Tuesday, February 21, 2023

“Rejoice in Suffering, Rejoice in Hope”


This is the Funeral sermon for Kimberly Lynn Haesemeier who passed away on Wednesday, February 15 after battling cancer for three years. Kim leaves behind her husband David and daughter Emmie. You can listen to this sermon here

Romans 5:1-8 (ESV)

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.


In the Name of Jesus, the Resurrection and the Life, dear friends and family of Kim,

How can someone have so much peace with so much trouble? How can you smile when you go through so much pain? How can you endure trial after trial like that? Here’s the secret. Really it’s no secret at all. Kim knew she had peace with God. Since she had peace with God then no other battle mattered.[1] Since she had peace with God that meant she had hope. Since she had peace with God she could actually rejoice in her suffering.

            That’s what you saw in Kim over the last three years. That’s also what our text describes for us here today. When we look at the way Kim endured, we see a good example of the way God wants us to remain faithful through any kind of suffering that comes upon us. You can also have peace and even joy.

Let’s get this straight right off the bat. Kim did not get cancer and die as a punishment for any particular sin. She was not denied healing because of a lack of faith on her part or on yours. It is not as though God was just wanting for five more prayers or something like that to heal her. No. God doesn’t grant healing based on a mathematical formula or anything like that. The exact reasons for this are hidden from us and we will not know them this side of heaven. Even if we did, I doubt we would be satisfied.

            Rather than speculate about God’s hidden plan, we can turn with certainty to the things he has revealed in his Word. We can cling to these things with all our heart and we will not be put to shame. Instead of wondering why this happened, what does our text say, “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 5:1)

            Here’s what that means: If we want to see what God thinks of us, if we want to see if God really cares or not, if we want to see where we stand before him, we don’t look to ourselves. We don’t look to how we feel. We don’t look at our bank account or the latest news from the doctor. If we look to those things to see what God thinks of us, we will often think that he was against us.  

            If we want to see what God thinks of us, we look at the cross. We look to our Lord Jesus Christ who suffered for us there. We heard the promise from the last verse of our text, “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” There is the proof of God’s love. Jesus died for you. Jesus died for me. And today we rejoice because Jesus died for Kim. Not only did he die, but he also rose again, defeating death and opening everlasting life for everyone who believes.

            It’s clear we need this. Earlier in the argument, Paul tells us that “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” And in the next chapter it’s worse, “the wages of sin is death.” This is why we are here today. This is why you know that your time is coming too. You will not live forever. We all sin, and we will all die. That’s true for me, it’s true for you, and it was true for Kim.

            But look who Jesus died for. Paul says it very clearly in the last verse of our text. “But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8) Jesus died for sinners. Yes, all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God and are justified freely by his grace.” Yes, “the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Notice here what God is offering to sinners like you, like me, and like Kim. Jesus died for us and since he rose again, he gives eternal life away for free! Kim received that free gift in the waters of Holy Baptism and trusted this promise.

            Simply trusting this promise, Jesus died and rose again for me, is enough to justify, to make you right with God, and give you peace with him. If you knew Kim, if you read her posts of Facebook, if you talked to her about what was going on, even if you were her doctor, you knew that she had this peace—peace with God that only Jesus can give.

            That peace did something incredible for Kim. As you saw her go through this battle, you noticed that what our text describes is exactly what happened to Kim. Let me explain:

“Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance,” (Romans 5:3) Kim didn’t give up. She fought this monster, and she fought it hard. She tried every trial available. Even three days before her death she was ready to keep fighting for David and Emmie especially.

All throughout her battle, Kim had the same attitude that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego had when they were threatened with death in the fiery furnace after refusing to give worship an idol. When the king asked what god could save them, they gave an amazing answer. Yes, God was able to save them from the fire, but even if he did not, they would not give in and worship the idol. In that case you remember God was with them and saved them when they were thrown into the fire.[2]

Kim knew that God was able to save her, to heal her miraculously, or grant success to the doctors and their work. But even if he didn’t, even if this day came, she would not give up. She would not loose faith in the Lord and his goodness. Instead, she took one day at a time, daily relying on what God provided for her each day. God was with her too.

