AfterWords: Towards the Cross - Lazarus

 

John 11:18-27

As we enter the season of Lent, we take time to ask God daily, “What do I need to do differently? What needs to change in my life?” We ask this prayer that we might grow closer to God during these 40 days. Traditionally, Christians have given up something for this season—a food, a drink, a practice, a behavior. Some give up chocolate and some give up social media. Giving up something is a good practice that parallels Jesus’ 40 days in the wilderness at the beginning of his ministry. In more recent times, we have also seen Lent as a time to embrace new things, new habits. In today’s reading, Martha and Mary must do both—let go of old ideas and embrace new understandings.

Today’s reading focuses on the conversation between Martha and Jesus. Martha is the very straight-forward, all-business one of the two sisters, and she gets straight to the point here. “Where were you?!?” She knows that if Jesus has been there, her brother, Lazarus, would not have died. She is broken-hearted and furious…but she also has hope: “…even now God will give you whatever you ask…?” Right? Won’t he? Please?

Jesus tells her that her brother will rise again, and she presumes he’s talking about the end of days, the final resurrection. Jesus then speaks those words upon which we hang our faith: “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die” (v.25-26). Jesus has a very different “resurrection” in mind. And, he asks Martha, “Do you believe this?”

Martha doesn’t mince words and she doesn’t try to deceive. She speaks honestly: “I believe you’re the Messiah.” And how does Jesus react to this evasive answer? Jesus accepts Martha where she is…just as God accepts and receives us where we are. One of my favorite stories in Jesus’ ministry is that time a father brings his son to be healed, and Jesus asks if he believes. His response? “I believe—help my unbelief!” Jesus accepts us where we are....

Jesus goes to the tomb of Lazarus and calls Lazarus out—“Come out!” And, he comes out…alive. This moment changes Martha, Mary, and everyone there. Their understandings of death and resurrection must die, and they must take on new understandings of Jesus, of God’s power over death. They must let go of things and take on new things.

This Lenten season can be a time of new life—resurrection—for us as we allow habits, relationships, feuds, behaviors, attitudes, grudges, pet-beliefs, or other things die that are sucking the life out of us. We can take up new habits and practices, make room for and embrace new beliefs and understandings that give us new life. Then, when Easter Sunday arrives, we can celebrate Jesus’ resurrection and the new life God has given us this season.

Sunday, February 22, 2026
Towards the Cross - Lazarus
Watch/Listen: 
9AM - HERE
11AM - HERE

AfterWords: Breaking the Rules—Tradition

 

John 9:1-16a

Jesus heals a man who was blind from birth…brings a healing that will completely change this man’s life. And the Pharisees response? “But you did it on a Sabbath…!” Really? Sigh….

The Sabbath rules that Jesus broke were based on tradition, not on the Scriptures. God gives us the amazing gift of Sabbath—a day of rest, a break from the rush and hurry of work. Over the centuries following the gift of the Sabbath, the well-meaning Pharisees and teachers of the law decided they should “help” people avoid breaking the Sabbath command by building fences around the Sabbath, by making it painfully (and exhaustingly!) clear what was work and what wasn’t. Jesus broke the rules of tradition…and the Pharisees were having none of it.

Just before the Pharisees have their conniption over Sabbath-breaking, the disciples bring a very theological question to Jesus concerning the fellow born blind: “Who sinned that this man was born blind? Him or his parents?” (John 9:2). The disciples and the cultural were still struggling with a worldview that was centuries old—the law of retribution—a law (wish?) still alive and well today. They understood that if one did something good, then good would follow, and if someone did something bad, bad would follow. Here’s a man born blind (bad), so someone must have done something bad to precipitate this. Jesus now has a chance to affirm or deny the law of retribution—and thankfully, Jesus denies this law. “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” Jesus says, but just watch how God’s glory comes through all of this!

So, Jesus is breaking the rules here, breaking tradition, and we need to know that breaking tradition may be necessary, helpful, life-giving at times. But, we also need to see that this is about more than breaking tradition. This is about putting first things first, about putting people in need before everything else. Before traditions, rules, or laws, Jesus puts people first.

This is how God deals with us. God puts us first allowing his own Son to die that we—you and I—may have life. God puts forgiveness before retribution, love before justice. And Jesus does the same. The law of love replaces the law of retribution. To echo Paul in 1 Corinthians 13, if we faithfully maintain the traditions, keep the rules, and observe the laws but do not act with loving kindness towards those in need, we are nothing.

