I hope that you are all managing to keep well during these troubled and scary times. I know that it isn’t easy for those of us who are self- isolating; it can be boring for all of us, but for those who are living alone it can be extra lonesome.
If we were still able to attend church, we would have been travelling the Lenten journey just now – a time which helps us to understand that although Jesus had his friends around him, he too was at times alone, and knowing that he was going to be betrayed by one of his friends, knew that he probably only had a week to live.
In today’s gospel reading (John 11. 1-45) we would have heard the story about Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead.
Jesus weeps in this gospel. He is a respected teacher on top of which he is God’s Son, but the pain he feels is real as he sees the people he is closest to begin to turn away from him to look at him with disappointment in their eyes believing that he had failed them. But he will not spare himself from this pain. It’s so easy to miss out that bit of the Lent journey from Palm Sunday where everything is hosannas and palm waving and cheering crowds to the ugliness of Jesus’ betrayal, the farce of a trial, the scourging and the crucifixion to the joy of Easter Day – but to do so is to miss the impact of what Jesus did for us.
The disciples were scared for themselves and they ran away and hid. Still Jesus loved them. One or two disciples and the women stayed the course all the way to the Cross and the tomb. Jesus loved them too.
Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead was a gift to Lazarus and his sisters. Now he is going to face the same thing himself, but the stakes are much higher, and the pain will be more excruciating. Jesus lived and died for each one of us, and on him alone we can depend.
When this pandemic gets worse, as we are told it might, please remember that the Lord is at hand always ready to hear your prayers and please remember too that you can always lean on him at any time, because Jesus loves us too.
Keep safe and well I pray that we will all be able to get back to church soon.
God bless you all.
Alistair
