"Jesus tells them to take away the stone, then he asks of them a further sign of faith. Do you believe that I can do it? Can you be with me as I do it? Step out. Make a bit of a fool of yourself, move away the stone. 'Untie him,' Jesus told them, 'and let him go free'(John 11:44). Notice what John may well be saying to the community. Though Jesus brings us to life, he needs us, the Body of Chris. He needs the community to unbind Lazarus. We now share in the power of resurrection. The eternal Christ says to the eternal Church: Unbind the suffering world and let it go free! That is the meaning of Church. It is our call, our burden, our task in human history. The risen Christ invites u on his path of liberation." (R. Rohr "Radical Grace" p. 149)
While I'm fairly familiar with the passage of the raising of Lazarus, I hadn't thought about the fact that there is within it an invitation for the church to finish the work.
Yes it is Jesus, through the power of God, that raised Lazarus, but he doesn't remove the grave clothes etc. The people standing there have to finish the work. Our shared mission is to live into the Isaiah commission.
Where do we encounter folks who are bound by circumstances that keep them from being fully human? What can people of faith do to be the hands and heart of Christ in our day?
Blessings,
Ed
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