psalm100

Hi, my name is Mary, soon my sister, Martha, and my brother Lazarus will be home for lunch.  I always have to fix lunch.  Martha can't even light the fire, let alone try to cook anything.  But what can I say? I love to cook.  To smell the spices as they simmer over the stove.  And Lazarus... well, he's been so sick lately that I wouldn't want to ask him to do anything.  He insists though, on doing the hard chores.  He chopped wood all afternoon yesterday.  All that work made him sick all night last night.  Then he insisted on going to the temple first thing this morning.  I don't know what drives him so hard.  I worry about him so much.  He is my big brother, but since our parents have passed, he feels so responsible to take care of his sisters, even though Martha is older than He is.

Oh, did you hear that?  Who's making all that racket out there?  Let me get this door open and see what is going on.  Oh, Lazarus!  Martha, get him in here!  I'll get some water.  Lazarus, lie down and let Martha get that coat off you.  You shouldn't be wearing it anyway!  It is too warm for that!  No, Lazarus, you must have a fever.  It isn't cold out at all!  Jesus?  No, he isn't here.  He is way over in Capernaum I think.  At least that what they said at the market place yesterday.  Yes, we will send word to him that you want to see him.  He told you he would be back here soon; can't you just wait till then? 

Hello again.  Lazarus is still sick.  Did you see my sister when you were walking up the hill?  Oh, there she is. 

Martha!  Go get the doctor!  Lazarus is getting worse.  He hasn't eaten in days, and he keeps talking in his sleep.  I can't wake him up and I'm very worried about him. 

I sure wish Jesus were here.  He'd know what to do.  He is so wise.  And I've seen him heal people. And I know he loves Lazarus as much as Lazarus loves him. 

Martha?  What's the matter?  Why is the doctor leaving?  What?  No!  He can't be dead!  Jesus will be here to heal him any day now, Lazarus can't be dead. 

I'm sorry I haven't been able to talk to you in the last few days.  We've been trying to take care of the funeral arrangements.  Thank you for coming to the funeral.  We've done what we could with Lazarus' body.  It is such a sad honor to prepare the body of someone you love, you know what I mean?  Of course you do. 

Will you look who's here!  Martha!  He finally showed up!  It's Jesus!  No, Martha!  You mustn't be angry with him.  He got here as soon as he could, I'm sure.  Oh, listen to her!  She is just letting out all her anger and sadness on him!  But I guess maybe she is right.  If Jesus had come when we sent for him, he could have healed Lazarus, but now it is too late. 

Did you hear that?  Of course Lazarus will be resurrected, when we all are!  But poor Martha, she feels so responsible now.  She feels like she should have taken better care of Lazarus.  What, Jesus?  Oh, no.  You don't want to go in there, he's been dead for four days now, and surely it smells something terrible!  If you could have gotten here sooner, you could have seen him before we put him in the grave.  Well, ok, if you must go, we will wait for you.

Why is he calling Lazarus' name?  Poor Jesus.  He must be overcome with sadness; he has shouted his name three times.  What?  Come here?  I'm not going in there!  Lazarus?  Come here?  What is he doing? 

Oh my!  What is that?  Oh!  Look at that!  It's... It's... Lazarus?  But... How... What... 

Oh my!  Did I fall asleep?  I had such a dream... Lazarus was alive and... Lazarus?  Lazarus!  You're alive!  Jesus did it?  No, I didn't understand what he meant by saying that he was the resurrection and the life, but now I am beginning to understand. 

 

Dear reader,

I have taken just a little liberty with this story of Lazarus, found in the Holy Scriptures.  But I have kept intact that fact that Jesus is indeed the resurrection and the life.  You may be asking yourself what that means.  If you will read on, just a little while longer, I'll try to help you understand that. 

You see, we are all sinners, in that we have all made mistakes in our lives.  The bible tells us that.  Jesus came to give us life.  What that means isn't the day to day living we do now, but he meant eternal life, full and abundant life, full of joy and excitement!  You see, we can't get to heaven by being good, like Martha was. Yes, being good is important, but it's not enough.  We have a natural tendency to be bad, selfish, and unkind.  Even if we act nice, and do good things, our nature eventually will win out.  Unless we give our nature over to God's will.  We can't do that by ourselves.  We need God's help to do that.  If you would like God's help to release your natural will to Him, all you have to do is ask.  Try reading these words. 

God, I know you're real.  I've always known, somehow.  I also know that I'm not good enough by myself to be your child.  I have sinned (there's no need to list your sins, He knows them already, He just wants you to admit that you've done wrong in His sight).  I'm sorry for my sins.  I need you to be in my life, to show yourself real to me.  I invite you into my life, into my heart and mind.  Not having inspiration enough on my own, I need you to be my inspiration to live life in a way that pleases you.  I accept that Jesus died on the cross to pay for my sins.  And I accept your forgiveness and I invite you, Jesus, to dwell in my heart and transform my mind from one of selfishness and greed to a mind that focuses on you.