be people who, you know, 00:22:53.920 --> 00:22:55.220 when you're going through something, 00:22:55.320 --> 00:22:58.620 you think, if you're not a Christian, 00:22:58.740 --> 00:23:00.200 man, who are the Christians in my life? 00:23:01.160 --> 00:23:03.180 Because I need somebody who really knows 00:23:03.180 --> 00:23:04.840 how to weep with me right now. 00:23:06.220 --> 00:23:07.960 You know, when we're with somebody 00:23:07.960 --> 00:23:09.160 who's going through a hard time, 00:23:09.220 --> 00:23:10.980 it can be very tempting because we're nervous 00:23:10.980 --> 00:23:12.640 and we often, it makes us uncomfortable 00:23:12.640 --> 00:23:13.900 and we don't know what to say. 00:23:14.240 --> 00:23:16.240 And so we can offer platitudes 00:23:16.240 --> 00:23:18.539 as a way to kind of fill that awkward space 00:23:18.539 --> 00:23:21.100 between because you don't know what else to say. 00:23:21.099 --> 00:23:22.259 And so you say, you know, 00:23:22.299 --> 00:23:24.139 well, you know, everything happens for a reason. 00:23:24.799 --> 00:23:26.139 Or you say, well, you know, 00:23:26.299 --> 00:23:27.959 I know it's hard now, but life goes on. 00:23:28.039 --> 00:23:29.619 Or you say, well, you know, be strong. 00:23:29.740 --> 00:23:30.959 I'm sure you'll get through this. 00:23:32.539 --> 00:23:34.659 And I remember one time being with somebody 00:23:34.659 --> 00:23:35.919 and they were telling me what was, 00:23:37.480 --> 00:23:39.240 you know, something, stuff that was hard going on. 00:23:39.619 --> 00:23:41.599 And I said, well, I'm sure it's all gonna work out. 00:23:41.679 --> 00:23:42.559 She immediately goes, well, 00:23:42.599 --> 00:23:43.480 how the hell do you know that? 00:23:43.480 --> 00:23:48.640 And she was exactly right. 00:23:50.700 --> 00:23:51.960 I said, actually, I don't. 00:23:53.620 --> 00:23:54.160 You're right. 00:23:54.299 --> 00:23:55.140 I'm sorry I said that. 00:23:59.039 --> 00:24:00.460 You know, I've struggled with, 00:24:00.880 --> 00:24:01.940 I may have shared this before. 00:24:02.019 --> 00:24:04.620 I've struggled with some pretty severe bouts 00:24:04.620 --> 00:24:06.079 of depression over the course of my life. 00:24:06.079 --> 00:24:13.119 And I know that when people say things like this to me, 00:24:13.159 --> 00:24:14.779 it makes me wanna crawl out of my own skin. 00:24:16.659 --> 00:24:18.579 And yet we find ourselves saying it 00:24:18.579 --> 00:24:20.480 because we're nervous. 00:24:21.699 --> 00:24:22.939 What we need to remember here 00:24:22.939 --> 00:24:24.740 is that Mary doesn't really need words. 00:24:26.579 --> 00:24:28.240 Martha needs a theological correction. 00:24:28.779 --> 00:24:29.399 Mary doesn't. 00:24:29.480 --> 00:24:30.980 And I think there's a lot of Marys out there. 00:24:32.299 --> 00:24:34.099 She just needs someone to sit down beside her 00:24:34.099 --> 00:24:34.899 and be sad with her. 00:24:34.900 --> 00:24:38.660 She needs to know she's not alone in her grief. 00:24:39.460 --> 00:24:40.620 And that's what Jesus does. 00:24:41.040 --> 00:24:45.320 You know, I learned this very, very unexpectedly years ago. 00:24:45.460 --> 00:24:47.660 I was having beers with another friend 00:24:47.660 --> 00:24:49.400 and he was, he had a very, you know, DC. 00:24:49.580 --> 00:24:50.800 People have their niche jobs 00:24:50.800 --> 00:24:53.700 and very highly specific contexts. 