The Lazarus Dilemma

 

We all know the Lazarus story... Jesus shows up four days after Lazarus' death, a day after the soul leaves the body, has the stone rolled away from the tomb entrance ('Oh, this isn't gonna be fun,' says Martha), shouts 'Lazarus, come forth!', and out hops Lazarus, still wrapped in his burial cloth.

We see it from outside the tomb.

But what was it like for Lazarus, to hear that joyous ringing voice and the stone grinding open to admit the bright sunlight?

Was he afraid that if he moved, got up, it would all have been some kind of cruel joke, and the darkness would close in again, made all the worse by hope seemingly offered, then dashed?

Did it seem too good to be true?

He had to make the choice to step out in faith (and blindly, since his head was wrapped).

Is Jesus calling you from your tomb? Is He standing there, calling you from sin and fear and despair? Is He calling you to another road, another world, one you can scarce believe exists?

Don't let 'too good to be true' hold you back.

Come forth!

She met Him on the road ahead,

and said, 'The news ain't great;

our brother Laz is buried, dead,

and why were You so late?

Three days past, his soul is gone

(and what, Lord, were you thinking?).

He is lost to us this dawn,

fed to worms and stinking.'

And Jesus wept, not for His mate,

but for Martha's sorrow,

for He knew that Laz's fate

was to be around tomorrow,

and so the drear and hungry earth

would lose its prey at 'Laz, come forth!'

The Five Minute Friday prompt this week is CLARIFY.

Some might find me rather odd,

and might say I'm a nutter,

but I think you will be awed

by praise of clarified butter.

What would movie date night be

without popcorn so garnished?

And sports on your big-screen TV

will remain untarnished

with the clear and golden blessing

slathered to corn on the cob,

and I must right now be confessing

that I would gladly rob

the Pope (a Catholic I've become)

from his hot and buttered rum.

Three minutes and a bit. That's disconcerting.

Music from Soundgarden, with Live To Rise

Sylvia thinks it helped that Jesus was holding an ice cream cone.