AUDIO MEDITATION:

Alessandro Magnasco (Italian, 1667-1749), The Raising of Lazarus. Public domain.

FULL TEXT:

Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, tied hand and foot with burial bands, and his face was wrapped in a cloth. So Jesus said to them, “Untie him and let him go.”

In this painting, Jesus clearly directs the action, and Lazarus is literally raised out of the tomb. There is even a figure underneath him lifting him up. Some tug and pull on his burial cloths. Others reach out with encouragement. Everyone in this image is participating in the miracle—no one is a passive observer.

What can we do to more fully join the body of Christ in the world today? Who needs to be lifted out of a tomb?