5th Sunday of Lent Sermon: “Resurrection: Where Hunger Meets Hope” by Julie Hazen LaFontaine

“Resurrection: Where Hunger Meets Hope” by Julie Hazen LaFontaine

When Hope Feels Lost 

There are seasons in life when the world feels heavy. Times when grief presses in.  Times when hope feels trapped in a tomb—like Lazarus, sealed off behind a stone.  We’ve felt that lately, in the loss of all souls on the Lily Jean earlier this year, in saying  goodbye to a friend after a long and painful battle with cancer, in worrying about the  world we are leaving our children or grandchildren, in watching our own community  strain under the weight of political division. 

At The Open Door, we see the struggle for hope around us every day. Families trying to  stretch groceries through the week. Parents quietly going without so their kids can eat.  Seniors choosing between buying food and filling a prescription. Children going to  school distracted by hunger rather than possibility. 

We have learned that hunger is not simply a lack of food. It is a slow drain of energy,  dignity, and hope. 

And it is in this reality that we heard the reading from John 11 this morning—a story  many of us know well. The story of Lazarus, the friend of Jesus who died, and who  Jesus called back into life.  

Jesus meets people in exactly that kind of place — a place of loss, fear, and  uncertainty. The raising of Lazarus is certainly about resurrection. But it’s also about  how Jesus moves toward people who are hurting and how we are called to participate  in the same kind of way. 

Knowing this, I want to ask us to consider something bold this morning: The work of feeding the hungry is resurrection work. Let’s look together and learn more. 

Compassion That Moves Us (John 11:33–36) 

When Jesus arrives in Bethany, He doesn’t launch into a miracle. He doesn’t arrive like  Superman. He doesn’t ask questions or offer explanations. 

He starts with compassion. 

In fact, Scripture tells us He was “deeply moved.” And then we get the shortest, but one  of the most profound, verses in the Bible: “Jesus wept.” 

He stands with the people in their pain. He doesn’t rush them. He honors their grief. That is where resurrection begins. With compassion.

Please note: The Open Door is a nonprofit charitable organization whose mission is to alleviate the  impact of hunger in the community. While our work aligns with the call found across many faith traditions  to feed those in need, we are not a religious organization. We welcome, honor and value all partners. 

And that is where the work of feeding the hungry begins too — with a willingness to  really see people. 

• To notice the mother skipping dinner. 
• To notice the neighbor who insists they’re “fine” because asking for help feels too  humiliating. 
• To notice the elder stretching soup for one more day because they don’t want to  take food away from someone who may need it more. 

Compassion is not sentiment. Compassion is action. And action compels momentum. 

It moves a church to open its doors and us to open our hearts 

It moves volunteers to serve meals and pack bags. 

It moves donors to give, and communities to care. 

Compassion is the first step toward resurrection. 

The Power of Community (John 11:39) 

Standing at the tomb, Jesus tells the people, “Take away the stone.” 

It’s remarkable — here is Jesus who is about to raise someone from the dead, yet He  asks the community to move the obstacle. 

He invites them into the work. He uses their efforts to make a miracle. This is how God operates. God’s miracles often begin with our human participation. Feeding the hungry works exactly the same way. 

We roll away stones when we: 

• remove stigma 
• increase access 
• reduce shame 
• interrupt inequality and refuse to look away 

No one person, not one organization or church, solves hunger alone. It takes volunteers, donors, advocates, partners, and neighbors who decide that  someone else’s struggle matters to them. 

Resurrection becomes possible when communities act together.

We Must Believe (John 11:40) 

When Jesus commands the stone to be removed, Martha, who is ever practical, immediately objects: “Lord… what are you doing? This is not a good idea. What about  the smell?” 

Her words sound familiar: “It’s too late.” “This situation is too far gone.” “This is messy  work.” 

We say similar things about hunger: 

• “It’s too big an issue.”  
• “It’s systemic.” 
• “It will never change.” 
• “What difference does one meal make?” 

But Jesus reminds her — and reminds us — 

“If you believe, you will see the glory of God.” 

Resurrection always contradicts despair. Look for the glory of God. 

Feeding the hungry challenges hopelessness in the same way: 

• One meal is not small. 
• One pantry visit is not insignificant. 
• One partnership can shift a system. 
• One act of generosity can create a ripple far wider than we ever see. We are not asked to solve the whole problem. 

We are asked to simply participate in hope. 

“Lazarus, Come Out” — The Call to Life (John 11:43–44) 

Finally, Jesus calls Lazarus out of the tomb, and Lazarus walks out — alive but still  wrapped in graveclothes. 

And Jesus turns again to the community: “Unbind him and let him go.” 

Even after the miracle, there is work to do. Life has returned, but the remnants of death  remain. 

Feeding the hungry is its own kind of unbinding. 

• A meal can unbind a person from fear. 
• Choice can unbind them from shame. 
• Advocacy can unbind them from injustice.

Every time we feed someone, a piece of the graveclothes falls away. Resurrection is never just a moment. It is a process. A process that God invites us into. 

A Sign (John 11:45) 

The raising of Lazarus was a sign — a glimpse of what God longs for in the world. Feeding the hungry is also a sign. 

It points toward a world where every person has a seat at the table, where abundance is  shared, where no child cries from hunger and no elder worries about having enough. 

Every meal served is a small taste of the banquet God is preparing for us. 

When we feed the hungry, we don’t just meet a need. We catch a glimpse of God’s Kingdom. 

Our Resurrection Calling 

Resurrection is not only a promise for someday — it’s a calling for today. 

Jesus shows us the pattern: 

• See suffering 
• Feel compassion 
• Roll away stones 
• Speak life 
• Unbind and set free 

This is what happened at the tomb of Lazarus. 

And this is what happens every time we stand together against hunger, isolation, and  injustice. 

May we be people who choose life. 

People who roll away stones. 

People who are not afraid to get messy. 

People who refuse to let despair have the final word. 

Because it doesn’t. Life has the final word. 

And Christ calls us to join Him in bringing that life to others in the a place where hunger meets hope.