The law of love—this is what motivates Jesus and should motivate us as followers of Jesus. Traditions are great. Customs can be beautiful. Our usual and normal practices can be helpful. But if ever we have to choose between any of those things and meeting the needs of a person, Jesus shows us clearly what our task is: We follow the law of love, we follow Jesus.

Sunday, February 15, 2026
Breaking the Rules: Enemies
Watch/Listen: 
9AM (Contemporary) - HERE
11AM (Traditional) - HERE

AfterWords: Breaking the Rules--Enemies

 

John 4:46-54

Today, we encounter another “sign” in John’s Gospel…and a sign always point to something about God we need to see and understand. While the themes of this reading are many and meaningful, today we focus on Jesus’ response to an enemy.

At first glance, we may not think the “royal official” an enemy, but when we take apart the social world of 1^st Century Judea, we discover that a “royal official” of any sort reports directly to one of the sovereigns placed and sustained in power by the Roman occupiers of the day. This particular royal official probably reports to Herod Antipas, and he and all this court stand in the way of the dreams and hopes of all Jews—self-rule, freedom from Rome, relief from the onerous burden of taxes. If there are any Zealots in Jesus’ following on this day, they want only to kill this traitor.

But, Jesus moves beyond the labels and politics when he speak to this fellow. We discover that he is a father…and he’s the father of a child who is dying. Jesus knows who this fellow is…yet, he is able see beyond the surface to the simple and beloved humanity beneath. And, as God does, so does Jesus—he responds to the real human need of the moment. He heals the official’s son.

What about our enemies? How do we respond to our enemies? I know how we want to respond. We want to get even. We want to dish out what we’ve been served. We want very much to embrace the reigning response of our culture—“an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.” 

But, Scripture calls us in a different direction. Paul in his letter to the Romans reminds his readers: “‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:20-21). And, Jesus himself tells us straight up: “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:43-45a).

In this passage, Jesus lives exactly what he preaches and teaches—he shows this enemy of the people, this traitor, loving kindness…he heals his son. The impact of that act of grace is profound because we learn that “he and his whole household believed” (John 4:53b).

Now, we must determine to live as Jesus lived and as he calls us to live, to respond to our enemies in kind. While we are not guaranteed that everything will turn around because of our actions, we do know that we are called to be faithful no matter what. Can we trust God to take care of revenge and vengeance issues as Scripture promises? Can we trust that Jesus is showing us the right way to live and respond? If we are followers of Jesus, we must live this way. Now, how will you respond to your enemies?

Sunday, February 8, 2026
Breaking the Rules: Enemies
Watch/Listen: HERE

AfterWords: Breaking the Rules--Women

 

John 4:1-9

Jesus breaks the rules, crosses a line, knocks down a boundary…Jesus changes everything.

In today’s reading, Jesus talks with a Samaritan woman. Samaritans are personas non grata in 1st Century Judea. Jews at that time remained acutely aware of the perceived impurity and “unclean” nature of the Samaritans—Israelites of the former Northern Kingdom who had intermarried with “foreigners,” who had built their own temple. Yet, Jesus breaks the rules and engages this Samaritan in conversation.

Probably only a notch above Samaritans were women in general during this time period. In Jesus’ world, women had no public voice, could not own land, were not to be taught, and should even be ignored in public. Women in this time period were considered little more than property.

Jesus changes the life of this Samaritan woman and for all women (potentially) ever after. Jesus treats women as human beings, as persons of worth. He asks their opinions and thoughts. He tells parables in which women are the heroes. Jesus’ approach to women confronts head-on the cultural assumptions of the Jews, the Romans, and the Greeks. You see, Jesus is willing to break the rules…that others might have life.

Jesus asks for a drink that he might tell this unnamed woman about the “living water… a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (John 4:11-13). Jesus recognized the thirst in her life, the same thirst in our lives—a thirst for life…for purpose, for meaning, for healing, for relationship, to be valued, to be seen, to be known, to be loved. King David wrote about this thirst in our lives—“As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God…” (Ps.42), and the great African theologian, Augustine, declares—“You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in You” (Confessions). Jesus offers her and us what will quench that thirst, address that restlessness within.

Just as Jesus breaks the rules for this Samaritan woman, God breaks the rules for us—crosses time and space to enter our world, engages us—unclean and unworthy as we are—to offer us living water…a spring within us that leads to eternal life, real life, abundant life. Do you as a deer pant for living water? Is your heart restless…seeking and searching, ill at ease? Jesus offers us living water…life…through faith today. That living water, that rest, is as close as a prayer.

Sunday, February 1, 2026
Breaking the Rules: Women
Watch/Listen: HERE