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Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Family Ties
Psalm 133; John 11:1-6, 17, 32-36
"Look how beautiful it is," says the psalm, "when kindred live together in unity."
Anyone who's grown up in a good sized family knows that ain't always the case, either. "Mom, he hit me!" "If you don't stop that right now, I'm gonna stop this car and...." And don't forget the legendary Hatfields and McCoys, whose only unity seems to have been hating the other family for who knew what reason after a couple generations of feuding.
"Look," say the mourners at Lazarus's graveside, "see how much Jesus loved him."
Lazarus and his two sisters were like family to Jesus. Their home two miles outside Jerusalem seems to have been his usual hostel when he came to the holy city for one or another piece of Messiah business.
John 11 tells the story of Lazarus dying while Jesus cools his heels a day's journey away -- for two whole days as Lazarus's sickness gets worse and worse. When he finally does show up with his disciples in tow, each sister comes out of the house to ask him why in God's name he hadn't come sooner. "My brother would still be alive if only you'd been here," they say with one voice.
Jesus sees Mary start to cry. Then he sees the friends and neighbors do the same. And then, says John in the Bible's shortest verse, "Jesus wept."
[When I was about eight years old I was so encouraged to find out Jesus actually cried. It meant I could stop trying to be big and strong, too, and it was okay sometimes to just let go when I was afraid, sad, weak, or when -- on a rare occasion -- my big brother punched me.]
And then Jesus raised Brother Lazarus from the dead! Just like that.
Hugs and kisses followed, and not a little cheering I'll bet. Martha set a table and cooked up a mini-banquet to celebrate. And just imagine the table talk over that delightful dinner.
I preached this message on the Sunday our national Presbyterian church was beginning its General Assembly with a glorious worship meeting in San Jose, just 40 miles down the freeway from our church. Commissioners from all across America are working together there this week, trying to live up to the church's calling to be God's eyes and ears and hands and voice in the world all these centuries since Jesus walked the earth.
We Presbys disagree on many issues great and small, the stuff of banner headlines and some things nobody but us even knows about, let alone worries over. But we believe God has put us together in one big family of faith, for some good reason we can't help searching after with open hearts and open minds.
I'm going to spend the day at the GA tomorrow (Wednesday 6/25), watching and listening to the official proceedings, checking out the exhibits, networking with old familiar friends and hopefully some new ones. And I'll make a bee-line to greet Bruce Reyes-Chow, Pastor of San Francisco's Mission Bay Community Church and newly elected Moderator of the General Assembly. Bruce is an Internet shaman of sorts, blogging his way all over the digital map. And inspiring guys like me to keep on tapping this keyboard to my heart's content, hoping against hope I've got something good to say and I'll find some good way to say it.
God bless Brother Bruce!
Listen to the GODcast!
posted by Jack Buckley at
3:17 PM
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