5th Sunday of the Lent (Jn 11: 1-45) Jesus' Raising of Lazarus

Possible impossibilities

Introduction

- A week from now we enter the Holy Week, where we remember the dire passion of our Lord Jesus. And today Jesus shows that he is the Resurrection and Life.

- A funeral director called a man for further instructions about his mother-in-law’s body. “Do you want her embalmed, cremated or buried?” “All the three!’ the man answered promptly. “Do not take any chances”.

Content

- Significance of ‘four days’ - According to the rabbinic belief, the soul/ spirit remain with the dead body for three more days after death. On the fourth day, the soul separates from the body and the body begins to decay. Therefore it is impossible to get the soul back to the body after the three days.

- Why did it happen? –

o To reveal the glory of God

o To reveal that Jesus is the resurrection and Life.

- Every incident (impossibilities) in our life is a moment to reveal the glory of God.

Conclusion

- We often are troubled in our lives with so many impossibilities or ‘no way out’ situations.

o Eg: prayed hard for the conversion of the partner. But nothing happens

o Eg: so many financial burdens. There is no way out.

o Eg: the children are not in the right path.

- What should be our attitude towards impossibilities?

o Trust him

§ Jesus asked Martha, “Do you believe this?”

o Obey him

§ Jesus seeks the cooperation of man

§ Eg: untie him let him go

§ Eg: remove the boulder from the mouth of the tomb

o Leave the rest to him

§ It is very difficult since it needs lot of faith and trust.

§ Our over tension is because we do not leave things to Jesus.

§ Do our part well and leave the rest to Jesus

§ Do you work sincerely and the rest, God will take care.

4th Sunday of Lent – Jesus and the man Born Blind (Jn 9:1-41)

Our vision

Introduction

- There is story about Buddha, the founder of Buddhism। One day he was meditating sitting under a tree. A soldier happened to go by that way. He did not like the physical make up of Buddha. He said, “You look like a pig”. Buddha looked at him with a smile and responded,” You look like God”. The soldier was amazed to hear that. “Why did you say that?” the soldier asked Buddha. Buddha said, “The whole morning I was meditating on God in my heart. When I see you in that spirit, I could see the image of God in you”.

Content

- Is our vision clear? Yes.

- In the gospel there are two kinds of blindness, physical blindness and blindness of the mind.

o Physical blindness – blind man

o Spiritual blindness – the Pharisees

- Sometimes our vision is distorted by distractions

o Eg: Samuel went to visit Jesse’s house to select a ruler for Jews. He looked and saw the 7 children handsome. But God selected David.

o Man sees the appearance and God sees the heart

o Eg: man saw peter as ‘fisherman’. Jesus saw peter as ‘Fisher’s of man’.

o Blind man did not know who healed him. We receive the blessings but do not recognize God.

o Parents of the blind man said, “we do not know”, out of fear.

o Pharisees “this man is not from God because he breaks the Sabbath” – over conscious of law that blocked them seeing good in others.

- Reasons for blindness

o Afraid of Jews, ignorance, over attraction to the worldly things and money, anger, lust, greedy, etc.

Conclusion

- 2 things to do for receiving a clear vision, the gift of Christ.

o The need to stand before Christ. Our prayer. Christ is the supreme light – reconciliation and repentance.

Do as Christ say – Christ would reveal the blocks in us (reasons for blindness). Remove them