Jesus wept…and then something miraculous happened.

This is a long gospel lesson today. It’s a long story, but it’s an important one. It’s especially important for you and me today, as the coronavirus expands its grasp of our nation and the world.

There are a few things I want to share with you about this lesson.

First. Jesus is full of compassion. He wept for, and with, his friends. I do not believe, as some have suggested, that the coronavirus is a scourge from God. I believe Jesus weeps at the suffering and death that goes along with this pandemic. God did not cause this, but God walks with us through these days, and will see us through. He will not leave us; he will not abandon us. He loves us. When we hurt, he hurts.

Second, Jesus is the Messiah. Jesus lived and died and rose again that we might have everlasting life. He said it quite plainly, and he lived up to it. We can trust him. We know he loves us. And we know that there is more than we see right here and now. He truly is the resurrection and the life, and we know that.

Third. Jesus could’ve basked in the glory; he could have untied Lazarus himself, and let everybody celebrate that he was the one who performed this miracle. He could’ve extended that moment.

But what did he do? He told the others to unbind him. He invited others into that miracle, into that process into what was going on.

You see the incredible part of the story is not only was Lazarus unwrapped, but so are we.

And in being invited to unwrap Lazarus, we are invited to play a part in the lives of those around us. We are invited to take a more active role in the lives of our family members, bringing them closer to the power of Jesus by the way we live, the way we act, share, and how we sacrifice our lives in humble acts of service for those we love… for those that God loves

We all have a part to play and our invitation is contained in Jesus words, “Unbind him, and let him go.” It’s our calling to be Jesus’ disciples in the world.

What happens when we take the grave clothes off? What new possibilities, new ministries, new beginnings are ahead of us?