The promise of Lazarus by Dr. Bruce

The dogma of resurrection

What does it mean to raise someone from the dead? It’s the promise of biblical dogma. Now, sure, but everyone understands that’s ‘spiritual’ renewal, not actually ‘raising a person from the dead,’ right? But what about people who, for whatever reason, believe in the promise of a physical resurrection? People so devastated by loss that they are unable to accept the finality of a person’s demise? What then? They just suffer, I guess. Because they believe that something is possible which is impossible. The dogma of resurrection has been so woven into their subconscious that they don’t even know it’s driving their behavior. And it’s for those people for whom the dogma of resurrection is, in a word, cruel. And, are there really that many biblical resurrections?

Sure. We’ll just look at the New Testament. In Matthew, Jesus tell his Apostles to raise the dead. And we have His example. When Lazarus’ sister told Jesus that her brother was dead, He raised the man straightaway. In the book of Acts, Peter raises Tabitha from the dead and, next to Judas, he was probably the most flawed disciple. Remember that he denied Jesus three times? Paul resurrected a youth named Eutychus. Poor kid feel asleep while listening to the Apostle drone on and fell out of a window, three stories to his death. Seems like Paul kind of owed him for that. And, of course, we have the big kahona himself, Jesus, being resurrected. And finally, there’s Matthew chapter 27, which states that at the crucifixion, all the graves outside of Jerusalem broke open, and the revived believers went into the city and appeared to many people. Yeah, but that was just their spirit, wasn’t it? Well, if it was only their spiritual body, why would the tombs have broken open? Sounds like a physical resurrection to me. Strangely, nothing else is ever said about this event. No historical records. It seems like quite a big deal and brings forward many questions. Were their bodies renewed, or, did rotting zombie-like corpses drop in for a visit? Did they return to the grave shortly thereafter? Did they receive a life-force reset, and like Lazarus, live another thirty years? Why is the result of this stunning event never mentioned? I’d like to know. No Christian I have encountered knows the answer. Many aren’t even familiar with the passage, which makes sense. Why would the church teach something so ridiculous that it might call the literal nature of the bible into question?

OK, but with exception of the zombies, who were assumedly raised by God, the Apostolic reanimators were special, right? I mean they were chosen by Jesus, hung out with Him. Maybe during that time some of His extra-special powers rubbed off on them? Or, perhaps he taught them the secret resurrection mantra? Nevertheless, they were not your modern-day Christians anyway. I mean, that kind of thing doesn’t happen anymore, does it? In 1996, a famous evangelist claimed that he had resurrected people who had died while he was preaching. Just stopped what he was doing, jumped off the podium and resurrected them. Ooookaaaay. I guess a dead person in the audience might hamper the enthusiasm of the congregants and their desire to stick around and put money in the offering plate. In 2019, a church held services to raise a child who had died unexpectantly. Hundreds of people attended, regular old Christians, believing in the ability to resurrect because of Jesus’ example and his exhortation to His disciples to do so. It didn’t work, but I’d hate to tell those folks, especially the grieving parents, that they just weren’t special enough for their child to be revived.

Years ago I worked with Sharon. A nice lady and very religious. One day when only the two of us were sharing the breakroom, we had an interesting conversation. Let me take you to that moment. Sharon seems kind of depressed. Unusual for her because she is always perky, filled with the glory of God. I ask what’s wrong. She mentions how much she misses her siblings. It turns out that Sharon is from several hours south of the city. I ask why she moved. She answers with a sniffle, “A few years ago, I lost my mother.” Suddenly, like a damn breaking, tears pour over her bottom eyelids, streaking down her face. I watch while small puddles form on the table. “I loved my mother. She was my best friend,” she continues, sobbing. “I am so sorry, Sharon,” I say. She just shakes her head.

After a few more moments of weeping, she takes a deep breath and sighs, slowly exhaling, like blowing out cigarette smoke in a long narrow stream. She drops her head into her right hand, and her other index finger traces little watery circles on the table, courtesy of her tears. Finally, she continues, “My grief was out of control. I would go to the cemetery daily. Sometimes after work. Sometimes during work.” I try to be supportive. “Well, Sharon, I think that’s natural.” She waits for me to finish, then continues as if she didn’t hear my comment. “I would pound her grave with my fists. Dig with my hands, trying to reach the coffin. I thought that if I could touch her body, I could….” Her voice is overwhelmed by grief. Then, once the heavy sobs recede she continues, “I’d finally pass out from exhaustion. At one point, the caretaker started watching the grave, believing it was being vandalized. And, seeing me out there, he called the police. My siblings had to bail me out of jail.” Again, I try. “Sure, but-” She cuts me off. “Bruce,” she says, raising her head and looking into my eyes. “This wasn’t just once. I was arrested at least a dozen times. They committed me for a while, but it didn’t work. As soon as I got out, I would return to her grave. The only way to handle it was to send me far away. And, being in the church helps.” How? I wonder. So, I ask, “Were you religious before?” “Oh, yeah, my whole life, raised evangelical. Praise Jesus!” I don’t ask, but sure want to know, how the religion is helping. To me, the only help is when she’s too far away to drive to the grave. Could her extreme behavior come from the resurrection dogma of the evangelical church? This phrase haunts my memory. “I thought that if I could touch her body, I could….”

Yet, it’s not always a relative who feels the pain of loss and is prompted by that dogma. I knew a young man named Dave, who so believed he could resurrect someone, that he actually crashed a funeral of an unknown person. His explanation? He had read about the man in the local paper and felt badly for his small children. Dave empathized with the family so much that his sense of loss was acute and he just knew that Jesus would help. Well, Jesus didn’t and Dave was, of course, thrown out of the funeral. I can only imagine the devastation that the deceased’s family experienced because of Dave’s dogmatism. And Dave’s faith was rattled. But his mind was so brainwashed that he stayed in the church, much humiliated and humbled by the experience.

The Roman Emperor, Hadrian, when at the end of his life, body riddled with disease, suffered for many months. It is recorded that he said, how terrible it is to seek death and not be able to find it. That’s reasonable. In the dogma, we see the opposite. A ridiculous promise. Examples of this promise carried out. Not just by Jesus, but one of his lamest followers. Yet, what are people usually told when someone dies before they are ready to let them go? God works in mysterious ways. God has His own timing. Someday when we’re in heaven, we’ll see all these people and we’ll understand. And, what are people told who actually believe in the dogma of resurrection? That raising someone from the dead is just an analogy, not meant to be taken literally. Really? How convenient. When dogma suits the purpose of the charlatans who preach it, then it’s to be taken literally. And when there’s pushback, then it’s not to be taken literally. Let me be clear. Resurrection dogma is not realistic and it’s harmful. It wires people’s subconscious to think that finality might not exist. That God can do anything. Yet, what if God doesn’t save your loved one? Or does not help you revive someone in Jesus’ name? How does that make you feel? Abandoned? Betrayed? Grief is not rational. No one, in the midst of loss, notices that no one else is being raised from the dead. Like Sharon and Dave, they hold onto the promise. And they suffer. Sometimes for days. Sometimes for weeks. Sometimes for months. Sometimes for the rest of their lives.

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