Gospel Reading for March 22, 2026 – John 11: 3-7, 17, 20-27, 33b-45
DYNAMIC
The sisters of Lazarus sent word to Jesus, saying, “Master, the one you love is ill.” When Jesus heard this he said, “This illness is not to end in death, but is for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when he heard that he was ill, he remained for two days in the place where he was. Then after this he said to his disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.” When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him; but Mary sat at home. Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise.” Martha said, “I know he will rise, in the resurrection on the last day.” Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” She said to him, “Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world.” He became perturbed and deeply troubled, and said, “Where have you laid him?”They said to him, “Sir, come and see.” And Jesus wept. So the Jews said, “See how he loved him.” But some of them said, “Could not the one who opened the eyes of the blind man have done something so that this man would not have died?” So Jesus, perturbed again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay across it. Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the dead man’s sister, said to him, “Lord, by now there will be a stench; he has been dead for four days.” Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believe you will see the glory of God?” So they took away the stone. And Jesus raised his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you for hearing me. I know that you always hear me; but because of the crowd here I have said this, that they may believe that you sent me.” And when he had said this, He cried out in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, tied hand and foot with burial bands, and his face was wrapped in a cloth. So Jesus said to them, “Untie him and let him go.” Now many of the Jews who had come to Mary and seen what he had done began to believe in him.
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Did Lazarus live forever? The Bible does not tell us how or when Lazarus died. Some traditions suggest that he lived for about thirty more years after Jesus raised him from the dead—but eventually, he did die.
Throughout history, there have been many stories of people seeking to remain young forever—essentially, trying to escape death. The Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León was said to have searched for a magical spring (fountain of youth) that could restore youth and vitality. The Chinese Emperor Qin Shi Huang sought an elixir of immortality, only to be poisoned by one of the very substances he believed would grant him eternal life. Alchemists in Europe and the Middle East searched for the Philosopher’s Stone, which was believed to produce the “Elixir of Life” and grant immortality. All these efforts, however, were in vain. Even today, scientific research into aging, longevity medicine, and genetic and cellular therapies continues—but none has succeeded in granting immortality.
If everyone who desired to live forever were able to do so, imagine what would happen to the world. An ever-growing population would place immense pressure on resources, infrastructure, and the environment. Pollution would increase, natural habitats would be destroyed to make way for housing and agriculture, and the effects of climate change would intensify. There would be shortages of water and energy, and competition for basic necessities would grow. Overcrowding would lead to the expansion of informal settlements, heavier traffic congestion, and greater strain on sanitation systems. Hospitals would become overwhelmed, access to healthcare would be limited, and unemployment would rise as available jobs fail to keep up with population growth. Even now, we are beginning to see how technological advancements like AI are replacing certain jobs, potentially increasing economic inequality.
As Christians, however, we are promised a different kind of immortality—not in this earthly life, but in the life to come. We are given the hope of living with God forever. This is why, in one of our prayers for the deceased, we say:
“Lord, for your faithful people, life is changed, not ended. When the body of our earthly dwelling lies in death, we gain an everlasting dwelling place in heaven.”
Life is DYNAMIC. As Scripture reminds us, there is “a time to sow, and a time to reap.” Life moves forward in its proper rhythm.
Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.” What truly matters is NOT HOW LONG WE LIVE, BUT HOW WE LIVE. If we live according to the ways of Christ, we will receive the kind of immortality that truly matters.
Lord, help us to live our lives to the fullest, so that one day we may live with you forever.
