Homily for the 5th Sunday of Lent, March 22nd, 2026

The resuscitation of Lazarus by Jesus (John 11:1-45) is meant to help us believers focus on what eternally endures, and channel our limited energies to make the most of this earthly life so that we may be found worthy of claiming our heavenly citizenship. 

…but our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we also await a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Philippians 3:20 

Jesus grants a few more years of earthly life to Lazarus who was rotting in his tomb for four days.  

Apart from a few miraculous cases, this is one of those things that are impossible to us mortals but are consistent with God’s very life-giving nature. 

Its significance is intensified by the Incarnation, i.e. by God taking on human flesh in Christ Jesus.  

The same flesh, that is destined to decay, enables Jesus to experience the whole spectrum of our human emotions, from elation to distress, from laughter to weeping, from intimacy to loss.  

There is no difference between the emotions displayed by Jesus from those that we display in comparable situations, including those of temporary forced separation from our loved ones when they die.  

This humble yet mind-blowing fact of Jesus becoming fully human like us creates an unbreakable bond of love.  

“Master, the one you love is ill.” John 11:3. Jesus wept. John 11:35. ”see how he loved him.” John 11:36 

So, Jesus, perturbed again, came to the tomb. John 11:38 

We are all saddened by the unavoidable prospect of our own physical demise, and we grieve the loss of people close to us.  

However, if we can comprehend, and then own the full significance of Jesus’ manifestation as “the Resurrection and the Life” it would become impossible for us to blame God for death, and we would bring reassurance to those still unable to go past inconsolable grief. 

On any day that is marred by pain, grief, loss and even, perhaps, a touch of despair, we should take up the challenge that Jesus threw to Martha: “Do you believe this?” 

Do we believe that it is precisely through Jesus’ share in our flesh that we have access to his life-giving act?  

Do we believe that what was prayed with-not-yet-fully- realized expectation in the Old Testament has become an undeniable fact in the flesh of Jesus?         My wanderings you have noted; are my tears not stored in your vial, recorded in your book? Psalm 56:9 

Jesus is constantly and fully aware of all our pain, apprehension, grief and tears; but his awareness is way beyond even the most refined human empathy.  

Unlike anyone else, in an unbreakable bond of love, he is close to us as “the Resurrection and the Life,” as Conqueror of sin and death in the power of his Spirit! 

When Jesus saw her weeping and the Jews who had come with her weeping, he became perturbed and deeply troubled, and said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Sir, come and see.” And Jesus wept. So, the Jews said, “See how he loved him.” John 11:33-36 

I submit to you that Jesus is also perturbed and deeply troubled by our resignation to flatness, uneventfulness and a lifestyle that has little inspiration, stunted creativity and weak resolve.  

The Lord Jesus must weep whenever we allow pettiness and hubris to dictate our choices.  

Jesus must be saddened, too, by our mediocrity because he died and rose from death to give us a much better life. 

My dear fellow mortals, this very day could be the day in which Jesus might order most forcefully: “Take away the stone!” 

Jesus, who is the Resurrection and the Life, cannot settle for the sight of us as constrained by burial bands of our making.  

He cannot bear the thought that we have accepted a defeat that we could have prevented if only we had capitalized on a rush of energy from his Spirit.  

He cannot stand the sight of us living a life with tame ideals, rare dreams, weak hopes and few values. 

If today we hear him shout our name and holler: “Come out!” We shall obey.  

Those believers around us who already live in the power of his Spirit must untie us so that we can return to be productive members of the Church.  

Within the Church, the Holy Spirit removes all fear and endows us with genuine freedom.            

The Holy Spirit pours in our hearts joy, energy, motivation, courage, endurance, goodwill and creativity. 

The Holy Spirit makes us fully alive with firm faith in the Lord who is the Resurrection and the Life so that our physical demise will not scare us anymore because it will be seen as the gate to endless Life.