3 Commands Series

3 Commands

Scripture

John 11:1-45.

Reflection

Dear sisters and brothers,

Today’s gospel reading gives us three commands. These commands call us to understand the role of each one of us to experience the power of God in our lives.

They are: 1. Take away the stone, 2. Lazarus, come out, and 3. Untie him and let him go.

Let us look at them one by one.

1. Take away the stone

“Jesus said, ‘Roll away the stone.’… So they rolled away the stone” (John 11:39-41).

Whom did Jesus command to roll away the stone? It was people who were present with Jesus and who came with Mary to the tomb of Lazarus. Do we understand why Jesus should command people to roll away the stone? Humanly speaking, we really do not understand why he said this when he had the power and authority over everything on this earth. He would have just commanded the stone to roll away and it would have happened. But he did not. We witness more earnest and silent prayers with tears at those places.

Was the heavy work of rolling away the tombstone necessary? Rolling away the tombstone was a necessary one to experience the power and authority of God in and through Jesus. Unless we remove the stones that are blocking us from opening ourselves to God, we fail in our work. It may be our family problems, it may be our job issues, or it may be our financial crises. Was it needed to expose a stinking corpse? People knew that the corpse would stink after four days, but still, they went ahead and did what Jesus commanded them to do, to experience the heaviness of their hearts. We have to open our hearts to God and pour out what is hidden and stinking in us. Unless we open our hearts, it is difficult for us to experience the reality of our lives. It may make us uncomfortable but it will settle the unsettled.

It was an expression of their faith in Jesus and his power and authority. It was not an intellectual knowledge that made them roll away the stone. It was a practical agreement with him through hope, faith, and love.

2. Lazarus, come out

The second command of Jesus focused on the stinking corpse: “‘Lazarus, come out!’ and the dead man came out” (John 11: 43-44).

I was once in a hospital waiting to meet the doctor. There was an ambulance bringing a man (let us call him John for our narration) to the emergency. The attendents in the hospital carried him on a stretcher and asked a family member what his name was. One of the family members said that he was John. As John was taken inside, doctors declared that he was brought in dead. Now, the man called John was dead. Suddenly, the doctors and nurses called the attendents and instructed them to carry away the body. He was no more John. John was now a dead body.

But, notice how Jesus commanded: ‘Lazarus, come out!’ He called him by his name, Lazarus. Jesus changed the narrative of the common language, dead body, that was prevalent in society, used by people for a dead man or woman. Jesus considered that he was not dead. It was to give glory to God that the stinking dead bodywas brought forth to life. Soul may leave the body after three days, but God is in control of everything. Jesus’ command brought out the stinking dead body of Lazarus, that had no soul, out of the dark tomb even with his hands and feet tied up in bandages, and his face all wrapped up. It gives us a message that we can make a way out of our dark time and space. We need the presence of God and his words to have a new, abundant and eternal life.

3. Untie him and let him go

The third most important command is addressed to the people, “Unbind him, and let him go” (John 11:44).

Even though Lazarus could walk himself out of the tomb, there was no way he could unbind himself. He needed the community to do that for him. By unbinding Lazarus and setting him free from the death bands, the community accepted Lazarus back as one of them. The community intervention, involvement, and approval is needed to get rid of the bands that force us into loneliness, isolation, depression, and stress. Lazarus experienced freedom from the dead bands by the community that accepted and made him a part of them again. We all need the community and society where we can feel free to be what we are and where we are accepted. Jesus calls us out to belong to that human community, that human family of love, care, and support. There are many refugees, migrants, marginalised, downtrodden, poor, immigrants out there waiting to unbind them. The question is: are we ready to make them to feel that they belong to our loving human family where they are accepted and accommodated?

May the Heart of Jesus live in the hearts of all. Amen…