Okay, so I haven't seen any of the Mummy movies. But as I read today's passage, I did think about the idea of a mummy returning to life. Although I'm guessing the version in the Bible is quite a bit different than the movie.
But hey--a dead guy wrapped up in fabric hops out of a tomb while still covered in his grave clothes? That sounds pretty creepy to me...but that's not exactly how Jesus and other people in the story felt.
To them, the mummy was a friend and a brother. He was a person--a guy named Lazarus. More importantly, he was a man that they loved deeply. And he got very sick and died. It was very sad--Lazarus' sisters lost their brother. Jesus lost his friend. It was so sad that Jesus actually cried. But then something pretty amazing happened...the mummy returned.
Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and prayed,
"Father, I'm grateful that you have listened to me.
I know you always do listen,
but on account of this crowd standing here
I've spoken so that they might believe
that you sent me."
Then he shouted, "Lazarus, come out!"
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."
I can't imagine what it would have felt like to see this scene unravel. Unlike the movies, this wasn't an event where people were scared or terrified--they were amazed and happy.
Jesus' words are also interesting--He thanks the Father for listening to Him. I'm not sure why He used those words in this case, but maybe because it was important for the people watching--or for us--to know that God listens when we talk/pray to Him.
As I read this, I also thought about how this miracle may be a parallel for God's ability to continually bring people to life. We may not all be literal mummies, but so many people are missing the light and love that life through Christ can bring. Perhaps it's time for some more mummies to return...
Tomorrow: John 13-15
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