Against pastoral care [Jn 11]

When Christ saidthat Lazarus was sleeping the disciples thought that meant tat the fever had broken and that he would recover. Not that Christ was predicting that he would raise him from the dead. That death had no power over him:L that he could pick his life up again even if executed.

And Christ let Lazarus die, knowing full well that his sisters would grieve and he would greive, for the death had a purpose. This was fairly unique: it is not like the other reading f the day where Paul was beaten and left as dead, but recovered.

There appears nothing fair about this. But we forget that God is not a man. His ways are wiser than ours. There was more to the story than the disciples could see now. We have the gospels, and know that Christ called Lazarus out of the temb, ad the ruling council decided that if Jesus had to die, this Lazarus better die with him.

But his sisters grieved. And the disciples thought they were going to their deaths.

Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” But when Jesus heard it he said, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”

Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?” Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” After saying these things, he said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.” The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died, and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” So Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”

(John 11:1-16 ESV)

Jesus used illustrative langauge. It was well understood by those who listened: his stories were metaphors for other things. He did not speak plainly often, so one should pay attention when he does.

And he said that he had chosen not to be at Lazarus’ bedside so that the disciples would believe. He had already spoken of his death, and he loved Lazarus. Vut he stayed away. SOme would have considered he was no prophet, for he had said Lazarus would not die, yet he did.

Perhaps it is that Jesus knew how weak we are. We needed a demonstration that he could raise one from the grave.. For he was going to die, and his disciples needed to remain with some hope so that they would see the resurrection to come. They thought they were on a noble ride to a heroic death, akin to the Maccabees.

They needed demonstration that this was something greater.

For our faith is not of this world. It is not tribal, as Judaism is: it s not caste basted, as for the Hindus, and it s no groups pagan mythology. It is something different.

We need to neither conflate our faith with our tribe, nor think it is some form of proposition or political ideology that can be activated in this world. We cannot bring the kingdom of God on this earth, or raise Lazarus again, by our programmes or strategic aims.

This is a work of God, and it is beyond our understanding.

And if the church becomes the work of man, it will fail, fall and be discarded.

According to the data compiled by the PCUSA’s Office of the General Assembly, by the end of 2013 membership was approximately 1.76 million, compared to approximately 1.84 million by the end of 2012.

Additionally, the number of PCUSA congregations decreased during 2013. There were 10,038 churches in 2013, versus 10,262 in 2012.

Of the 224 churches no longer with PCUSA, 148 of them were dismissed to other denominations while the remaining number were dissolved.

For the third straight year, the number of dismissed congregations increased, having been 21 in 2011, 110 in 2012, and 148 in 2013.

The Rev. Gradye Parsons, stated clerk of the PCUSA General Assembly, said in a statement that he saw hope in the numbers, given that the overall decline was diminishing compared to previous years.

The elite of this world love this world, and hate that which is not of it. Christ stated plainly that his kingdom is not of this world. Such people are in the highest levels of all churches. They have destroyed the witness of the PCUSA. THey are destroying the witness of the Anglicans, in a fear that they will not be pastoral, or will be racist.

Do not follow their example. Follow Christ, who knew when not to do a pastoral visit.