“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.

The Crown of Life

 

“The Crown of Life”

Funeral Sermon for Ella “Faye” Fritsche

Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Emma, Missouri

Wednesday of Holy Week

April 13, 2022

Revelation 2:8-11

You can listen to this sermon here

Hymns: I Know that My Redeemer Lives

I Am the Bread of Life

Children of the Heavenly Father

Go My Children With My Blessing

“And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: ‘The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life.’

“‘I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.’”

 In the name of Jesus, the first and the last, who died and came to life for you, dear Judy, Kathi, along with your family and friends,

                   It doesn’t seem fair. After all, it wasn’t that long ago that your family was all gathered here in celebration of your mom’s retirement. It wasn’t long before one thing started piling up. We know Faye was looking forward to retirement, spending time with her children and grandchildren. This isn’t what you were hoping for.

                   None of this is hidden from the Lord Jesus Christ. When we think of someone we love dearly, it’s good for us to remember that Jesus loves them even more than we ever could. That is what this week above all other weeks show us. Here in this week when we remember Jesus’ suffering and death, we would miss the point entirely if we didn’t stop and remember that this was for us. Jesus died for Faye. Jesus rose from the dead for Faye. But it wasn’t just for Faye, it was also for you.              

                   Let’s look at the promises Jesus makes to us in our text today. In Revelation 2:8-11, Jesus is sending a message directly to Christians in Smyrna—a city in western Asia Minor. It is one of seven letters that Jesus delivers to seven churches. In these letters Jesus encourages each of these churches and us. Let’s take four things out of this letter for our encouragement and comfort today.

                   First, Jesus says, “I know your tribulation”. A good nurse knows what you are going through. That’s one reason that many of you loved Faye so much. She was able to emphasize with all the kids who came in to see her. After all, after twenty years as a school nurse, she had pretty much seen it all. You can’t surprise something who has been a nurse that long. Whether it’s fevers, puking, or someone feeling down, a good nurse doesn’t say, “Yuck! What’s that?” I’ve never seen that before. I don’t want to deal with that.”

                   You know, everything nurses have to deal with is a result of sin. That’s where sickness, injury, and heartache come from. God never intended for these things to be part of the world. We are the ones who have brough them in along with death because of our sin. We all sin and we will all die. We can say the same thing as the thief on the cross, “We are receiving the due reward of our deeds.” (Luke 23:41) We are here today because Faye was a sinner, so am I, and so are you.

                   But we have someone else who knows our tribulation. That is the Lord Jesus Himself. He knows our trouble. He knows it because He felt it Himself. We have a God who knows what it is like to hurt. We have a God who knows what it is like to carry the guilt of sin—not His own, but yours. We have a God who knows what it is like to die.

Jesus died for us and now look at how He uses that. When it comes to our trouble or our even our sin he doesn’t say, “Yuck! What’s that?” I’ve never seen that before. I don’t want to deal with that.” He doesn’t say, “Well, you think you’ve got it bad, why don’t you try hanging on a cross for six hours.” No! Jesus instead says,

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

                   This was a great comfort to Faye during her time in the hospital. She knew that Jesus was there for her. It wasn’t just that. Jesus knew her pain when her husband died leaving her and her girls. He was their through her kidney transplant and thanked God for Jan and her great gift to her. God never promises us that life in this world will be easy. But He does promise to be with us every step of the way.

                   Not only does Jesus know our tribulation, He is actually able to do something about it. Nothing happens outside of God’s control. This leads to our next point. Second, Jesus says, “Do not fear what you are about to suffer”

                   These Christians in Smyrna had the promise from Jesus himself that their tribulation would only last ten days. Jesus doesn’t ever tell us how long we will have to endure our trouble, but we can be sure that there will be an end. God draws the line for where floods should stop and how far waves should crash. He even has the devil on a chain. Evil can’t do anything without God’s permission.

                   God allow this so that He can take it and turn it into something good. There’s no greater example of this than Jesus’ own suffering and death. He is falsely accused, mocked, beaten, and whipped. Even though no one can find any charge that will stick to Him, the only innocent person the world has ever known was sentenced to death. His clothes were taken away from Him and He was nailed to a cross and left there to die. You will not find a greater evil than this.

