Unbind Them: Resurrection, Grief, and Community Care

But the story does not end there. Lazarus is alive, but he is still bound. This is something we might pass over, but we need to pause here. His hands and feet are tied, and his face is wrapped in the burial practices of the day. He has been called back to life, but he is still wearing the clothes of death. It's then that Jesus says something unexpected. He does not step forward and unwrap Lazarus himself. Instead, he turns to the community, people gathered there, and says, unbind him and let him go. [00:36:53] (40 seconds)  #unbindHim

Now imagine a community stepping in. One person picks him up at the gate. Another helps him find a place to stay. Someone else assists with finding a job. Another sits with him when the weight of shame feels overwhelming. The court has declared him free, but it takes a community to help him actually live free. That's what's happening here. Lazarus walks out of the tomb alive, but still bound. Jesus calls him into life and then turns to the crowd and says, unbind him and let him go. The miracle belongs to God. [00:38:19] (39 seconds)  #communityCareInAction

If this were a movie, this would be the moment the music swells, and maybe the credits would soon start to roll. But the story does not end there. Lazarus is alive, but he is still bound. This is something we might pass over, but we need to pause here. His hands and feet are tied, and his face is wrapped in the burial practices of the day. He has been called back to life, but he is still wearing the clothes of death. It's then that Jesus says something unexpected. He does not step forward and unwrap Lazarus himself. Instead, he turns to the community, people gathered there, and says, unbind him and let him go. [00:36:46] (47 seconds)  #unbindAndLetGo

And suddenly, this is not just a story about one man long ago. This is a story about us. Because there are all kinds of ways we come out of the tomb still bound. We carry grief that clings to us. We carry fear that tightens around us. We carry stories about ourselves or about each other that we do not know how to loosen. We may be alive in Christ, but still wrapped in the things that keep us from living freely. The truth is none of us unbind ourselves. We need each other. This is where the church becomes more than a place we attend when it fits our schedules. It becomes a community that participates in resurrection, not by performing miracles, but by showing up in the ordinary faithful ways that help one another live. [00:39:10] (54 seconds)  #resurrectionByPresence