A Unified Community in the Midst of Tragedy

Introduction

The sport of football is a very physical and dangerous sport. There have been instances where people have died at practice, or even been paralyzed or died from head injuries. There has been many civil suits, and class action lawsuits concerning CTE or Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, which is a brain degeneration due to repeated head traumas, which causes concussions, short-term memory loss, impulsive behavior and depression.

As the Bengals and the Bills played a couple of weeks ago many people were introduced to a man by the name of Damar Hamlin. Many people tuned in to watch a game that would decide home field advantage in the NFL playoffs. As the game began to pick up Hamlin went to make a tackle and the blow to his chest caused him to stand up and then collapse. Typically an injured player is on the field for a short amount of time and then the medical staff can put them on the cart or stretcher and take them to the locker room or hospital for immediate care. This situation was different. Damar stopped breathing on his own, he needed CPR, they had to bring out the AED in effort to try to get his heart to beat again. As they took him to the hospital, multiple reports were given, but one thing that this did was push the power of prayer to the forefront of this country.

I watched sports analyst pray on national TV, I watched social media call on the power of God, I was people be unified around various causes that Damar Hamlin had as his life hung in the balance. This young man went from being unable to breath on his own to waking up and asking if they won the game. If that does not show you that there is a God I don’t know what will.

In the book of John, we are introduced to a young man by the name of Lazarus. Lazarus the brother of Mary and Martha was a good friend of Jesus. Similarly, during that game we saw sports analysts, we saw players and coaches shed tears over the pain and suffering of their brother in the locker room. It’s one thing to have a friend but when that friend is attached to the same mission you’re attached to makes it a little heavier when they are attached to the mission.

The Intersectionality of the Miracles of Jesus

There are a number of tenets that are meeting at the point of intersection during this miracle.

Not to spoil the ending but Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead, nonetheless I want to focus on the in between.

The friendship that Lazarus and Jesus had, the community that was around during his death and ressurection. The fact that Jews sought to kill Jesus. Disciples even said they were ready to die with Jesus, although we know that when it was time for Jesus to die many of them dispersed.

This is also the dynamic of poor healthcare within this community. Jesus healed many blind people, paralyzed and in this case raised this man from the dead.

There are a number of things happening simaltaneously in the text.

Jews still sought to kill Jesus

Disciples said they were ready to die

Lazaurus is sick

Jesus still has ministerial obligations with kept him from staying by Lazarus’ side.

Grief is a complex emotion.

Initially the text says in v. 4 “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby”.

Grieving their sick brother they missed the foreshadowing in this moment. Understand that even in the midst of a dead situation God has the power to revive it back to life and life abundantly.

Understand that when you are a part of a revival the enemy will come after you too.

John 12:10 “But the chief priests plotted to put Lazarus to death also,”

Ministry Will Pull You Away From Tough Situations

Ministry requires a team effort. It’s similar to a hospital, granted the surgeon will make the incisions, and provide a number of duties within the operation that restore the person back to a reasonable portion of health.

John 11:5-12 “Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was. Then after this He said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” The disciples said to Him, “Rabbi, lately the Jews sought to stone You, and are You going there again?” Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” These things He said, and after that He said to them, “Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up.” Then His disciples said, “Lord, if he sleeps he will get well.””

Understand that the power of Jesus is not just preventative meausres, Jesus also controls post-life as well. Often times we don’t see it in the midst of grief. Step outside your grief and know that Jesus has got your back!

John 16:22 “Therefore you now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you.”

Even in death God gets the glory.

John 11:24-28 “Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” She said to Him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.” And when she had said these things, she went her way and secretly called Mary her sister, saying, “The Teacher has come and is calling for you.””

Here’s what we have to realize that there is more power in ressurection than the the prevention of death. If Jesus can conquer death himself think about what he can do for us from a position of eternity.

What we must understand is the rising of Lazarus bears witness to him as the Son of God. He has the power to give life! Jesus is a life giver, the abundance He gives signifies this idea that He can crawl into dead spaces and raise us up to a point that we do not even look like the death that we’ve been through.

When we know who Jesus is, there’s no such thing as a traumatic experience that is truly the end! He is the ressurection and the life! He claims this power and authority to have power over life and death! If Jesus has power over life and death one must understand that He has complete control over our problems.

The Power of His Miracles

Jesus’ miracles provide us with the notion that there is not a door he cannot open, there is not a tomb He cannot enter. The Jesus that has control over life and death can speak to the dead and to the living. He is able to make the command to Lazarus in death because He controls that portion of life as well.

When Jesus revives our situation we have to leave everything that resembles the death we’ve experienced behind. There is nothing dead about Jesus!

If you’re looking for life, listen for Jesus.

He has the ability to speak through your dead situations and give life that no one can question!

Tragedy Unifies Us

One thing that tough moments do is unify us, there were Jews who began to believe in Jesus because of this moment. The entire community was together! Let us understand the power behind being a unified people, but don’t just allow tragedy to be the one thing that unifies us and once things are back to normal we go back to our silos of separation. Malachi 2:10 “Have we not all one Father? Has not one God created us? Why do we deal treacherously with one another By profaning the covenant of the fathers?”

When Damar Hamlin was in critical condition, this entire country unified around him and his causes. Nonetheless the Love of Jesus should prompt us to be this compassionate, this loving and caring even when nothing is wrong. It is only then we will change in our community.