As we prepare for communion this morning, I want to ask a question: how do you handle two things being true at once when they are in conflict with each other?
Imagine having a brother and a sister and being a young adult. You all grew up with Jesus and are extremely close friends. You have come to know Jesus as the real deal! He is the most loving person you have ever met. It has been amazing to witness and hear of all of his miracles. There was the time he turned water into wine, the time he fed 5000 with a few loaves of bread and pieces of fish, the times he calmed the storm and walked on water, and you can’t forget the time he made the blind man see, and one of your personal favorites was when he arranged for a fish to be caught with a coin in it’s mouth to pay taxes. You can’t resist asking him monthly to repeat that one to help pay off your loan on the donkey you bought a year ago!
Sadly, Jesus is away when your brother gets sick and declines fast. He declines so fast that he suddenly dies. You seek the help of Jesus by having a friend find him to notify him and ask for Jesus to return. You wait. One day goes by and you wonder if Jesus got your message. Two days go by, but you know better than to give up hope in Jesus.
With each passing hour, your heart is breaking, your emotions are getting stronger, and you feel torn. You battle feelings of trying to just want to be with Jesus during this difficult time and with selfish feelings that you want him to come and fix this problem. You are not sure how, but you believe Jesus can heal your brother, you just aren’t sure if he will. Then, another day passes. You find yourself in agony over the loss and confusion about where one of your best friends has gone.
As we prepare for communion this morning, I want to ask how you handle two conflicting truths? You are doing the best you can, but things just aren’t working. You love Jesus, but you keep failing. You are praying for healing, but sickness remains. You know Jesus is always with you, but you feel alone. You need a miracle, but he doesn’t seem to be answering your prayers.
I want to remind you that Jesus died because of two conflicting truths. God loves us more than we can imagine, but he can’t tolerate our sins. Fortunately, Jesus worked out this dissonance through his death on our behalf.
Before we pray and take communion, imagine one more time. Imagine being there, when Jesus arrives. You are frozen with emotion and cannot move. Your sister runs out to greet him. But then he calls you to him. Imagine him weeping with you over your sorrow. You realize the creator of this amazing earth cares so much to weep when you weep. Then, imagine the exhilaration when he heals your brother. Impossible! He brings your brother back to life!
Let’s pray:
Father, as we come to your table this morning, we are in awe reflecting on your miracles like raising Lazarus from the dead and for conquering death. Thank you for weeping when we weep. We confess our sins. Just like Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, help us to have faith knowing that your ways are best and that you are in control. Right now, we acknowledge you as the resurrection and the life. We know that when we believe in you, we will live, even though we die; and as we live by believing in you that we will never die.
