Life Finds a Way

Seeking eternal life more than earthly life

03/29/2021

John 12:1-11 Six days before Passover Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. They gave a dinner for him there, and Martha served, while Lazarus was one of those reclining at table with him. Mary took a liter of costly perfumed oil made from genuine aromatic nard and anointed the feet of Jesus and dried them with her hair; the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil. Then Judas the Iscariot, one of his disciples, and the one who would betray him, said, “Why was this oil not sold for three hundred days’ wages and given to the poor?” He said this not because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief and held the money bag and used to steal the contributions. So Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Let her keep this for the day of my burial. You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.” The large crowd of the Jews found out that he was there and came, not only because of him, but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. And the chief priests plotted to kill Lazarus too, because many of the Jews were turning away and believing in Jesus because of him.

We all long for life, and the longer the life the better. That desire to live is why when we are in a dark room, and trying to find the door, we instinctively stick out our hand. We would rather risk losing a limb than our whole life. We have had funerals lately of parishioners who have lived into their nineties, and yet we are saddened and wish they could have lived longer. But how long is long enough? We might answer: the longer the better! This desire for longer life is woven into the very fabric of the universe.

I will never forget that philosophical exchange in the movie “Jurassic Park,” which summarized the message of the movie. Dr. Ian Malcolm, played by Jeff Goldblum, argues that scientists should not stifle life by creating female-only dinosaurs. He says: “The kind of control you are attempting is not possible. If there’s one thing the history of evolution has taught us it is that life cannot be contained. Life breaks free; it expands to new territory; it crashes through barriers, painfully, maybe even dangerously.” Then he concludes his argument by adding: “Life finds a way.”

Still, we know that no matter how much we extend our life on earth, it will inevitably come to an end. In other words, even deeper than our instinct for earthly life is a small voice that echoes in our hearts urging us to seek eternal life. Somehow we know that even though we were created ON earth, we are meant FOR heaven. The long life we seek will not be found here but in the here-after. Earth is not our natural habitat. Why? Only in heaven will we find the true “habitat for humanity” (sorry to steal that phrase from a very good organization).

In the gospel today, Jesus visits his close friends in Bethany, Mary, Martha and yes even Lazarus, whom Jesus raised from the dead. It is six days before Jesus’ last Passover, which our Lord will transform into his Last Supper. That Supper would be followed by his Sacrifice on the Cross, and three days later with his Resurrection. We don’t know what their intimate conversations consisted of but I cannot help but wonder if their topics sounds a little like that sound clip from Jurassic Park. How so? Lazarus had been given a new lease on life, but poor Lazarus would die again. Mary anointed Jesus body for death and burial, anticipating the loss of our Lord’s life. Did they discuss how we all long for life and yet how long is long enough? Where will we find a true and lasting habitat for humanity?

All these questions would only be answered on Easter Sunday, when Jesus rose from the dead, not to live indefinitely on earth but to open the door to eternal life in heaven. That is why Jesus only stayed on earth for 40 more days, until his Ascension: to teach us that the true “habitat for humanity” is his Father’s House in heaven. That is, our longing for longer life is a good thing, but that longing should not be limited to life on earth. It should be transformed into a desire for eternal life in heaven.

My friends, how long do you want to live? Would 80 years be enough for you? Would 90 years feel a lot better? Would you like to set a new world record for long life by living past 120? By the way, the person who holds the world record for having lived the longest is Jeanne Louise Calment from Arles, France, who died at the age of 122. On her 120th birthday, she was asked what she expected from the future. She replied, “I expect a short one.” In other words, “I’m ready to get out of here!” I bet she also sipped some good French Bordeaux wine to help her live so long.

We, too, are offered the Wine of Eternal Life here at every Mass: the blood of the grape that has been transubstantiated into the Blood of God. This Wine offers us not endless earthly life, but endless heavenly life. Only in heaven will we find our true habitat for humanity and where “life finds a way.”

Praised be Jesus Christ!