00:24:54.000 --> 00:24:56.100 And this guy's trying to explain to me 00:24:56.100 --> 00:24:58.560 the ins and outs of all the things that happened 00:24:58.560 --> 00:25:00.040 that led to him feeling really hurt 00:25:00.040 --> 00:25:02.600 and rejected and betrayed in his job. 00:25:02.599 --> 00:25:06.259 And it's one of those jobs where he spent 30 minutes 00:25:06.259 --> 00:25:07.339 kind of explaining it all to me. 00:25:07.399 --> 00:25:08.859 And at the end, I just have to confess, 00:25:08.980 --> 00:25:10.779 I just had no idea what he was talking about. 00:25:11.399 --> 00:25:14.579 I mean, I, what I did know is that he was really hurt 00:25:14.579 --> 00:25:16.039 and really upset and felt betrayed, 00:25:16.039 --> 00:25:19.199 but I had no idea how it all got there, you know? 00:25:19.439 --> 00:25:20.599 And I was sitting there thinking, 00:25:20.599 --> 00:25:23.639 you know, he's asked his pastor to come have a beer. 00:25:23.779 --> 00:25:24.839 He's looking for advice. 00:25:24.939 --> 00:25:25.779 He's looking for guidance. 00:25:25.899 --> 00:25:27.079 He's looking for wisdom. 00:25:27.199 --> 00:25:27.879 And I'm the pastor. 00:25:27.980 --> 00:25:29.559 It's my job to offer him these things. 00:25:29.740 --> 00:25:32.079 And so I, but I have no, like I didn't, 00:25:32.119 --> 00:25:33.919 and I didn't want to ask him to explain it all again 00:25:33.919 --> 00:25:34.839 because then he would, you know, 00:25:34.879 --> 00:25:36.980 then he's like, man, I really made the wrong call 00:25:36.980 --> 00:25:37.899 hanging out with you. 00:25:38.279 --> 00:25:40.379 And so I just say, well, 00:25:40.639 --> 00:25:45.339 honestly, I don't know what to tell you to do. 00:25:45.339 --> 00:25:47.939 I have no idea how to advise you, 00:25:48.079 --> 00:25:49.679 but if it makes any difference, 00:25:50.240 --> 00:25:52.399 I can just sit here and be sad with you 00:25:52.399 --> 00:25:54.839 and maybe absorb some of the pain. 00:25:56.179 --> 00:25:58.720 And inside I'm thinking, you're such an idiot. 00:25:59.039 --> 00:26:01.000 And I'm like, this guy's thinking, 00:26:01.220 --> 00:26:02.299 why did I come to him? 00:26:02.500 --> 00:26:03.399 You know, I should go to somebody 00:26:03.399 --> 00:26:05.980 who actually knows something, you know, 00:26:06.019 --> 00:26:06.879 and understand, you know, 00:26:06.899 --> 00:26:08.859 and can actually give me some direction here. 00:26:09.459 --> 00:26:12.199 And then I just sort of said, well, okay. 00:26:12.299 --> 00:26:13.139 And I just thought of that. 00:26:13.199 --> 00:26:14.019 Well, I just whiffed it. 00:26:14.019 --> 00:26:15.619 Okay, you know, life goes on. 00:26:15.940 --> 00:26:16.819 And then three years later, 00:26:16.879 --> 00:26:17.700 three or four years later, 00:26:17.720 --> 00:26:18.799 they were moving out of town. 00:26:19.279 --> 00:26:21.240 And he said, by the way, 00:26:21.359 --> 00:26:22.180 I just wanted to tell you, 00:26:22.240 --> 00:26:24.420 there was this one time where you said something 00:26:24.420 --> 00:26:26.259 and it really made a difference in my life. 00:26:26.460 --> 00:26:28.400 And I'm like, well, which sermon was it? 00:26:28.559 --> 00:26:30.279 You know, like which, you know, 00:26:30.319 --> 00:26:30.980 like I'm waiting, 00:26:31.099 --> 00:26:33.559 like which of my, the many pearls did you, you know. 00:26:35.099 --> 00:26:36.339 And he goes, this is that time 00:26:36.339 --> 00:26:37.339 that you didn't say anything. 