A reflection for the Fifth Sunday of Lent

Ever have a bad day? Feel misunderstood, your intentions misinterpreted, your words twisted? Might Jesus have had a comparable experience in his lifetime? If he was “true man” as well as “true God”, that certainly seems likely, at least once. Today’s gospel account reveals one misunderstanding after another, on the part of Jesus’ closest followers and friends.

Jesus himself seems to add to the confusion, saying that Lazarus’ illness was “not to end in death”, but was intended “for the glory of God” – and yet a few sentences later he says plainly, “Lazarus has died.” When he and his apostles arrive at the tomb, they do in fact find that Lazarus has been buried for four days. Encountering Lazarus’ sisters, it all becomes overwhelming – all that weeping – and Jesus himself is “perturbed” – definitely a bad day by anyone’s definition!

Jesus wept and then acted, ordering the stone in the doorway to be removed. Did Jesus know what he was going to do next?  We will all meet in heaven, I guess, and form a committee to ask him that (and many other) questions. We’ve all had to wait for the Spirit to move us, now and again, to direct our action.  So did Jesus, praying aloud to his Father, then calling to the shrouded Lazarus to come out – which he promptly did.

There is no script for some scenes in our lives; no way to know ahead of time what we are to say or do to meet the moment when that moment comes. If living has taught us that we will be given (by the Spirit) what is appropriate, we can trust the inspiration will come. What we say or do may not be as poetic or fitting as we might like, but we can trust it will suffice – the Spirit will move us and that will be enough.