The prophet tells the people God will have mercy on them in spite of their sinfulness, which is why they were exiled. He tells them that in the future they will have the spirit of the LORD and as such will follow the LORD more unreservedly. This theme is repeated in the Psalm where we repeat, “With the Lord there is mercy and fullness of redemption.” The question is are we willing to admit our inequities and ask for mercy?
Paul reminds us how essential the Spirit of God is to be able to respond to God’s call. He also reminds us of the focus on the resurrection to come.
This weekend we hear of the resuscitation of Lazarus. We have heard the story many times, but do we stop to think of what Jesus is saying and the implications for ourselves? While many Jews did not believe in a resurrection of the dead, Lazarus’ sister Martha clearly did as she stated, “I know he will rise, in the resurrection on the last day.” The resuscitation of Lazarus is one of the reasons for the crucifixion of Jesus, because people were turning to Jesus and no longer listening to the power brokers in Jerusalem. When we have heard the story many times, how do we respond? How would we respond to see someone we knew had died came walking up to us to chat? Where does that leave us in our journey of faith?
Countenance of God 