one more week

So, what would you do if you had one more week to live? Stop going to school or work? Take a road trip? Eat all your favorite foods? Spend all your money? I have thought about this question, in passing, several times in my life. I always say something like, "Take my whole family to Italy," or "Rent a yacht and cruise as fast as we can to Hawaii," something like that. It's kind of a fun fantasy exercise; you know, something fun to conjecture about for the very reason that it's not likely to happen.

Fantasy aside, it's still an interesting question to think about; you've got very limited time and you want to make it count. You want to do important stuff, things that will set you up to, well, die well. So consider that we do know a person who really did know when he was going to die and we really do know how he spent his last seven days on this planet. That person, Jesus Christ, spent the entire week before his death with people. And not just with people, but helping people. The Saturday before he was murdered (ie, 6 days before Passover), Jesus got a message from two of his best friends, two sisters by the names of Mary and Martha. Their message to him was panicked but a little hopeful, "Your friend (our brother, Lazarus) is so sick he's about to die. Come quick (Jn. 11:2,3)!" So Jesus, in a very confusing twist, did, uh, nothing. At least he waited for two days before going down to their house. Kind of a strange thing to do when a best bud is in critical condition. But, that's what he did. He told his other guys, the disciples, that he was hanging back because the sickness (and impending death) of Lazarus had a big purpose: to bring glory to God and to Jesus, himself (vs. 4).

Apparently where Lazarus and the girls lived was a dangerous place, at least it was for Jesus. His disciples were pretty freaked out that, in light of all that had happened before this (tons of people trying to kill him, 10:31-ff), he was still bent on walking the two miles to help his friends. They say, "Lately the Jews have been trying to kill you by throwing rocks at you, and yet you're still going over there (vs. 8)?" Yep, that's right. I've got a big plan.

Right before Jesus and his guys set out on their walk down to Bethany, he gets word that Lazarus is already dead. At this news, he turns to his disciples and says, "I am glad I didn't come before now, because I not only want to help my friend but I'm also trying to see if you guys and everybody in Bethany gets who who I am and what I'm about (vs. 14). I mean to glorify the Father and myself through this situation. Huh? He was glad? Not exactly a Hallmark condolence card.

By the time Jesus does arrive on the scene, Lazarus has been gone for four days. Understandably girls are distraught and bit irritated: why didn't Jesus, who had already shown that he could heal people, come more quickly and help his own friend, their brother? Was he uncaring? Well, hardly, although it did look suspicious.

Next thing, Jesus started crying. That's right, the guy who had been healing babies and raising kids from the dead and curing all kinds of sickness, walks up to his gal pals who are hysterical and himself starts crying. Why? Well, that's a question for a million sermons, but the sure thing is, death really bites. It's not what any of us were created for, it's our greatest enemy (anyone who has even lost a dog knows that) and it's super sad. That sadness affected even God, somehow--Jesus cried.

Then something really crazy happened. Jesus said: "I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me has life, even if s/he dies. Do you believe this (vs. 25,26)?" Martha, speaking for her sister, and for her brother who's lying there dead, says, "Yes, Lord. I do believe this. You're basically our only hope, the one person who was sent by God to help the world (vs. 27)."

After this, everything is kind of a blur. I mean, imagine the goings-on: Jesus looks around and says, "Where's the body? Take me there." And then, not one to miss a teaching op, prays loudly so everyone standing around can hear, "God, Father, I know you already heard me, but for the sake of the people standing around I'm saying it out loud. I want to help them believe in me, my mission and my authority (vs. 42). Then he yells at the corpse, "Lazarus get up, come out of there!" And guess what, Lazarus comes stumbling out of the tomb, still wrapped in gauze, blurry eyed and smelling of embalming oils.

The craziest thing of all? Right after this, Jesus heads to Jerusalem to let his enemies capture and kill him. Yeah, that's the rest of his one more week: hanging out with friends who don't quite get what he's about and then letting his enemies nab him, humiliate him before the crowds as well as his own mother, and then allowing himself to be be led up the hill with the wooden crosses where he died a horrible, painful, torturous, unjust death.

What would you do with one more week? Would you spend it on yourself? Your friends? Your family? Your enemies? Starting now you do have one more week--and hopefully many, many more--so what are you going to do?