Sermon for 4/16/23: Second Sunday of Easter

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Life for Dry Bones

Ezekiel 37:1-14

ALLELUIA! CHRIST IS RISEN! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

The faith of a child of God is threatened constantly by two dangers: on the one hand is the danger of overconfidence, and on the other hand, despair. It is to the second of these dangers that Ezekiel 37 speaks. In the chapter just previous to this one, God had assured His people that those who were in exile in Babylon were not gone forever. They would be delivered and return to their homeland. But those people were, understandably, so depressed by their situation that they found it difficult to believe that promise of God. “Our hope is lost; we are clean cut off,” they said. It was to reassure His people that God granted Ezekiel this remarkable vision of the valley of dry bones.

This valley was a picture of that whole community of exiles, dead and lifeless in their exile and despair. “Can these bones live?” God’s question to Ezekiel would normally be answered in the negative. After all, what can one expect from a bunch of dry bones? And that is why Ezekiel’s reply is so interesting: “O Lord God, you know.” In other words, only the One who made these bones to begin with can give them life again. Only the God who first made man from the dust of the earth could make something living out of that valley full of lifeless bones. But the Lord promised to do for these bones just what He had done for the dust of the ground formed into Adam’s body in the Garden of Eden. Remember those words from Genesis chapter 2: “Then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.”

At the Lord’s command, Ezekiel spoke to lifeless bones, and a miracle took place. There was a rattle as bone came together with bone. Suddenly, the valley seemed no longer to be full of detached bones, but of skeletons taking on something that resembled human form. And God’s miracle continued: “And I looked, and behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them. But there was no breath in them.” Tendons and flesh appeared, but the valley resembled a battlefield littered with corpses. God’s miracle was still not complete. At God’s command, Ezekiel continued to speak, and breath entered that army of corpses, and they came to life and stood upright. What did it all mean? Through this vision, Ezekiel saw how God would recreate His people, now apparently hopelessly lost in Babylon.

Compare Ezekiel’s account and today’s Gospel reading with its report of Thomas and his doubts. Thomas had not been with his fellow disciples the previous Sunday evening when Jesus had come to them, alive, in that locked room. He just couldn’t believe that Jesus could be alive. And just as God in His mercy gave Ezekiel and Israel a new hope in the vision of the valley of dry bones, so also Jesus mercifully returned for the sake of Thomas, that he might see Jesus alive, bearing the wounds of the cross, that Thomas would stop his doubting and believe.

And aren’t we often where Thomas was? One would think that, having celebrated the resurrection of our Lord just a week ago, we might have some immunity to such doubt and despair. But it isn’t long before the realities of life hit us squarely in the face, and faith often flees while doubt and despair rush in. It’s not long before we look at the financial figures and attendance numbers on the back of the bulletin and begin to worry again about our future.

Ezekiel did what God had given him to do. He spoke the life-giving Word to bring life to those dry bones. And isn’t that exactly how our lives ought to be described? We carry out what the Lord gives us to do, whatever that may be within our various callings in life, and He keeps His promises to us. The truth is, this is very liberating. Knowing that we are doing the Lord’s will is what solves the problem of boredom and drudgery. We are not just working for a paycheck; we are serving God and supporting our families as He has given us to do. We are not just studying; we are using our minds to the maximum capacity possible because the Lord has called us to be good managers of our intellect. And the Lord always keeps His promises to provide, to give hope and strength, just as He did when Ezekiel preached to those dry bones.

This vision points forward to more than just the return of the Jews from Babylonian captivity. Out of death comes life. From the death of Jesus comes life!—and not only physical life, but eternal life, for the One who died for us lives, never to die again! St. Paul referred to our Lord’s resurrection as the “first fruits of those who sleep.” His resurrection is the sign that there will be more to come. That day is certainly coming. The One who died and rose from the dead says to us, “Behold, I am coming soon.”

As we repent of our sin; as we receive in faith the gift of His resurrection, the full forgiveness of our sins; as we look forward to that great Last Day, we will find ourselves in the shoes of Thomas, no longer doubting, but confessing, “My Lord, and my God!” When God asked Ezekiel, “Can these bones live?” He already knew the answer. Not only can they live, but they live even now through faith in Jesus Christ, in a life that will know no end! ALLELUIA! CHRIST IS RISEN! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

 

The peace of God which passes all understanding will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus always.  Amen.