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"Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb.
It was a cave, and a stone lay against it."
(John 11:38)
I have never had a kidney stone and hope I never do. I have heard many horror stories about kidney stones. These small stones can cause an enormous amount of pain. I have heard it said that when a man gets a kidney stone, he gets a glimpse of what it is like for a woman to have labor pains. These stones are unwanted visitors in our physical bodies that if not passed naturally must be removed surgically.
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We have other invading stones in our lives that are not physical, but emotional, mental, or financial. We all have to deal with these intruders, and if we cannot remove them on our own, then we need to call for the help of a trusted friend, pastor, or biblical counselor. Indeed, heavy stones line the pathways of life.
Lazarus died, and there was a stone rolled over the entry of his tomb. Here is how one biblical scholar describes the tomb of Lazarus and the stone at his tomb:
"The grave site briefly described in v. 38 conforms to many of the tombs that can still be seen in that vicinity. Such sites were usually formed from hollowed out caves, some of which would have multiple horizontal or vertical vaults dug out from the main chamber. Each vault would generally be covered by a flat stone slab that sealed the grave. The entrance to this type of a tomb-chamber normally was closed by a large circular stone that rolled across the entry in a stone trough. This type of tomb apparently served not only the body of Lazarus but also that of Jesus (cf. 19:41–20:1–12)." (Borchert, G. L. (1996). John 1–11 (Vol. 25A, p. 362). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.)
We are dealing with some macro-stones today like racial injustice, hatred, COVID-19, unemployment, rioting, and destruction. Others I am hearing on the rise are depression, alcohol and drug abuse, and pornography. These are massive boulders on the backs of many, and many feel there is no way out. If this is you, then your stone of adversity is not a physical stone, but it is much heavier. Your stone may not be my stone. I do not suffer the effects of racism like my African-American brothers and sisters. Your work environment may be toxic, and you may feel trapped. Your financial debt may have become an albatross, a bondage so big you are in despair. Your addiction may have grown to the point where if help does not come soon, it will completely destroy you.
Not to overly allegorize, but I can think of a few more stones: Unbelief: this stone blocks you from receiving the power of God in your life. It is not that God is unable, but we are unwilling to believe, and as a result, we miss out. Unforgiveness is another stone that imprisons us and keeps the light and love of God out. Darkness prevails in tombs because the stone rolled over the mouth of the tomb seals it and keeps out the light. Immoral behavior keeps you in bondage with no real liberty. You confess and ask for forgiveness a thousand times, but you still have not repented and turned away completely from the addiction, and you are covered in shame. I am so sorry, because that is not the life God intends for you to live. Jesus did not die on the cross to offer you a life where you have no victory over sin. His Holy Spirit living in you will overcome every sin, addiction, shame, guilt, feeling of unworthiness, you name it; God is bigger!
You may feel as if these emotional and spiritual stones of the heart have teamed up, jumped on your back, and are pressing you down so hard that you feel like there is no way out... but there is: there is always a way when you turn to Jesus Christ, the One who is still rolling stones. Please reach out to a trusted friend who can help point you to Christ and pray for you.
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Help children build a lasting foundation.
Point the kids in your life to Jesus with a copy of the Bedtime Devotions with Jesus Bible.
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The DEMIC in PANDEMIC
Pastor Danny wraps up his two-part series on how we as Christians should weather hard times, like the COVID-19 pandemic. He finishes out his PANDEMIC acronym, discussing the last four points--DEMIC.
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