[This is one in a series of mid-week Reflections published by Horley Baptist Church during December 2020]
In 1893 Arthur Conan Doyle published his story “The Final Problem” in which he killed off his hero, Sherlock Holmes. The famous detective’s adventures had been reported on a regular basis in ‘The Strand Magazine’ and when the death was announced the magazine lost 20,000 subscribers. It is rumoured that many people in London wore black armbands as a sign of mourning. Such was the reaction that the author had to resurrect his creation to satisfy public demand.
Sherlock Holmes was only a product of Conan Doyle’s imagination. What if a real person were to be resurrected? Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead after he had been in his tomb four days. We have no record of what Lazarus might have said about his experience but we do know how the religious authorities reacted:
So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and believing in him. [John ch12 v10-11 nivuk]
Surely the authorities would not have reacted in this way if Lazarus had nothing to say about his experience and simply sat quietly in the corner; rather, they considered his witness to be a threat to them.
For both Holmes and Lazarus the reports of their deaths were somewhat premature. Holmes also reappears in many stories written by other authors who have picked up Conan Doyle’s mantle. Lazarus is remembered by those who read John’s account, and in Cyprus where, it is said, he became a church leader after fleeing the Jewish authorities. In due course, they both did die again, their lives came to an end.
And so we reach the end of this series of reflections. Sixty-five compilations of diverse thoughts intended to provide a small dose of spiritual encouragement on a dull weekday. Will my readers cry for more? Will I do a ‘Conan Doyle’ and return to the keyboard? Who knows? Let Paul have the last word for this year:
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. [Ephesians ch3 v20-21 nkjv]
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Contributed by Steve Humphreys; © Steve Humphreys