HOMILY OF SUNDAY OF THE 5TH WEEK IN LENT
Ezekiel 37:12-14, Romans 8:8-11, John 11:1-45
THEME: DIVINE RESETTLEMENT
QUOTE: Breathing alone isn’t the only proof of being alive. To be alive is way beyond this state, it simply means to live in freedom.
Sin has removed man from his rightful place because as much as it displaces us from our proper position, it also slows our growth. When we lose our capacity to grow, we run the risk of dying. And since we cannot grow on a soil that is not fertile enough to support our growth, we need to long for our rightful space. The Israelites sang on their land of exile, “how can we sing the song of the Lord on an alien soil?” And the Lord said in our today’s first reading, “And you will know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and raise you from your graves, my people. And I shall put my spirit in you, and you will live, and I shall resettle you on your own soil; and you will know that I, the Lord, have said and done this.”
It is important we know that the loss of interest in spiritual matter is an easy road to death. When worldly desires occupy our minds, we may not know that death lies ahead. Another quick way to die is to neglect spiritual activities. In the second reading, Paul told the Romans,
“People who are interested only in non-spiritual things can never be pleasing to God.” He further says,
“Though your body may be dead it is because of sin, but if Christ is in you then your spirit is life itself because you have been justified; and if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, then he who raised Jesus from the dead will give life to your own mortal bodies through his Spirit living in you”.
We need to surround ourselves with people who can help keep our spiritual life active. Jesus, albeit made it clear to Martha in the gospel passage that, “I am the resurrection and the life. If anyone believes in me, even though he dies he will live, and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.”
The Lord raised Lazarus from the dead to show the world that he has power over all flesh. Nothing is impossible to him, and he can’t be too late when he steps into our situation. Notwithstanding that Lazarus had been in the tomb for four days, Jesus was not disturbed because he knew that his Father can never deny him any request. He brought Lazarus back to life and restored him back into the community.
Here is a serious point to note, after Jesus had raised Lazarus to life, something was demanded still. He needed people to untie him. And he said, “Unbind him, let him go free.”
Breathing alone isn’t the only proof of being alive. To be alive is way beyond this state. It simply means to live in freedom. The Lord said in Hosea 4:6, “My people are dying for lack of knowledge”. And the Lord Jesus said in the gospel of John 8:32 “And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” Let us feed on the word of God, go beyond our survival instinct and begin to live. We need the right knowledge to live a meaningful life. Since we live in a world where conflicting ideas fly around, it takes only people with discerning mind to know which message gives life and which leads to death.
May our encounter with Jesus rescue us from our sins. May his spirit give us life as testimonies of his life giving power in the world. Amen.
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