By Betty Hertz, St. John Lay Leader
What's in a Name?
"I AM the Resurrection and the Life." John 11:25
My first response to this I AM statement was, "Alleluia! Amen." But, of course, God redirected my thinking, and I knew I had to go deeper to understand this scripture better. So, I used the lectio divina practice to help me. This "holy reading" of a Bible passage involves listening for a word or phrase that gets your attention, reflecting on how the word or phrase connects to your life now, receiving an invitation from God to understand the connection, and praying about how God wants you to move forward. In this scripture, the word believe grabbed me.
25 Jesus said to her (Martha), "I am the resurrection and the life.[b] Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, 26, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" 27 She said to him, "Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah,[c] the Son of God, the one coming into the world." John 11:25-27.
I wondered, "How would I respond to Jesus' saying do you believe I am the resurrection?'" Would my response be similar to Martha's and not answer the question? As I thought about my answer, this quote from The God We Can Know came to mind, "We truly believe someone when we are able to put our trust fully in the person" (p.109). Rob Fuquay suggested inserting trust where belief appears in the verses and reflecting on its effect. So it reads:
25 Jesus said to her (Martha), "I am the resurrection and the life.[b] Those who trust in me, even though they die, will live, 26 and everyone who lives and trusts in me will never die. Do you trust this?" 27 She said to him, "Yes, Lord, I trust that you are the Messiah,[c] the Son of God, the one coming into the world."
By inserting trust, I experienced a stronger connection with Jesus' words. Trust brings hope and peace, which is what I hear the scripture saying. What other words might you insert in the passage to make it more meaningful for you?
As I thought about trust, the image of a frequently used trust exercise in team-building workshops came to mind. One person stands behind another, and the front person is told to fall back into their partner's arms. They believe the partner can catch them, BUT the one falling needs to trust the partner will catch them. Have you had times when you were falling, and you trusted God would catch you? I know I have. As Pastor Emily said on Easter Sunday, God meets us at our tombs when we are distraught, and if we trust Him, he gives us new life. I have found this to be true for me. In dealing with the deaths of loved ones, I have pleaded, "Just make things normal again. Restore my life. Relieve me of the pain." But God has caught me and put me on a new path each time - changed my thinking and actions. As a result, I have experienced God's gift of spiritual resurrection.
Thinking about trusting the transformations God has given me reminds me of the hymn "Because He Lives":
Because He lives, I can face tomorrow;
Because He lives, all fear is gone;
Because I know He holds the future
And life is worth the living
Just because He lives.
Reflection question:
Have you ever asked God to restore things … put them back the way they were? And instead, He transformed you? Did this cause you to let go of fear and trust God more?