Sermon – November 5, 2006 - All Saints Sunday: By Sylvia Weston
John 11: 32- 44 Isaiah 25:6-9 Revelation 21: 1-6a
Prayer – Mountain top Experience
Mary, grieved because her brother died. Her conviction: “If Jesus were here” all would be well. There would be no need to mourn. Mary experienced Jesus as LIFE itself. How did that experience come about? Before Lazarus’ death, Mary sat at the feet of Jesus, listening, learning of him and staying in his presence. Mary sat in the presence of life. That is Prayer. Prayer transforms, fashions and builds us. Prayer can take us to mountain top experiences, where we, like the saints, can behold the face of God.
To be in the presence of Jesus, the Christ, is to be in conversation with God. Mary, along with Martha, and their conviction that Jesus can make things new, sent a message. Come quickly, Lazarus is dead. It took a while for Jesus to get there. Why – I don’t know – only Jesus knows. Don’t we experience that delay in our lives, sometimes. We want to fix things now. Come now – save me now. Sometimes, scripture tells us to wait patiently. God will come. Yes, at times when we least expect. He comes to us in prayer in the power of the Spirit. Isaiah, the prophet of Hope says “This is our God and we have waited for him. We have waited for him and He will save us.” Many other scripture points us to the importance of patience. It is easier said than done. It is also painful to “wait patiently” when your whole world is falling apart; when so much pain, trouble and injustice exists in life. We are asked to come to God, wait, to believe and trust.
It took a while, but Jesus came. He came because he cared about his friends. He came because he loved them. And he wept and mourned for Lazarus. Jesus felt the community’s pain. In Hebrews 5: 7 we read that “Jesus, as High Priest, offered up Prayers and Supplications with strong crying and tears to God.” Yes, Jesus weeps for us too! He felt Mary’s pain and he prayed to God for help. He knows our pain as well today.
There were those in the village who were hovering around the periphery of faith. Reflecting on the reading last Sunday, Jesus healed Bartemaeus, and gave him new sight. So the on-lookers commented: He has already given sight to the blind. Couldn’t he have prevented this death? Mary knew he could, if only he were here. Puzzled, questions, doubts and concerns. Similar to our experiences; they are on the brink of belief, but not quite fully.
With authority Jesus commands: ‘Take Away the Stone!” As fear and doubt arise in Martha, she argues why the stone should not be removed. Jesus tells Martha. “Didn’t I tell you that if you believe, you will see the GLORY of God! Mysterious conversation between all the actors in this drama turns into a miraculous event. Prayer – an important stage on our journey. We who desire to know you more come to you, Jesus, in prayer. Hear us. We need HELP Lord!
And so Jesus, acts: He too prays: Look at how he begins his prayer. Usually in prayer I think – first comes Petition, Supplication, Praise and Thanksgiving. Jesus begins his prayer with the THANKSGIVING! Amazing, even in the midst of the most difficult situation…Jesus starts by thanking God! Yes, because we know that God hears us, and always does. We are taught to be patient, to be still. He hears and he answers.
“Father, I thank you that you hear me. And I know that you always hear me. I have said this for the sake of the crowd, so that they may believe that you sent me.” (John 11: 41-42)
Jesus reminded Martha of the importance of belief. Faith in God produces the Glory of God. Scripture tells us “Whatsoever you ask the Father, in my name, will be granted.”
“What is it you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked Bartemaeus’ in last week’s Gospel.. Bartemaeus replied: Lord that I may see again.
For Mary and Martha, they wanted to have their brother with them. In certain situations, It needs not only the individual faith, it needs the community of faith to believe as well.
After prayer, Jesus pronounces new life, new birth to his friend. Jesus called him by name: “Lazarus come forth!” Place yourself at the scene. Bound by all the entrapments of grave clothing, Lazarus heard the voice of Jesus and responded. I hear someone calling my name. I believe he recognized the voice. He got up! What a miracle! But wait, it is not done: Another command must be made by Jesus: LOOSE HIM and LET HIM GO! Free at last from death, by Jesus’ proclamation, God’s glory is revealed at that moment in time. The eyes of all present in Bethany saw the Glory of God! This is resurrection power. When we pray, when we take all our trials, and pain and disappointments to God in prayer, marvelous things happen. I know, it is not easy; the pain is too great and it produces tears, doubt and fear. Go to God in prayer. Be patient, trust God and believe.
