The Resurrection and the Life

It seems like I have a lot of favorite scripture passages. There is nothing wrong with that because it makes for good reading and good resources for prayer. The gospel for the Fifth Sunday of Lent, Year A, is also a favorite of mine. That gospel is, John 11:1-45, and it is the raising of Lazarus from the dead. The discourse between Jesus and Martha is a true confession of faith. Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you." Jesus assures Martha that he will rise and she knows that, at the resurrection of the dead, but Jesus says, "I am the resurrection and the life..." Then he poses this question to Martha, "Do you believe this?" She says, "Yes, Lord, I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world." Just think, that is the same confession of faith that we profess each week in the Nicene Creed, "We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come." We know and believe that death is not the end, but the beginning. Life has changed, not ended. In our time of prayer with this gospel, perhaps we can put ourselves in Martha's shoes and hear the Lord speaking to us. We need to make that confession of faith on our own. Yes, Martha gave her answer, but we need to do the same. This is the faith that sustains us each day because through Jesus' death and resurrection, we have the hope and the promise of eternal life. Have a blessed weekend!!!