Sermons for the Month

In Life…In Death…HOPE
DATE: November 5th, 2006
SERVICE: All Saints' Sunday
TEXT: Isaiah 25:6-9 and John 11:32-44

“To all of you Saints here this morning, grace and peace to you from God our Father, from His Son, Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit. AMEN

Who, or what, is your enemy? Turn on the television these days and the candidate you are watching is thrilled to help you discern the enemy, and it just happens to be his or her opponent. That's a tempting way to define an enemy, as a person or a group of people, and what they do or the point of view they represent.

It also feels good to personify evil and call it Satan, or the Devil, and then to focus on it as "the enemy". But what if it is not that easy or clear-cut? So I'll ask my initial question again. Who, or what, is your enemy? Who, or what, is injurious or harmful to you?

Could an enemy be an addiction or an obsession or any other illness? Could it be poverty, or wealth? What about loneliness or one's self-concept? Might an enemy be hatred, prejudice, fear, self-righteousness, guilt, greed, bitterness, jealousy and all the destruction that they produce. The list could go on and on.

Or, what about sin and death, and the power they have over us. Aren't they our greatest enemies?

Now, let's imagine that whatever our enemy is, we are delivered from it. Human despair is lifted. Illness is no more, greed does not exist, there is no such thing as prejudice and no one is ever lonely. The gulf between people and God is closed and forgiveness flourishes. Death loses its power. What would that look like? Would there be reason to celebrate?

That's just what the Prophet Isaiah is describing in today's first lesson; it's a party like none other, a time of fellowship, feasting and great joy for ALL people. Those who first heard these words would have been amazed by them, even more than is the case for us. That's because the idea of a gathering everyone, not just the people of Israel, was radical, and the concepts of death being defeated, of no more dying and of resurrection were novel.

How could this be? Can you imagine it? To make the vision more accessible the Prophet offers an image almost everyone can grasp - a feast of rich food and well-aged wines. So, people can tap into this vision by imagining what would be on the table at their feast.

There would be fresh flowers on mine, delicate china and crystal, and linen napkins. It's too overwhelming to think of all the food that might grace that table, but certainly there would be mashed potatoes with butter (no gravy), my Aunt Ruth's fried chicken (only hers', not anyone else's), tomatoes fresh from the garden, wheat yeast rolls warm from the oven and lots of vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce. Oh, and there also would be an abundance of Diet Cherry Pepsi.

As great as that would be, though, the feast would be secondary to what else is happening. The shroud - a cloth used to wrap one who has died, that which represents death - is cast off. It's not needed for there is no more death. Tears dry up. Disgrace fades. Human despair is lifted. All are confirmed as God's chosen ones and gladness prevails.

How does that sound? Isn't it wonderful? No doubt people in Jesus' day, who read these very same words, thought so too. This vision of Isaiah was in their minds, a part of their religious heritage. Can you imagine, then, what it would have been like to literally see the shroud cast off? Let me quote from today's Gospel lesson. "The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, 'Unbind him, and let him go.'"

The story is of Lazarus. Like Psalm 46 from last week, it's on the list of favorites in the front of my Bible. We did not read the entire story today; it's about two sisters, Mary and Martha, and their brother Lazarus who are friends of Jesus. When Lazarus becomes gravely ill, the sisters sent a message to Jesus asking for his help. He purposely delays his arrival, so that when he finally shows up Lazarus is the tomb. This is after he has explained to his disciples that he knows his friend has died. "Lazarus is dead," he says, "For your sake I am glad that I was not there so that you may believe."

The situation is made more intense because he's been in the tomb for four days. The belief was that the soul remained in the vicinity of the body for three days, but on the fourth day it departed. In other words, in their minds there is no possibility of the soul rejoining the body. It's hopeless.

The sisters are confused by their Lord's late arrival, but they strive to remain faithful. Martha even affirms her belief in Jesus after his proclamation, "I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and whoever lives and believes in me will never die."

It's an emotion-filled moment in time. Jesus loves these people; he is disturbed to see their grief, and he knows that what he is about to do will put the steps in motion that result in his own arrest, torture and death. As they stand before the tomb Martha is concerned about the stench of death; after all the body has been there for four day. Jesus reminds her that if she will just believe, she will witness the glory of God. He prays. I imagine that he raises his arms. He cries out, "Lazarus, come out!" And he does; it's an image that teeters between horror and wonder.

The message is loud and clear; as the shroud is removed from Lazarus those watching in awe may have even thought of the Prophet's words, "And he will destroy on this mountain the shroud that is cast over all people…he will swallow up death forever." Then he goes to the cross to make that happen.

In short, the enemies we cannot battle, sin and death, are defeated by Jesus. Lazarus died again, but Jesus did not. Once resurrected he lives forever, and because of that we who are recipients of his forgiving grace live on in eternity. And, one day, Jesus will return. The dead in Christ will be raised. The Kingdom of God will fully arrive and the banquet will begin.

In the meantime, though, God's reign has begun on earth. Just think; if our greatest enemies - sin and death - are defeated then we certainly are empowered to deal with the other enemies too. By the power of God we can let go of obsession, replace bitterness with forgiveness and jealousy with self-acceptance. Our personal enemies can be defeated and human despair can be lifted.

If Jesus can address the hopeless situation of a man who has been in the tomb for four days, then certainly he can help us in our struggles. In other words, my friends, in life and in death there is always HOPE.

AMEN

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