Lazarus reaches the pinnacle of life. Drawn by Jesus to the mountain top, Lazarus, his sisters, and his community feast in resurrection power. They join with Isaiah the prophet of Hope to experience:
“On this mountain, the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wines, of rich food filled with marrow, of well-aged wines strained clear. And He will destroy on this mountain the shroud that is cast over all peoples, the sheet that is spread over all nations. Then the Lord GOD will wipe away the tears from all faces and the disgrace of his people he will take away.” Why?
“For the Lord has Spoken. This is our God, we have waited for him, so that he might save us. This is the Lord for whom we have waited; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.” (Isaiah 25: 6 –9)
In John, the book of “The I AM” - Jesus, who says I AM RESURRECTION, I AM LIFE. I AM THE BREAD of LIFE, Jesus the healer, the Comforter,the Doctor says: “TAKE AWAY THE STONE” UNBIND HIM/HER and let him/her GO”
Isaiah 25: 7 “And he will destroy on this mountain the shroud that is cast over all people, the sheet that is spread over all nations; he will swallow up death forever.” Jesus took off the shroud from Lazarus. Jesus took off the covering from his face… “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you,” says scripture. When we carry on in our Prayer life. God removes the cloth/the veil from our faces. He takes away all the bindings, all the trappings, as he did on that first resurrection day in Bethany. He fills our souls with the light of his presence. He sets us free and we behold God’s glory.
Even though this spiritual battle is tough, he places in our souls a hope (desire and expectation) a rest, a joy, a peace and a love that no one can take away! Remember the Transfiguration, when Jesus, Moses, and Elijah met on the mountain, and some of the disciples beheld God’s glory. Challenges come after our mountain-top experiences. (Remember Jesus’ wilderness experience, another point through our journey of the Gospel. Jesus conquered and remained faithful to the relationship with his Father.) Jesus gives us the power and authority through Baptism. In our Baptism, He gives us a new name. We will baptize Grace Elizabeth today when she will be given a new name. We are daughters and sons of God, and as such we can approach the throne of God in prayer and be given the power of faith to believe and to trust that God is able.
Marvellous things happened on that day in Bethany. Lazarus and his community witnessed a NEW thing. Marvellous things will happen in our prayer life as we go to God in Prayer; as we continue on our journey of faith to God’s mountain. Psalm 24 relates the “Blesings” that “the company of those who seek the face of the God of Jacob” receive. Claim your blessings in prayer.
In Revelation John in his vision at Patmos recounts what he saw and what he heard: of the New things that happen in his vision of God. “I saw a new heaven and a new earth. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying:
“ See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them as their God; they will all be his peoples, and God himself will be with them. See I am making all things new… These words are trustworthy and true.”
“God has spoken: It is Done: Roll Away the Stone….Loose Him and Let Him GO” God still works in our lives today as he did in the time of the prophets, the times of the Saints who have gone before us: Lazarus, Mary, Martha and her community. I encourage you to go to God in prayer for any and all situations. “If you were here, says Mary.”. Meet Jesus there…Come, feast at the altar, on God’s mountain top ,on Jesus the I AM! The Bread, Life, well-aged, yet new wine. Let this be the day that NEW things happen in your life..
Song: “Sweet Hour of Prayer, Sweet Hour of Prayer
That calls me from a world of care
And bids me at my Father’s throne
Make all my wants and wishes known
Sweet Hour of Prayer, Sweet Hour of Prayer
May I Thy consolation share
As from Mt. Pisgah’s lofty height
I view my home and take my flight.
This robe of flesh I’ll drop and rise
To seize the everlasting prize
And shout while passing through the air
Farewell – Farewell, Sweet Hour of Prayer.”