Raised and Unbound

For as long as I can remember, I have heard the story of Jesus raising his friend Lazarus from the dead, but until I started writing about it, I hadn't really paid much attention to the details.

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."- John 11:43-44

We were discussing the story this past weekend, in preparation for a sermon I was to give, when it was brought to my attention that there is deep symbolism in the end of the story, when Jesus tells the people to unbind Lazarus and let him go.

I did some research on this order to the community to free the man whom they had bound and I discovered many interpretations of the meaning of this.

Some claim it is Jesus telling us we have to do the dirty work of cleaning up the world, loosening all that we have bound up.

While others see this as the commission of all of us to free each other from the slavery of injustice and oppression.

However we look at it, it is clear Lazarus could not free himself on his own.  He needed help.

The fact that he managed to walk while bound hand and feet is amazing enough, but the limitations he faced while bound were obvious.  He could not free himself, and I believe that is the point.

We are all in this together, and when one of us is suffering and is brought back to life, we need help form our family and friends, from neighbors and the community of the faithful to break through the things that bound us in the first place.

I think of all struggling with addiction as an example.  They have taken the first steps when they get sober, but they need help to free themselves completely.

So, I believe this is our charge from God, to help loosen the bonds placed on each other.

Then we all can be raised and unbound.

What a great way to celebrate Easter.

More to come...