Sermon: The Fifth Sunday in Lent

March 22, 2026

The Rev. Paul LeClair

Ezekiel 37:1-14 Psalm 130 Romans 8:6-11 John 11:1-45

In the name of the Father who blesses us,

and the Son who leads us,

and the Spirit who empowers us. Amen

~ ~ ~

In this morning’s passage, about Ezekiel in the valley of dead bones,

it’s important to note that Ezekiel did not bring life to the dead bones.

That was done by the Spirit of the Lord.

What Ezekiel, needed to do, was speak the word of the Lord.

For us too, there are times when, through prayer, we need to

acknowledge the power of God that works through us.

Other times we’re able to share our faith with each other,

like we do during our Tuesday morning Bible study

and at our weekly Wednesday night Compline.

St. Patrick’s preachers also encourage us

with their sermons and reflections on the Sunday readings.

There are times when we all have opportunities to share our faith

with people who are seekers or with folks who are unsure about what they believe. And then there are times when we need to speak truth to power,

like our fellow Episcopalians who gather on Wednesday mornings at 7:30 a.m.

for a weekly half-hour prayer vigil at the US Border and Protection Office.

On February 4th, more than 50 Episcopal clergy joined over 200 Jewish, Muslim, and Christian faith leaders for a prophetic moment.

They and gathered at our Cathedral, to speak out against

the violence and abuse executed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement;

to call for adherence to the U.S. constitution;

and to encourage peaceful demonstrations by protesters.

In each of these circumstances, whether they be personal, inter-personal,

communal, or public witness, we have opportunities, like Ezekiel,

to speak the word of God.

~ ~ ~

Psalm 130 is an example of the need, for all of us, to turn first to God,

when we‘re in need of forgiveness, patience, guidance, and strength.

Like Ezekiel, this psalm writer recognized, that with the help of

God’s powerful hands leading us, we can do infinitely more

than we can ask for or imagine.

~ ~ ~

As you may have detected, the theme that is knitted into today’s bible readings

is the power of the Holy Spirit.

Much like Ezekiel’s experience with the dead bones

and the ponderings of the writer of Psalm 130,

the Apostle Paul expressed his belief about the Spirit of God

when he wrote to the Christians in Rome.

He did this by comparing mere human understanding,

(which he called the mind of the flesh,)

with the enlightened mind, empowered by the Spirit.

Paul wrote, “… to set the mind on the Spirit, is life and peace.”

He also reminded all who received and heard his letter, (that includes us,)

that we are not in the flesh; we are in the Spirit,

since the Spirit of God dwells in us.

Then as further encouragement, Paul stated that

if the Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, dwells in us,

that same One who raised Christ from the dead will give life to our mortal bodies also, through the Holy Spirit that dwells in us.

~ ~ ~

Our gospel reading today was a bit longer than the ones on most Sundays.

This is because it’s, well, I’ll call it a “scripture sandwich”.

It begins with Jesus being informed that his dear friend, Lazarus, is ill.

It ends with Jesus arriving after Lazarus had died.

In between those two “slices of scripture” is a passage about

Jesus and the disciples discussing whether it was safe to return to Judea;

where Bethany, the home village of Lazarus and his sisters, is located.

We may wonder, why John decided to interrupt the Lazarus narrative.

John’s reasoning might have been this.

In that middle layer of our scripture sandwich, Jesus explained to his followers

that those who walk during the day do not stumble, because they see the light.

But those who walk at night, stumble, because the light is not in them.

Again, like Ezekiel, the psalmist, and St. Paul, we again hear

how God’s ways and thoughts are higher than those of mere humans.

We also see an example of how Thomas the Twin,

(often mis-named Doubting Thomas,), stands out as the one disciple

who does have faith in Jesus, in spite of the dangers they were facing.

He said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”

When Jesus returned to Bethany, John gave us two more examples

of people expressing their faith.

Like the mis-naming of Thomas, these two statements are, at times,

interpreted as utterances of doubt. Let’s take a look.

Mary of Bethany came where Jesus was, she knelt at his feet and said to him,

“Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

Now, if this had been a criticism or expression of doubt,

would Mary have knelt at Jesus’ feet?

No! She would have been standing before him shaking her finger.

Mary was simply affirming her belief that Jesus was able to save her brother.

In a similar way, some of the Jews who were present

to give support to Mary and Martha said,

“Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man,

have kept this man from dying?”

They too, were verifying what they had witnessed;

that Jesus did have the ability (from heaven) to perform miracles.

~ ~ ~

So, what might heavenly miracles look like today?

Jason is a D student. That's what his report card indicates, so that's who he is. School is a struggle for him, so college is unlikely for him.

With school resources stretched throughout the system,

Jason is considered beyond reach.

So, he’s just a number that gets passed along.

He’s a transcript of D's, buried in the school files.

Shirley is a single mom who works three part-time jobs

to provide for herself and her little son, Noah.

His father died in an auto accident, so a day without work for Shirley,

or having to stay home because Noah is sick is a financial disaster.

Shirley is entombed in an economy that offers someone like her, little hope.

The Mohamed family lives on the edge.

As immigrants from Somalia, their name, culture, religion, and race

put them so far beyond the margins of society

that to people in power, they don’t even matter.

It seems as though they don’t even have the right to exist.

There are many people around us who are entombed in hopelessness;

who are entangled in the bindings of despair;

who are buried in the conviction that they don't matter.

But, in baptism, we’ve been entrusted with the work of resurrection.

We’re called to bring the life and love of God into difficult and trying situations.

Every one of us, whatever our skills, talents and resources,

has a covenant with Christ, to take up the work that begins at Lazarus' tomb.

We can do this by befriending a neighborhood youth who needs a wise friend.

or by reaching out to someone in our own immediate or extended family,

who’s struggling financially or is facing health challenges.

If we don’t know a person who needs to be freed from

the limitations of a personal crypt of crises,

our donations to St. Patrick’s missions will reach out to people in need

in our own community and around the world.

Yes, the Spirit that lives in us, does empower us, even by our small efforts,

to do more than we can ask for or imagine.

Let us pray.

Almighty God,

We pray that you grant us the grace to love what you command

and to desire what you promise.

In the midst of the swift and varied changes of our world,

may our hearts be surely fixed where true joy is found;

in Jesus Christ our Lord and empowered by Your Holy Spirit.

Amen.

Sources:

The New Interpreters Study Bible, NRSV with Apocrypha, Abington Press, Nashville, 2003

Connections, April, 2014, MediaWorks, Londonderry, N.H.