tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post2700888710147099652..comments2024-03-27T15:47:46.091-05:00Comments on Pastoral Meanderings: Lazarus rises so Jesus may die. . . Pastor Petershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10653554256101480140noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post-16127058763556375252023-03-27T12:03:53.820-05:002023-03-27T12:03:53.820-05:00Dear Pastor Peters: I have not met anyone who agre...Dear Pastor Peters: I have not met anyone who agrees with my view of the resurrection of Lazarus. Nevertheless, because truth is not a matter of majority vote, neither have I met anyone who can disprove my view based on Scripture.<br />Our Lord did not weep for what death had stolen. When the child of God does what we call “die”, nothing is stolen from it. Rather, it receives the inheritance, which it became entitled to, when our Lord died. Our entire faith points us to the future, when we will spend eternity in Paradise with our Lord.<br />This is what we are taught from the very beginning, when we learn about our faith. This is what Lazarus knew, and all of the people who mourned him knew. This is what we know and confess, until a person dies, and then we mourn because “death had stolen something.” Even His best friends could not believe that where Lazarus was after he “died”, was the greatest gift our Lord would earn for him with his life and suffering and death.<br />Our Lord was angry, He did not mourn. What is translated as “greatly disturbed in spirit”, literally refers to the “angry snorting of a horse.” Our Lord was angry; because all of the people, even His best friends, did not want the most precious gift our Lord offered them, the gift for which He would undergo mind bending pain. They preferred that their brother should return to this vale of tears.<br />He wept, because of this. He knew that in order to prove His words, John 11:25, “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in Me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die”, He would resurrect His friend Lazarus, even though that was a burden and a cross for Lazarus, and no reason for rejoicing.<br />Did our Lord want His Disciples to weep and mourn when He died? No, this is what He said in the night before His death: John 14:28, “If you loved Me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father …” Yes, the Gospel turns our world upside down. When we rejoice in this world, our Lord weeps, and when our Lord rejoices, we weep. Mea maxima culpa.<br />1 Corinthians 15, “54But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP in victory. 55“O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING?” 56The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; 57but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”<br />What we call mourning is actually feeling sorry for ourselves. We weep because of our feeling of loss, and that is understandable. Nevertheless, it is a selfish act, because there is no cause for mourning a Christian who has “fallen asleep.” That person is in everlasting bliss and happiness. Do we really want to take that from him?<br />Peace and Joy!<br />George A. Marquartgamarquarthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12732022122214378758noreply@blogger.com