8 September 2010
Psalm 119:49-72; Job 29:1, 30:1-2, 16-31; Acts 14:19-28; John 11:1-16

Yesterday Job longingly reflected on the good old days and now he says there is a 180 degree turn in his circumstances and God shows him no mercy. At some level he is saying he is a better man than God for he, Job, cried for those in misery and had pity on them, but no one, not his friends, not God, has any pity for him. He knows God is sovereign, able to do anything He chooses, but He is also eternal while Job only has this one life and it has become bitter to the point he no longer values it at all. (Just a reminder, Jesus’ incarnation and His suffering as an innocent man on our behalf will not allow us to reflect on these things as Job does. Jesus shows us how to live our one earthly life in spite of pain and injustice.)

There are many layers to the Gospel reading. Mary and Martha’s appeal to Jesus is based on His love for their brother and then we are told that indeed he loved this whole family “so” he didn’t go to them. Jesus immediately knows the situation to be that Lazarus is dead but uses the word “sleep” to describe the situation and then says “Let’s go” after everyone knows Lazarus is dead. The disciples recall that last visit to Jerusalem and now want no part in going back near the city. This is the climactic moment in the earthly life of Jesus, the most dramatic revelation of His identity. Surely, after death, particularly after several days, nothing can be done, so why take the risk of going back there other than to comfort the family? Jesus, however, says this is for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified through it. What could He mean by that?

What a roller-coaster ride Paul’s life was! In the passage before, in this same city of Lystra, the people had been prepared to offer sacrifice to the apostles and to affirm that they were gods and now they are stoned and taken out for dead. The disciples gathered around him and he was restored to health enough to go back to the city. In all things, Paul continued his mission of preaching the Gospel. He never worried about the consequences, he was simply faithful to the mission he had been given, ever willing to rejoice over the work that God was doing. In the light of the suffering, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus, Paul knew what it meant to live in suffering for the glory of God. He knew that his life had meaning that went beyond the enjoyment of life itself, the meaning and purpose of his life was bound up in the proclamation of the Gospel. He knew that the writer of Ecclesiastes was right, everything under the sun is vanity but that does not mean that life is meaningless.

Remember your word to your servant,
in which you have made me hope.
This is my comfort in my affliction,
that your promise gives me life.