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)

One of my oldest friends is Fr. John.  We met in seminary in 1984.  Before we were even introduced, we had our first of many arguments about theology.  It was the first day of a graduate seminar on church history.  Our discussion was so intense the professor asked if we’d like to take it outside. (He was understandably eager to wrest the discussion from two apprentice theologians.)

We’ve had countless debates since.  We’ve never changed each other’s minds.  Fr. John won’t change because he’s so stubborn; I won’t change because I’m right.  One of our perennial subjects of debate is about Lazarus, whom Jesus raised from death.  The point of contention:  was Lazarus raised up to continue a normal mortal existence or was Lazarus resurrected, never to die again?  No need to identify which of us is on which side of that debate since it would only embarrass Fr. John to be identified as the one in error.

Whether Lazarus’ body is buried somewhere in Bethany or whether he is in heaven enjoying his resurrection body is a question for another day.  Either way, you can bet that the Lazarus who came forth from the tomb at Jesus’ word was a different man than the one they laid to rest there.  He had been dead and was alive!  After that experience I doubt that anything in Lazarus’ life was the same.  Sure, he still got up and went to work every morning carrying his lunchbox and thermos.  He still ate and drank and did all the things we humans do, but he was living life after death.

Eternal life is not a someday thing for Christians.  We, like Lazarus, have been called forth from the tombs of death and sin.  The life we live this moment is part of the life we will live after our mortal bodies fail and die.  We are Easter people.  We are living life after death.  So maybe we should look alive.

Prayer:  Lord of life, you have conquered sin and death. You have raised us to new life and granted us eternal life.  Unbind us from the remnants of death that still cling to us.  Amen.