“Come out”

John 11

When Jesus saw her [Mary] weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved. He said, ‘Where have you laid him?’ They said to him, ‘Lord, come and see.’ 

Then Jesus, again greatly disturbed, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. Jesus said, ‘Take away the stone.’ Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, ‘Lord, already there is a stench because he has been dead for four days.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?’ So they took away the stone. And Jesus looked upwards and said, ‘Father, I thank you for having heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me.’ When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out!’ The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, ‘Unbind him, and let him go.’

I was a witness to this amazing miracle. Prior to this, Jesus had, of course, performed many amazing miracles, mostly in Galilee, miles away from us in Jerusalem. Even so, word of them had reached us, arousing a variety of reactions, all the way from disbelief to wonder to downright opposition. Now, this miracle, the raising of one from the dead, was witnessed by quite a crowd; friends of Mary, Martha and Lazarus, who had come from Jerusalem to mourn with the sisters over the death of their brother.

The Raising of Lazarus, by Duccio, 1310–11

And there was no denying what we saw. It was true and could not be questioned. Lazarus really had been dead for four days. And just as true, we all witnessed him, emerging from the tomb where he’d been laid.

All of this certainly got my attention, along with most everyone else present. And its proximity to Jerusalem made it so easy for the word to spread to our religious leaders, most of whom were already troubled about Jesus. His triumphal entry into our city one week later would only add to their concern that he was on a path to usurp their power and positions in our faith.

And as amazing as this miracle was to witness, I have, in reflection, found an even deeper thread to the story. It’s one which, below the surface, speaks personally to me, placing me right in the center of it.

But first, this miracle tells us a lot about Jesus.

The expression “come and see” was one frequently used by Jesus. He was open, concealing nothing about himself and his purpose. Jesus could never be accused of presenting an “image” to please anyone. Instead, he always spoke the truth, even if it would not be well received. In short, Jesus wanted the world to “come and see” him and all there was about him. Nothing was hidden. Nothing was held back.

Now, however, in the village of Lazarus and his sisters, the invitation to “come and see” came not from Jesus, but from others, witnesses to a tragic death. And Jesus readily accepted their invitation. It occurred to me that in so many words, Jesus always wants to “come and see” each one of us. Yes, we want him to see us at our best, of course. But Jesus wants to “come and see” us in all circumstances, including when we are not at our best, and in need of healing. Jesus even wants to come and see us when we, like Lazarus, are dead. Jesus will never hold back, stay away, will never find a reason to not come and see.

He may, however, as he did in this case, wait. He may wait until the opportune time to “come and see.” Why? Why did he wait days before coming? As he said, he waited so that he could show the glory of God. Waiting on Jesus to “come and see” may take a large dose of patience on our part, but we must trust that his timing will always be perfect. As it was with Lazarus.

And what’s more, even our death will not keep Jesus away. As Martha, always the practical one, said, ‘Lord, already there is a stench because he has been dead for four days.’ Jesus went anyway.

Will our stench keep Jesus away? If we are barricaded behind a stone, will that keep him away? As he said,‘Take away the stone.’

And one more thing: Jesus was, as the passage describes, “greatly disturbed.” Why? Later, I pondered why, when Jesus knew what he would do, and knew that all would be well, he would still be “greatly disturbed?”

Here’s what came to me. Think back to all the times Jesus healed someone: so many times and so many people. And now, as we witnessed, he raised Lazarus from the dead. I have come to the conclusion that Jesus did so, not out of a sense of duty and not to demonstrate his awesome power, even a power over death.

No, Jesus healed out of love. He loved the people he healed and he loved Lazarus, Mary and Martha. So, the pain that they were feeling “greatly disturbed” him. Just as the pain that we all feel does the same. He felt it too.

And finally, Lazarus emerged from the tomb, stench and all. But only upon the command of Jesus: “Lazarus, come out!” Jesus can, as happened here, speak to us, even when we are dead. Nothing can keep us from hearing his word. Death is not a barrier to Jesus.

And as you know, Lazarus was bound in the garb of the dead, intended to keep his remains inert and immobile.

But Jesus called him back from death, igniting new life into Lazarus. He was free to breathe again and free to move about. So, thanks to Jesus, he was unbound and set free.

And that’s what Jesus will do, when, “greatly disturbed,” he comes to each one of us, even when he doesn’t mind our stench, and he breathes life into us. And not just any life, his life.

And one final thing about this miracle. As I mentioned, this miracle speaks personally to me, placing me in the center of it. You see, there are things about me, too, that smell of death. I know it and I feel shame to even admit it. But it’s true and so for me, and perhaps for you too, we are encouraged to invite Jesus to “come and see.” Maybe he won’t see us at our best. Maybe he will see where we need to be healed. And maybe, Jesus will even “come and see” the dead parts that we prefer to hide from him.

He may be “greatly disturbed” by what he sees in us. If so, it will be, as with Lazarus, not out of judgment but out of love and nothing else.

We are encouraged, too, to listen to his voice as he, in love, calls each of us to “come out” and be unbound by the wrappings of death that bind us and blind us. He seeks to free us from death. And to offer life, as he said, life in abundance.

The life that Jesus offers is more than physical, more than heartbeat and blood flow. What Jesus offers us is life itself, his life, a life that can come only from him, the very source of life.