Dunbar United Church of Christ - November 1, 2009

I. The writer of the Gospel of John wants us to understand that we are all Lazarus. We are buried in the tomb of our self-interest, wrapped like mummies and tied-up by ego, our addictions and anger that sometimes we can’t control, words shooting like buckshot from our mouths, too late to stop the damage. We’re prisoners of moods, impulses like buying a car we can’t afford and saying “Why did I buy that,” or “Why did I lose my food money in slot machines?” In the land of the free, we are not free from ourselves.

II. “Until Jesus Christ calls you,” the Gospel of John says, “until Jesus says, “Come out! Come out of your self-absorbed life, your moldy faith, your dull routines -- Come OUT!” Until Jesus calls us, John says, we’re dead like Lazarus. And to make the point, he adds, “Not just dead -- but stinking too!” The apostle Paul said, “Wretched man that I am, who will save me? I can’t stop doing what I don’t want to do -- and I despise the things I do! Who will free me from myself?”

III. Caravaggio was one of the greatest painters of the sixteenth century. He was a devout man who believed in God and Jesus Christ, but he couldn’t control his anger. The last thing he painted was a picture of the boy David, with one hand holding a sword and the other, the severed head of Goliath. Surrounding David and the head is black, totally black, with only enough light in the painting to show David’s and Goliath’s head. When look closer at the painting you realize that the head David is holding is Caragaggio’s. Caravaggio was looking back on the 40 years of his life and saying he spent most of it in a tomb, not free to use the tremendous gifts God gave him, not free of himself. Because of his anger, he killed at least one man and was constantly in street and bar fights. He couldn’t stop living violently. A reward was offered for his head.

IV. Most of us aren’t that out of control. We haven’t killed someone, except maybe with our words. We don’t live like fugitives, as Caravaggio did.

But according to the Gospels, we’re still not free. Sometimes our moods, our tempers, our habits control us. Our self-interest can blind us to the needs of others. I think the whole health care debate comes down to these two sides: those who are interested in only themselves, and those who are interested in others. We’re not free to love our neighbor, our enemies, or ourselves as God loves us.

V. Today Jesus calls us from the tombs of our self-absorption. “Come out and join me in the kingdom of heaven,” he says. “Love God and serve others. You’re so close.”