Lazarus and the Year of Mercy

St. Paul, in his letter to the Romans, tells us that the wage of sin is death (Romans 6:23). Last month, on March 13, we had a reading from Matthew’s Gospel in which we learn that Jesus’ friend, Lazarus, has died. It’s been on my mind ever since.

Before we look at Lazarus’ miraculous resurrection, however, I would like to recall a few words that Jesus said to Peter:

And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven, (Mt. 16:18-19).

Now, back to Lazarus. Jesus uses this as He often does, as a teachable moment:

Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. [But] even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise.” Martha said to him, “I know he will rise, in the resurrection on the last day.” Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” She said to him, “Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world.”

…Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the dead man’s sister, said to him, “Lord, by now there will be a stench; he has been dead for four days.” Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believe you will see the glory of God?” So they took away the stone. And Jesus raised his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you for hearing me. I know that you always hear me; but because of the crowd here I have said this, that they may believe that you sent me.” And when he had said this, he cried out in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, tied hand and foot with burial bands, and his face was wrapped in a cloth. So Jesus said to them, “Untie him and let him go,” (JN 11:21-27, 39-44 NAB).

For mankind there is perhaps no greater unknown, no greater thing to fear than the darkness of death. Martha grasps that Jesus is Lord and the Son of God. She understands that there is to be a “resurrection on the last day,” but here, finally, we see the fullness of the Lord’s power over life and death. Much like Lazarus, all mankind was dead due sin. Yet, the Lord came as light to scatter the darkness (John 1:5). Even as we read the words of Jesus, “Lazarus, come out,” we should read them as Jesus calling to us, calling each of us by name, and seek to follow Lazarus’ example. Lazarus heard the voice of the Lord and through grace was transformed from death to life. Lazarus was called and though he was bound hand and foot and his eyes covered, he made his way to the Lord. It can’t have been easy, but he did it. How terrified he must have been by the darkness? But the voice of Lord reached through it to Lazarus!

Lazarus hobbles into the light and the Lord’s first words, His very first words, “Untie him and let him go.” Lazarus, once bound by death is untied! Ah, blessed absolution! Here is the foundation, the visible manifestation of the task given to Peter (see above) and the disciples after the Lord’s Passion and Resurrection, “Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained,” (JN 20:23). When we follow the example of Lazarus, though we are dead, if we respond in faith to the Lord’s call, we will rise and leave the darkness behind. The sins that once bound us to death will be untied!

Sin is so easy to hang on to for such a multitude of reasons: we know we’ll do it again, we’re too embarrassed to confess what we’ve done, we’re so busy that making it to Confession seems impossible, and sometimes we simply don’t believe we deserve forgiveness. In the end, though, these are just excuses the Devil whispers in our ear. In this Year of Mercy, I implore you to follow the example of Lazarus and walk out into the light for you too have been called by name, (John 10:1-21). Make a point of finding your way to Confession so as to be free of the sins that currently bind you. Mercy is a gift, but we must accept it.