Our four bible readings for Lent 5 had many themes binding them together but the one that first came to me was waiting in the midst of suffering.
In Ezekiel 37, the valley of dry bones vision, the people of God have been waiting for salvation for 70 years and now the Lord purposes to rebuild the nation. In Psalm 130, the lines 'I wait for the Lord' is announced 'out of the depths'. Romans 8 (vv5-11) contrasts those with their inner hearts captive to the 'flesh', human nature that remains in rebellion to God to those living according to the Spirit. Verse 11 may suggest the present or the future or perhaps both. The Spirit dwelling in the Christian means life now and in the future; but in the now, we wait while the Spirit and the flesh struggle within and cause us to suffer (vv 18-25).
And the gospel is according to St John 11, the raising of Lazarus. We note that first Jesus waits two days more after he hears the news that the man whom he loves is dying!! By the time Jesus gets to Lazarus, he has been buried for four days. Suffering is evident in Martha and Mary who question Jesus about his lack of speed. 'Lord if you had been here . . . . . . !
Have we not said that to God in our depths experience? Lord if you had done something differently! If only you would rearrange the universe to suit me! Lord, you ought to be a god who obeys my bidding!! After all, I give to the church and I even go to church! And now I ask for this one thing, and you deny me.
With all these questions we reveal that we still have a long way to go. Interestingly, two of these passages mention the important thing that needs to be driven deep into our hearts but against which our whole socialisation rebels. We are not the centre of the universe. I am not the centre of the universe. We are not what it's all about!! The whole of creation is not about our glory or aimed at getting glory for man.
It's about God's glory! (Man's glory is a derivative of that glorifying purpose!) In Ezekiel 36 (v32) the text says, 'it is not for your sake that I will act'. In John 11, Lazarus' raising is explicitly said by Jesus to be 'for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by means of it' (v 4).
Meanwhile we wait suffering and in our suffering we are changed if we allow God into our suffering. Of course this is hard. Soul-making is hard for us but necessary if we are to be redemptive world-makers.
