In the Spirit. In Christ.
In our short reading from Romans today Paul returns to a common theme in his letters, his contrast between flesh and Spirit. That is a contrast we know well and not just because we hear it from Paul. We know the difference because we live it. We spend our lives walking between the two. That is what we confessed as we began today. We know what God calls us to do. The world - our flesh – calls us to a different path. That path is a path of selfishness and greed. There are many purveyors of this life. Just turn on the television. There you will find many who promise to solve all of your problems. They will also tell you what you should look like, who should look after your money, even what medicines you should take. It is not just the television that offers false paths, it can be almost anyone from your family and friends to the street pharmacist on the corner. It seems that everyone is beckoning you to a better life. Unfortunately, they invariably are only looking out for themselves exchanging their empty promises for your hard earned cash.
You are not the only ones to be subjected to this tension. Not in this present age or any time before. There have always been people promising a better life. Yet, when you buy into their promise you soon find out that it is the same old empty life that you had before. Ezekiel reminds us of this fact as well by telling his vision of the valley of dry bones. With it he was reminding the Israelites that the dry valley of bones was their life. They had forgotten God, believing that others offered a better life than they had and now – when he told his vision – they were no longer a people but captives in a foreign land. Their attempt to solve their own problems on their own without God ended in disaster. Now, after messing up their lives, they were questioning who they were. They were even questioning God. You know people like that who wander away from God chasing after green pastures. Then, when disaster strikes, blame God for it. Their lives are like the dry bones in the valley. Except that the valley is lush with plenty of redemption as our psalm points out today.
Our account of the raising up of Lazarus also reminds us of the contrast between flesh and Spirit. While Martha tells Jesus that she knows Lazarus will rise again she is concerned about her present situation. This story is unique to John. Only in John does this story move the Pharisees to decide to kill Jesus. It is also about more than raising Lazarus from the dead. It is about calling us out of the tomb of our own making to life. Jesus’ last command in this story is, “Unbind him, and let him go.”
We find ourselves surrounded by sin and death. For some reason it often looks better than what Jesus offers. While we know better we often take the deal of the devil and walk away from the hard-won gift that we have received from God. Hard-won not by ourselves but by Jesus. Do we do this because it seems too easy or are we that hard-nosed about our own desires? Next week we will recount Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem, his last supper, his arrest and trial, and his death. All for us. Ponder this gift from God and struggle so that the Spirit may guide your life and your flesh be crucified.