5th Sunday of Lent Year A
FIRST READING
Ezekiel 37:12-14
SECOND READING
Romans 8:8-11
GOSPEL
John 11:1-45
THEME: GOD CAN RAISE OUR DEAD
SITUATIONS TO LIFE AGAIN.
My fellow Christians, we are
drawing closer to the great event of our salvation, which is Easter. Today’s
readings are telling us also like that of last week how God can bring out
fortunes from our misfortunes. In the first reading today, the prophet Ezekiel
is giving us hope that our dry bones will rise again. And the second reading is
trying to make us understand that, it is only through living in the spirit that
our dry bones will rise again. The Gospel makes it clearer that if we are
living our lives in spirit, Jesus will cry to his father in our own dead
situations like he cried for his friend Lazarus who was dead.
The first reading is trying to
show us that, in every situation we find ourselves, we should not lose hope.
Those bones were dead and no person thought that anything can make them alive
again. You may be in a terrible situation, you and people may be thinking that
you cannot come out of it again. That your own is gone but, look at what
happened in the first reading. God just decided to remember those dead and
dried bones. In the Gospel, we can see the risk Jesus had to undergo because of
his friend Lazarus. The Jews have been looking for any way possible to kill
Jesus for they did not recognize him as the Messiah. When he told his disciples
that he was going back to those people who want to kill him, they were
surprised. He did it because of love.
There are three reasons why Jesus
decided to take the risk. One, for the love he has for his friend Lazarus. Two
to show us that God can change any situation. And thirdly, to give the Jews
chance again to recognize him as the Messiah. Coming to the first reason, the
love Jesus has for those who are his friends cannot be measured. Christ can do
anything for the person he loves. He had to travel back to Bethany just because
of the love he has for Lazarus. Christ can go extra miles to see that his loved
ones are satisfied. Jesus is the only business that we can do on this earth
that will never fail us. The only thing it takes is love in return for love.
Love of him and love of our neighbours. The only way we can become friends of
Jesus is through love. There is no other greater commandment than love. One who
loves God will obey his commands. If we love God with all our hearts, with all
our minds, with all our souls and with all our bodies, we will not think of
taking other gods as our God, we will not conceive in our minds using the name
if God in vain. Think of when a man is in love with a particular girl, whenever
you want to join your ancestors, then joke with the girl before her boyfriend,
talk more of the boy joking with his girlfriend. If we truly love God, we will
not be waiting for anyone to remind us that we should respect the day of the
Lord. Coming to human side. Any child that loves his/her parents can never
disrespect them, even when they offend him/her, it will be taken as training.
Killing or murder cannot exist where there is love. In summary, murder, stealing,
false witness, letting yourself to be lustful after your neighbours wife and
coveting your neighbours house, his farm, his cattle and anything that is his
can only be found in a place where love is lacking. All these can never exist
where there is love. Jesus loves us so much that whenever we go to him, he
welcomes us.
The second reason is to show us
what God can do. No person on earth can make dry bones to gain life again
except God. It is only God that can raise someone who has stayed four days in
the tomb from death. No human being can do that. Jesus has been showing us what
God can do in our lives but sometimes we do like the Pharisees and the Jews who
were still asking for signs while Jesus has done many signs among them. We
should notice the work of God in our lives.
The last reason is still
connected to the first reason, giving the Jews another chance to see if they
will recognize him as the Messiah. Jesus gives us many chances to see if we can
recognize him in our lives, in our neighbours and in all his sacraments, but
sometimes we choose to follow other ways. He is offering us chances again to
come to him. This Lenten season and Easter period should be the best time we
accept him so that he will raise our dead situations to life again on his own
resurrection day. He can do all things. He calls us back to himself. In
Zachariah 1:3, Therefore say to them, thus declares the Lord of hosts. Return
to me says the Lord........ In Jeremiah 4:1 If you put your detestable idols
out of my sight and no longer go astray, and return to me........... In many
other places in the Bible God made the statements of returning to him. Jeremiah
30:22, Joel 2:12 and others. Mary and Martha recognized him as the Messiah and
he immediately wake their brother from death.
Once we show our God and our
neighbour love, recognize what God can do and believe that Christ in the
Eucharist is our Messiah, he will show us who he is. He will raise every dead
situations in us and give us life in full. (John 10:10b). THANKS AND HAPPY
SUNDAY
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Good work. Thanks for writing.
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