1 A man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 It was her brother Lazarus who was sick. 3 So the sisters sent word to Jesus, "Master, the one you love so very much is sick." 4 When Jesus got the message, he said, "This sickness is not fatal. It will become an occasion to show God's glory by glorifying God's Son." 5 Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus, 6 but oddly, when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed on where he was for two more days. 7 After the two days, he said to his disciples, "Let's go back to Judea.
17 When Jesus finally got there, he found Lazarus already four days dead. 20 Martha heard Jesus was coming and went out to meet him. Mary remained in the house. 21 Martha said, "Master, if you'd been here, my brother wouldn't have died. 22 Even now, I know that whatever you ask God he will give you." 23 Jesus said, "Your brother will be raised up." 24 Martha replied, "I know that he will be raised up in the resurrection at the end of time." 25 "You don't have to wait for the End. I am, right now, Resurrection and Life. The one who believes in me, even though he or she dies, will live. 28 After this, she went to her sister Mary and whispered in her ear, "The Teacher is here and is asking for you." 29 The moment she heard that, she jumped up and ran out to him. 32 Mary came to where Jesus was waiting and fell at his feet, saying, "Master, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died." 33 When Jesus saw her sobbing and the Jews with her sobbing, a deep anger welled up within him. 34 He said, "Where did you put him?" 35 Jesus wept. 36 The Jews said, "Look how deeply he loved him." 38 Then Jesus said, "Remove the stone." Then he shouted, "Lazarus, come out!" 44 And he came out, a cadaver, wrapped from head to toe, and with a kerchief over his face. Jesus told them, "Unwrap him and let him loose."
The miracle of the raising of Lazarus is beyond our grasp.
A piece of it we can grasp is that it means that God can take the very thing which is causing us to say , “Life is a dirty trick.” and turn it into a revelation of God’s glory, and experience of God’s closeness. Yes, a blessing!
Another piece of it we can feel is that, no matter what, "joy (laughter) comes in the morning."
Ps. 30:5
April Fools day.was 5 days ago. It is a day to look at life through laughter. Perhaps that is also a good way to look at death. And this text. Think what must have taken place at the home of Mary, Martha and Lazarus that night he was set free from death. Do you suppose there was some laughter? The glory, power and love of God had been revealed and they knew it deep within their being. That is reason to rejoice, celebrate and laugh!
It is good to laugh and cry together. To laugh even in the face of death.
Laughter can be a statement of faith and of the “sure and certain hope” which is ours.
“If we walk with Jesus and weep with him, I think he also wants us to laugh with him.”
Cal Samra “The Joyful Christ"

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