00:26:38.420 --> 00:26:39.980 It was that time when you just said, 00:26:40.039 --> 00:26:40.759 I don't know what to say, 00:26:40.819 --> 00:26:41.819 but I can just sit here with you. 00:26:41.819 --> 00:26:45.299 And I really learned something, you know. 00:26:45.899 --> 00:26:47.779 I learned that he didn't need advice. 00:26:47.879 --> 00:26:48.700 He didn't need guidance. 00:26:48.879 --> 00:26:50.519 He actually, I think, knew what he needed to do. 00:26:51.319 --> 00:26:53.039 He just wanted to know that he wasn't alone. 00:26:54.639 --> 00:26:57.000 He just wanted to know that there was somebody there 00:26:57.000 --> 00:26:59.319 who got it enough to be sad with him. 00:27:00.379 --> 00:27:03.099 And I think almost anyone can offer that. 00:27:04.059 --> 00:27:06.359 It doesn't require expertise or training or licensure. 00:27:06.359 --> 00:27:09.419 Just a capacity to be sad. 00:27:12.319 --> 00:27:13.679 The last thing I'll say 00:27:13.679 --> 00:27:16.719 is that I think this shows us how important it is 00:27:16.719 --> 00:27:19.419 to decide what we personally believe about Jesus. 00:27:22.119 --> 00:27:24.299 Even though Jesus raises Lazarus, 00:27:25.139 --> 00:27:28.240 eventually, friends, Lazarus dies again. 00:27:29.199 --> 00:27:29.659 Right? 00:27:29.959 --> 00:27:31.459 He raises Lazarus from death. 00:27:31.559 --> 00:27:33.759 Eventually, Lazarus is gonna die again. 00:27:33.759 --> 00:27:37.599 And so what is the point of this miracle? 00:27:37.720 --> 00:27:38.680 Why raise Lazarus? 00:27:38.700 --> 00:27:39.559 Just so he has to go through 00:27:39.559 --> 00:27:41.519 the whole death process once more. 00:27:41.720 --> 00:27:44.119 Well, the point of this miracle 00:27:44.119 --> 00:27:47.200 is to reveal Jesus as he truly is. 00:27:48.180 --> 00:27:50.940 To give Lazarus and Mary and Martha 00:27:50.940 --> 00:27:53.160 and all of the Jews standing by 00:27:53.160 --> 00:27:54.400 and all of us 00:27:54.400 --> 00:27:57.860 to confront us 00:27:57.860 --> 00:28:00.440 with the most important question 00:28:00.440 --> 00:28:02.860 we will face in this life, 00:28:03.460 --> 00:28:04.400 which is, 00:28:04.900 --> 00:28:06.019 do you believe this? 00:28:07.900 --> 00:28:10.880 Do you understand that Jesus is not just a rabbi? 00:28:10.980 --> 00:28:12.060 That he's not just a teacher? 00:28:12.259 --> 00:28:13.700 That he's not just a mighty prophet? 00:28:13.960 --> 00:28:16.060 That he's not just a soothsayer? 00:28:16.180 --> 00:28:17.860 That he's not just a life coach? 00:28:17.960 --> 00:28:20.140 That he's not just a historical oddity? 00:28:20.240 --> 00:28:22.380 That he's not just a source of inspiration? 00:28:22.380 --> 00:28:26.260 Do you understand that he is resurrection? 00:28:26.700 --> 00:28:28.480 That he is life? 00:28:31.540 --> 00:28:31.760 Right? 