Have faith, you will see the glory of God

Remembering John Opara                                                                            

Psalm 62; Ephesians 2:4-10; John 11: 17-27

Lord, if you had been here, our brother wouldn’t have died!

Among all the honest prayers in the Bible, this may be the most honest… Martha, then Mary, both said it directly to Jesus, their first questions when he finally got there—too late—to heal their brother Lazarus. He was already dead three days. 

We can identify with their grief. We know God’s healing power, God’s love for life, so when death comes, it feels like a betrayal. Jesus, if you had been here… how did this happen? How could this have happened? And everyone in the family grieves differently…

We have to love Martha... normally, she was holding everything together in the kitchen, nourishing guests, holding the household together. This day, she was the first one out to meet Jesus, ready with these words: Lord, if you had been here, our brother wouldn’t have died!Like many of us, for Martha, grief comes out as conflict. If any of you argued on your way here, just know that you're in very good company. Many of us try to control ourselves or others in response to grief and loss that feels so out of control. Martha is right there, holding Jesus accountable and that's what we would expect from her... But then also, in conversation with Jesus, she expresses such deep faith in resurrection and new life. She believes more than anyone that Jesus is the Christ.

Mary grieves in a different way... She says the same words, Lord, if you had been here, our brother wouldn’t have died… but somehow, it's different. She gets through to the deepest part of Jesus, and he breaks down in grief with them. Because Jesus grieves so fully with Mary and Martha and their whole community, it is not too much for us to imagine that Jesus comes alongside us and grieves with us at the loss of our brother, father, member Johnny... We grieve for all that was so good that we shared and all that we didn't get to share, all the dreams we had for times to come...

So in the biblical story, Jesus goes to the tomb and calls Lazarus out, back from the dead. As we gathered to plan this worship, we remembered how much Johnny's life looked like Lazarus,' called back from death to life repeatedly for twenty years. After a his first stroke at 43, and in each one since… Each time, John refused to let his physical challenges hold him back... And daily, he renewed his commitment to follow Jesus with trust, and the conviction that if God was calling him to life, God must have plans for that life.

John joined this congregation the same day that I did. I began as pastor on September 1^stbut it was Reformation Sunday in October 2014, four years ago, that our group of 12 officially became members at Christ. We were a diverse group—from the countries where we were born, to our ages, and the types and sizes of our families... Diverse in so many ways, but we had a bond because we entered this community together. Over the years, John and I had significant conversations as he pursued the path of seminary and his dream of ordained ministry. He believed so strongly that this was possible, and although it did not all unfold the way that he hoped, I was always moved by his deep conviction and the way that he extended grace to others. After the birth of our daughter, he wrote a special greeting extending his prayers to us, he cared for us.

And he cared for you—your brother, your father, your husband, your grandfather… you’ll remember his guidance and challenges to be your very best, you’ll remember his humor and the laughter you shared, you’ll carry with you his hopes for forgiveness and reconciliation where that was needed, and his desire for you to take care of one another with love and commitment that matches, even surpasses his own.

It is hard for us to say goodbye, too soon... It felt like we should have had a lot longer together and we will miss John's strong voice reading scripture in such a humble and powerful way. We'll miss his presence one hour before worship on days when he was reading. We'll miss his prayers and his deep, "Peace be with you."

But even in our deep grief, we do not grieve as those with no hope, because the raising of Lazarus was a preview to Jesus’ own death and resurrection, an action that changed death forever. Now, we can know, even through the painful questions and cries to God and flowing tears, that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life… that even as Christ died and was raised, we too can expect that journey through death to unfold into new life.

Something I learned about Nigerian culture as I met with the Opara family is a teaching from grandfather to father to sons and daughters...
That John would never travel the same path twice... It was a way of staying creative, keeping safe, always following opportunities to learn from a new way. 

I am sure that if he was speaking directly to us today, John would have said, "I am so sorry for the things I have done and what I have left undone. Please forgive me... And he would say, "Love one another. Right now as you grieve, weep with one another and hold one another and care for one another across all your differences. Take responsibility for one another... Be family, be there for one another. And when you remember me, think of the good we were allowed to give to one another and receive from one another." And John would point you toward Christ for all that you need on this part of the journey, a way you haven’t ever been before…

John would point you toward the words of Psalm 62 – Only God gives inward peace, you can depend on God. God saves you and honors you… God is that mighty rock where you can find safety. Tell God each one of your concerns—God is powerful and very kind.

John would point you toward Ephesians—God is merciful! We were dead because of our sins, but God loves us so much that he made us alive with Christ, and God’s wonderful kindness is what saves you… sending Christ to make us what we are.

And John would have pointed us to the gospel of John, where Jesus reassures Martha and Mary and all the grieving ones that Jesus deeply loves, “Trust me, you will see the glory of God…” and so today, with these words held close, we release John to God’s everlasting care. God who knows us completely and loves us completely and never gives up on us. The path ahead may not be easy, but we know that with John we can trust Jesus, that we too—as we walk life’s unfolding path, as we one day step through death to new life—can have faith that we will see the glory of God