            The result was amazing. It happened just as our text continues, “endurance produces character.” Over and over again we all marveled. Could we have gone through such a battle with such grace and dignity? Could we have endured with hope and with a smile like she did? Could we have kept our faith through such a battle?

            Cancer changed Kim and her family in a lot of ways. While it showed them their own weakness—she had her tear filled moments—they also saw God’s strength. God did give them more than they could handle. But God didn’t give more than he could handle. The answer then is yes, in your troubles God promises to give you the same strength he gave Kim. That’s what the Holy Spirit does as the comforter.

            That’s what this should produce in us. “character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” (Romans 5:4-5) The goal is hope, looking to Christ and knowing his life and his love.

            To see what this hope means, Dave, I want you to remember when you first met Kim. You each had coworkers who were already married, and they thought you should meet. So Kim calls you and you decide to meet this woman you’ve never met, hoping that there could maybe be something there. So you went to meet her and the rest is history. Who knew, right? Who knew who much love you would eventually have for each other, you probably couldn’t imagine it at that moment, right?

            Here’s the comparison. As much as you loved Kim, there’s someone who loved her more. As much as Kim loved you and Emmie, there’s someone who loves you more, we just haven’t seen him yet. As much as anyone of us loves anyone else, Jesus loves us more and he loves them more too. He has shown his love for us by bleeding and dying. He has given his life for us, sinners though we are. If Jesus is willing to do that for his enemies, just think of what he will do for his friends now that he is alive forever!

Even though we don’t see Jesus now we love him. He loves us. We are waiting in eager expectation, more expectation than a first date with someone we’ve never met. We know that once we are together all pain and suffering, sin and death, will be done!

Kim’s suffering lead to endurance, that endurance produced character, and she had complete hope and confidence in Jesus. But she doesn’t need as much hope anymore. You don’t need hope once the thing you hoped would happen actually happens. She is with Jesus and now. And  whether we are with the Lord in heaven or the Lord is with us on earth, we’re all waiting for the day when Jesus will come, raise the dead, and restore creation.

            I want to remind you of all of this, because although Kim’s suffering is over, an new kind of tribulation has begun, especially for her family. As you go through grief you will be challenged to do the same things over again. In this suffering you are called to endure, to take one day at a time. Each morning you will need to remember that God’s mercy is there for you. This will change you and shape your character even more. But this will also lead you to hope even more, to be confident of God’s promises to you. This new suffering will also produce endurance, this endurance will also produce character, and since you have the Holy Spirit, you will have hope to meet the days ahead.

Emmie, I want you to remember this everyday for the rest of your life. You mom left you an amazing example of courage, bravery, as she went through this with love for you and even joy. She taught you what it means to trust God’s promises even when he isn’t answering your prayers the way you want him to. She clung to Jesus, and I know you will too.

Kim became one more example that shows we aren’t taken to heaven by an easy path. We pass through this present life through all kinds of danger and difficulty. But we do so with peace and joy because we know. We know! We know that Jesus, who laid down his life for us, is alive! We know that he is Lord of everything—including our suffering. He can work all things for good—yes, even our suffering. Since Jesus lives, we are so sure of the future that we bear the pressure of the present[3] no matter what that might be.

That’s what you saw in Kim. That’s what God wants to work in you. And he will do it. Amen.



[1] This roughly comes from Origin’s Commentary on this passage written around the year 200. Find it in Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture, vol. IX edited by Thomas Bray.

[2] See Daniel 3:1-30

[3] This is a paraphrase of paragraph on page 89 of Martin Franzmann’s 1968 book Romans: A Commentary published by Concordia Publishing House.