Today we hear the story of raising Lazarus from the dead: “Roll away the stone; unbind him; and let him go.” This story is not simply about what Jesus once did, long ago, outside the village of Bethany. It is a revelation of who God is and how God acts. In this Gospel, Jesus does not explain death away; he is deeply moved, he comes to the tomb, and he weeps. But when he speaks, even what has been sealed, bound, and left for dead is summoned into life.
The Gospel leaves us with a question, not about Lazarus, but about ourselves. What wounds, sins, or failures have we shut away and learned to live with telling ourselves that’s just how things are? Have we buried ourselves in a tomb of selfishness, filled with negative feelings, such as, worry, fear, resentment, hatred or guilt? Have we lost hope? Today’s Gospel assures us that God’s word is still spoken in such places, and no stone is too heavy to roll aside, no loss too complete, no feelings too embedded, for the voice of Christ to reach. Lazarus, come out! This can be the beginning of a new life in us.