Today, we continue with having two choices of readings, given today. As when Candidates are present, a different set of readings are used. The readings when candidates are present, is the gospel of Lazarus, and his rising from the dead. And when Candidates are not present, the stoning of the adulturous woman is used.
I want to reflect first on the Gospel of Lazarus. All three of the readings, speak of death. But above all, the Gospel, when Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead, reveals who Jesus is.
Jesus, by raising Lazarus from the dead, shows his power, God's power, over life and even death. This shows us who Jesus is. More than that, it shows that Jesus, as he is God, is also fully human. Jesus expresses true human emotions. True emotions of sadness, a sense of deep loss because of his friend. Jesus reveals, more than that, a care that even God has for his children. Not only in his humanity, Jesus expresses that emotion is not an unneccesary part of human life.
And I would argue that this message is found in both gospels. That is, they both reveal who Jesus is. Jesus reveals, in the gospel of the adulterous woman, that he has the power to forgive. That he is the one who does not does not condemn. Above all, condemnation, does not come from sinful men, but from one higher. And the one who uses this power does not abuse it, but is merciful.
Jesus does not cast a stone at this woman, but rather he is merciful, and tells her to go, and more importantly not to sin.
The icon of the first gospel, of the rising of Lazarus, is one of my favorite icons. Lazarus comes out of the tomb, bound up. Jesus not only shows that life triumphs over death, but the binding of Lazarus, can also show us the binding effect of sin and death, present also in the gospel of the Adulterous woman. Jesus, in many ways, not only unbinds Lazarus physically, but unbinds the adulterous woman from her sin. He forgives her, and does not allow her to die, but to have another chance, to be a better person, and not merely to die physically because of her sin.
What we learn, is Jesus is all powerful, He has power over life and death. More than that, he also have the power to give us life, and more importantly, forgiveness.
In the ancient tradition of the church, this week would begin Passiontide, and is known as passion Sunday. In this time, the church's statuary and imagery, are covered. Passiontide to me serves as a reminder of where we are headed. We are heading towards the passion of Christ, a true time of sorrow before rejoicing. When the church will be marked with white, and everything will be uncovered. I believe this veiling delves us truly into this mystery, as the church is marked too in a Lenten fashion.
Who Jesus is, is important for this Lenten season, as we draw close to Holy Week, and it's start, Palm Sunday. Palm Sunday, mark's Jesus's entry into Jerusalem, and we will look at that next week. But we must ask ourselves as we draw close to this feast. Who do we see Jesus as? As he rides in next week on the donkey, who do we see him as? Do we see him as a merciful judge? One with power over life and death?
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