5th Sunday of Lent: March 21/22, 2026

As we read the Gospels, it’s pretty amazing what Jesus was able to do in his ministry.

There aren't enough loaves and fish?  No problem. Here’s some more.

The wine ran out at a wedding?  No problem.  Here’s some more.

Fish were avoiding the nets one night?  No problem.  Try casting out into deeper water.

Water is between him and the boat full of disciples.  No problem.  Let’s just walk across the lake.

Storm out of control.  No problem.  Just say the word and the winds calm.

And the one we just heard, his friend had died, you guessed it, no problem. Let’s raise him from the dead.  And Jesus did all these things by himself, or did he?

In a certain sense, it’s sort of ridiculous to say the God of the universe can’t work miracles on his own.  If God is even remotely who we believe God is, then God “needs” nothing from any of us.

In fact, the complete opposite is true, we are completely in need of God, completely dependent on God.

As good stewards we can admit all that we have and all that we are, comes from God.  All goodness.  All wisdom. Every good gift comes from God.  We are merely stewards of what God has showered down upon us.  We are dependent on God, God is not dependent on us.  Creation, the Incarnation, the Resurrection, all God.

There is a little detail in this story of the raising of Lazarus that’s easy to miss.  It might be important, which I think it is, but it might just be me.  That detail is when Jesus tells those standing at the tomb to: TAKE AWAY THE STONE. Did Jesus even need for the stone to be rolled away?  Could he not just have rolled it away himself, or just said the word, like the calming of the storm, and it would have rolled on its own??  I don’t know.

But isn’t it just possible that Jesus wanted the bystanders to be involved, wanted them to cooperate with him and help in what was about to take place?  Could this be an example of God not wanting to accomplish something good completely on God’s own, but rather inviting others to share in the blessing being offered, for them to participate in the miracle?

I didn’t tell the whole truth a little earlier, and maybe, or hopefully, you might have noticed.

I mentioned three incredible miracles that were all God, but only two really were.

Creation, yes, all God.  Resurrection, yes, all God.  But incarnation?  Not all God.  This one required the cooperation of someone else, and that, or course was Mary, the one whose “yes” changed the course of human history.  

God wanted to enter the world. But this particular miracle would not be forced upon humanity.  The door would need to be opened by someone, the stone needed to be rolled away, so to speak.  And from Mary’s yes, her fiat, be it done to me wholly according to your will, the light of the world, the one who would destroy sin and darkness, the one who would light our way for all eternity, and the one who would eventually raise Lazarus from the dead, was born.

As we move into the final days of Lent, we need to ask ourselves if God is wanting the same thing from us, asking for our YES, our cooperation, our participation, our hands to help roll away the stones blocking the light from penetrating the darkness of our world.  In other words, we actually occupy two places in this story, sometimes we are in the tomb and need to be called forth from our personal darkness, sins, and failings, and come forth from them once the stone is rolled away. . .  Sometimes it is the stone of our laziness.  Sometimes it is the stone of our neglect. Sometimes it is the stone of our dishonesty.  Sometimes it is the stone of our judgmental nature. 

Take away the stone.  Sometimes it is the stone of our fear. Sometimes it is the stone of our greed. Sometimes it is the stone of our anger. Sometimes it is the stone of our feeling superior to others.

Take away the stone.

BUT, the other place we occupy in the story is that sometimes we are on the outside being asked by the Lord Jesus, to take away the stones for others, their stones of pain, of hurt, of injustice, or prejudice, those things that are keeping the light from shining on someone else’s darkness.

Sometimes we only think of sin in the sense of doing some great harm to another.  But maybe one of our greatest sins is simply getting in the way of whatever it is that God wants to do.  And so we have to ask if we are helping to let the light in, or do we keep people in the dark?

Do I make it easier for others to hear God’s voice, or do I do things that distort or muzzle it all together. Do I look for ways to assist God or do I hope God never calls on me and just leaves me alone. Do I want to help God perform miracles, or will I just continue to get in the way.

Take away the stone.

Let’s not see this just as some kind of meaningless chore, but for the blessing that it is. God wants to do some pretty amazing things.  And for some reason, and I am guessing it is because God loves us so much, God wants our help in accomplishing these amazing things.

Let’s give God our whole hearts, so that with our help, God’s light can penetrate the darkness, even of the tomb.