00:28:31.860 --> 00:28:32.720 Like Lazarus, 00:28:32.780 --> 00:28:34.520 we're all gonna die one day. 00:28:35.360 --> 00:28:37.340 And the single most important question 00:28:37.340 --> 00:28:38.940 we will face before we die, 00:28:40.300 --> 00:28:41.000 who is Jesus? 00:28:42.120 --> 00:28:43.420 Do we believe the claims 00:28:43.420 --> 00:28:45.020 that he makes about himself or not? 00:28:45.840 --> 00:28:48.060 Everything hinges on our answer. 00:28:48.920 --> 00:28:49.320 Let's pray. 00:28:49.320 --> 00:28:49.360 Let's pray. 00:28:52.380 --> 00:28:54.660 Our God and Father above, 00:28:54.860 --> 00:28:56.500 you were there that day. 00:28:57.200 --> 00:28:59.100 You knew what it was like. 00:29:00.180 --> 00:29:01.360 In Jesus Christ, 00:29:01.540 --> 00:29:03.120 you know what it is to weep 00:29:03.120 --> 00:29:04.000 and to mourn 00:29:04.000 --> 00:29:05.100 and to shake with anger. 00:29:05.640 --> 00:29:06.000 And yet, 00:29:06.060 --> 00:29:07.140 that is not the final word. 00:29:07.840 --> 00:29:08.560 We know that 00:29:08.560 --> 00:29:09.960 because of who you are, 00:29:10.040 --> 00:29:10.820 because of your heart 00:29:10.820 --> 00:29:11.940 and because of your son, 00:29:12.520 --> 00:29:12.760 Lord, 00:29:13.300 --> 00:29:14.280 as Jesus says, 00:29:14.360 --> 00:29:15.660 this will not end in death. 00:29:16.400 --> 00:29:17.700 We know that one day 00:29:17.700 --> 00:29:19.100 death will give way to life. 00:29:19.200 --> 00:29:19.940 Just as now, 00:29:20.300 --> 00:29:21.340 life gives way to death. 00:29:21.460 --> 00:29:21.920 One day, 00:29:22.259 --> 00:29:24.240 death will give way to life. 00:29:25.300 --> 00:29:26.940 That life is the final word. 00:29:28.200 --> 00:29:29.000 By your grace, 00:29:29.120 --> 00:29:30.240 may we be there 00:29:30.240 --> 00:29:31.600 to celebrate on that day. 00:29:32.480 --> 00:29:33.140 We pray this 00:29:33.140 --> 00:29:34.259 in your son's holy name. 00:29:34.460 --> 00:29:34.660 Amen. 00:29:35.100 --> 00:29:35.100 00:29:35.100 --> 00:29:35.100 00:29:35.100 --> 00:29:35.100 00:29:35.100 --> 00:29:35.100 00:29:35.100 --> 00:29:35.100 00:29:35.100 --> 00:29:35.100 00:29:35.100 --> 00:29:35.100 00:29:35.100 --> 00:29:35.100 00:29:35.100 --> 00:29:35.100 00:29:35.100 --> 00:29:35.100 00:29:35.100 --> 00:29:35.100 00:29:35.100 --> 00:29:35.100 00:29:35.100 --> 00:29:35.100 00:29:35.100 --> 00:29:35.100 00:29:35.100 --> 00:29:35.100 00:29:35.100 --> 00:29:35.100 00:29:35.100 --> 00:29:35.100 00:29:35.100 --> 00:29:35.100 00:29:35.100 --> 00:29:35.100 00:29:35.100 --> 00:29:35.100 00:29:35.100 --> 00:29:35.100 00:29:35.100 --> 00:29:35.100 00:29:35.100 --> 00:29:35.100 00:29:35.100 --> 00:29:35.100 00:29:35.100 --> 00:29:35.100 00:29:35.100 --> 00:29:35.100 00:29:35.100 --> 00:29:35.100 00:29:35.100 --> 00:29:35.100 00:29:35.100 --> 00:29:35.100 00:29:35.100 --> 00:29:35.100 00:29:35.100 --> 00:29:35.100 00:29:35.100 --> 00:29:35.100 00:29:35.100 --> 00:29:35.100 00:29:35.100 --> 00:29:35.100 00:29:35.100 --> 00:29:35.100 00:29:35.100 --> 00:29:35.100 00:29:35.100 --> 00:29:35.100 00:29:35.100 --> 00:29:35.100 00:29:35.100 --> 00:29:35.100 00:29:35.100 --> 00:29:35.100 00:29:35.100 --> 00:29:35.100 00:29:35.100 --> 00:29:35.100 00:29:35.100 --> 00:29:35.100 00:29:35.099 --> 00:30:05.079 Thank you.