Take Away the Stone!

"Jesus said, "Take away the stone.""

Jn 11:1-45

Before working most of his miraculous healings, Jesus asks for an act of faith from the seeker; a first step, if you will, toward their own healing:

Go and wash.

Rise, take up your mat, and walk.

You may go, your faith has saved you.

His encounter with Martha and Mary is no different. Before he calls out to Lazarus in the tomb, he first calls upon Martha and Mary to give not only a verbal confession of their faith in him, but also an active one:

Take away the stone.

Jesus knows that behind the stone of the tomb there will be a stench from the decay it conceals. Yet he asks Martha and Mary to be willing to face that corruption alongside him. Once they are able to let him into their darkness, he responds by filling its place with his light.

What is the first step Jesus is asking you to take toward the healing you seek?