A message from Bishop Lane for the fifth Sunday in Lent

(Click HERE to watch the video)

Martha – You are the Messiah

In the Gospel of John, Jesus often seems to be floating serenely above the fray, somehow insulated from the fears and anxieties that plague his disciples.

But in the story of Mary and Martha and Lazarus, Jesus is anything, but serene. These three are dear friends and supporters, and he loves them. Lazarus’ plight moves Jesus to tears, and the language John uses to describe Jesus’ relationship with the three makes it clear that their bond is one of intimate affection. The intimacy described is that of a family.

So often, in the church, we talk about love as a decision, as a deliberate choice to love others as a reflection of the love of God for us. We love people not because they deserve our love or because we are friends, but because they, like us, are children of God for whom Christ died. We love them because God first loved us.

And that is important. Many of the world’s most difficult problems might well be resolved if we were able to see one another as persons deserving of love and respect.

However, most of our important relationships are more personal, more intimate. We love the close relationships with our friends in the fellowship that is our parish. We love our extended families and bare willing to put ourselves out for them.

What the story of Mary and Martha and Lazarus suggests to me is that Christian love is not reserved for our relationships with the world, but is meant for all our relationships, including our families. Those people know us best and may be the ones to encourage us to be our best selves. It’s interesting that Martha, who seemed to be chided for not sitting at Jesus’ feet, is the one who confesses him as the Messiah. Scholars of the Gospel of John have noted that after this encounter with Lazarus and his sisters, Jesus seems much more relational, more human in the Gospel.

Sometimes it’s within our households with those we love most that we have the most difficulty talking about faith. But we should have no difficulty showing those folks what the love of God means. Families are sometimes torn with conflict, and even there the willingness to love and forgive can give evidence of the faith that is within us.

“See how Jesus loved him,” the onlookers said. May the same be said about us.

God bless you.

+Steve