After Jesus raised his friend Lazarus from the dead, He told the people, "Unbind him and let him go!" Other translations say, "Take off the grave clothes and let him go." (John 11:44) While Jesus is often accused of causing people to be bound by legalistic rules, in reality He is the great Releaser. His Spirit alive in us does help us to take off those binding grave clothes and to be fully able to move and be who we are meant to be! Just as He spoke to Lazarus, calling him to "Come out!" so He calls us out of the musty tombs and tight restrictions that we find ourselves in.
Just as with Lazarus, we need others to help us become unbound. We also can be those doing the unwrapping of others. As I considered this image this weekend I thought of some of my children, tightly bound by layers of restrictions. Some of these protective layers had their purpose in allowing my children to cope and survive the horrors of their earlier lives, but now they often cause other challenges. Often the children are numb to the world around them after so long in the grave clothes.
It takes a long time to unwrap those cloths, and once unwrapped it also can take a long time to be able to fully move and feel again. Sometimes function never quite returns to what we would all hope. Be patient and continue to help unwind those binding strips, whatever they are. At the same time, I want to allow others to help me with my own areas of restriction, gently unwrapping that often all-encompassing ego and defenses in place.
Remember Lazarus and come out to the freedom and light of day!
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