Pentecost, May 20, 2018

The Prophet Ezekiel saw a vision of a valley full of dry bones. The visions of the Old Testament prophets are like the parables of Jesus in the New Testament. Ezekiel's vision is not a literal happening or a literal prophecy for the future, but rather a graphic way to talk about God. The Lord God asked Ezekiel, "Son of man, can these bones live?" Of course the bones cannot live, there is no hope that they can live again. They are the remains of an army defeated in battle, dead and left in the desert to completely dry out. The bones cannot live, but yet, the prophet knows that with the Lord anything is possible, so the prophet answered, "O Sovereign Lord, you alone know." God said, "Prophesy to these bones." He did, and the bones received flesh and skin. But yet they were still dead. There was no breath in them. So the Lord said "Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son o man, and say to it, 'This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe into these slain, that they may live.'" Ezekiel spoke as commanded, and breath came into them and they stood on their feet -- a vast army. Then God interpreted this parable-like-vision. The bones are like the people of Israel. They feel that they are dead and dried up without hope. The people of Israel are living in Exile in Babylon. They feel that their precious homeland in Canaan is gone forever. They feel that they as a nation and as a people will soon be dead, with no hope of ever returning to the Promised Land. Jerusalem was defeated, the temple destroyed, they were taken into exile for annihilation. They have no hope of remaining God's chosen people. They were like the dry bones. But the Lord has a different idea. The Lord had made a covenant promise. He will bring his chosen people back to the Promised Land. And when he does that it will seem like a resurrection from the dead. The people will be filled with new life, with new breath, with a new spirit, with hope.

When we look at this vision of dry bones, we might see our own dry bones out there in the desert. When our lives are without hope, it is like we are dried up completely to the bones. Old people might actually feel that their bones are dry and brittle and easy to break. The joints actually do dry out when the knees have arthritis. If they think that they are going to die without hope, then they are like the dry bones of the desert already. Even young people can feel a dryness in their bones. When there is no hope for the future, no hope of a job, no hope of love, no hope of happiness, then they feel dead already. They may have flesh and skin, but without hope, it is like not being alive.

We might feel dry because we are out of tears. The sadness and loneliness and pain and regret and failures and mistakes of life can take away our energy. Fear can make us dry. There is fear of both physical and emotional danger. We can fear the consequences of our mistakes, our crimes, and our sin. So we can fear both people and hell and God.

When we feel as dry as the bones in the valley that Ezekiel saw, we may wonder if life has meaning for us and whether it is worth living any more. There may be thoughts of suicide. And when we feel this dry and hopeless, the Holy Spirit speaks to us the words spoken by the Lord God to Ezekiel. And we Christians, like dry sponges, soak up those words!

The Lord said to Ezekiel, "Prophesy to the breath.... 'This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe into these slain, that they may live.'"

This breath is the spoken word of the Gospel. We have the breath of life because of the life given to us by Jesus Christ. When Jesus was crucified, the sign "This is the King of the Jews" was written above his head. This was the hope that the disciples had, they had hoped that Jesus was the Messiah that would save them. Now Jesus is killed and their hope was dead. He was killed and buried in a tomb like old bones. "Can these bones live?" This was the mocking voice of the devil. And then like when creating the first man Adam when God breathed into him the breath of life, God raised Jesus from the grave. And Jesus once again became a living being. This is the same breath that gives us hope and life. W

e may look around us and see only a valley of dry bones. We look at our world or our country or our family or our church and ask, "Is there any hope? Can these bones live?" Humanly speaking, "No, they can't." But when the Lord God asks us, "Can these bones live?" he is calling for a response of faith. "With you Lord, everything is possible; there is hope in you."

Today is Pentecost. The infant church was meeting in Jerusalem on a Sunday morning 50 days after Easter. Surely they were praying, "Can we live? Can we survive and preach the Gospel of love and forgiveness and eternal salvation? Is there hope?" And then the Holy Spirit blew breath into their dry bones and refreshed their faith and hope. Peter and the disciples proclaimed the Gospel of Jesus Christ, saying, "And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." And on that day, 3000 people were baptized, their spiritual bones no longer dry. The Holy Spirit gave hope.

Today three youth are confirmed. They confess that their faith is not dry, but alive. In this we have a sign of hope for our church, and the church throughout the world: faith is alive. The Holy Spirit like a mighty wind breathes into us the breath of life.

Amen.

Michael Nearhood, Pastor
Okinawa Lutheran Church

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