                   And yet look at what God has done! It looked like evil had won and God raised Jesus from the dead. His body that was dead in the tomb came alive again on the third day. Jesus broke death’s power for all of us—including Faye. Jesus’ resurrection is the only reason we can say that “we know that for those who love God all things work together for good.” (Romans 8:28)

                   So what happened last Friday? God put an end to Faye’s suffering. Dear friends, as bad as the past months were for Faye, she never has to go through that again. Jesus’ promise to the thief dying next to Him came true for her, “Today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:43) She is with Jesus. She has joy that is full and compete. What Jesus promised her has come true.

“Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.” That’s our third word of comfort. The Christians Jesus spoke to here were going to go through very intense persecution. Some of the were going to be thrown into jail. They knew their life was in danger simply for confessing their faith in Christ. When we are confirmed, we make the commitment to do just that, to suffer everything, even death, rather than fall away from Jesus.

Now it’s one thing to think about being faithful under persecution. If someone held a gun to our head and said, “Deny Jesus or I’ll shoot you.” We trust that in that moment the Holy Spirit would give us the courage to be faithful unto death. That’s one thing. It’s another thing to be faithful unto death not just for one moment, but for the rest of your life. Both are impossible without the help of the Holy Spirit.

Although we don’t do this perfectly, there were moments where Faye and Gilbert made faithful decisions that are worth remembering. After Gilbert applied for disability, he and Faye had 13 cents to their name. When it was time for the offering on Sunday, they couldn’t put three pennies in the offering plate, so they put the dime in instead. The next day God provided their first check for Gilbert’s disability.

Kathi was in eighth grade when Gilbert died. They had already made the commitment to send her and to St. Paul High School. That meant it was up to Faye to get her and Judy through St. Paul. That meant a lot of hard work. She did it gladly. Look at how that decision has now affected generations of her family.

What we need to see from this is not what a great person Faye was. She certainly was a sinner like the rest of us. But what we should see how God uses the faithful decisions His people make to bless other around them—and to draw them closer to Christ and His word. With experiences like this of seeing God’s faithfulness firsthand, she endured the suffering that came to her over the course of the last three months.

                   As bad as it got, Faye did not give up. We said before that it doesn’t seem fair that all of this would happen to Faye. But God does something even better than the evil you have experienced. His gift of eternal life is completely undeserved, and He is happy to give it to all who trust in Him and don’t give up. The crown of life is completely a gift

                   As we heard Paul say in Romans 8, “In all things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” Jesus adds to this here, “The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.” That’s our final word of comfort from Jesus. See, Faye died with Jesus in the waters of Baptism. From then on she didn’t have to be afraid of death. In the waters of Baptism Faye received new life. Just like Jesus is risen from the dead, Faye will also rise again when Jesus returns for all of us. Later in Revelation 20:6 it says this, “Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! [That’s baptism!] Over such the second death [that’s eternal death] has no power.” God has made good on His promise to Faye. Everlasting life will not be taken away from her.

                   Jesus says, “He who has an ear, let him hear.” You have ears, so listen up! A lot of what I’ve told you today is based on conversations I had with Faye over the last four weeks of her life. These promises from Jesus Himself were comforting to her and she would want God the Holy Spirit to use these same promises to give you comfort as well.

                   May God do that for you as He has promised. Amen.

"Were They Worse Than You?"

You can also view this sermon here. 

There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And he answered them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” Luke 13:1-5

In the Name of Jesus, who is always with you, dear fellow redeemed,

The examples Jesus gives today could just as easily be ripped from today's headlines. You've seen them, "Innocent bystander victim of drive-by shooting" "four killed in Japanese Earthquake". What do we do when we hear these headlines? Usually, we say “that’s too bad” and let our mind move on to the next story or scroll down the page. 

But what about when these things happen in our own families? An aunt has a case of breast cancer, but it was removed with minimal treatment, but her niece faces a much more serious battle with that horrible disease. Another man has cancer removed in only one surgery and does very well while his father-in-law struggles for a long time. “Why?” We ask. Did one person have more faith? Did one person do something horrible? We want to know why these things happen.

That is probably why these people come to Jesus and asked Him about these people from Galilee who were murdered by Pilate as they offered their sacrifices. Jesus was from Galilee, did He know any of these people? 

But listen to Jesus’ response to both of these. Do you think these people were any worse than anyone else? Do you think they were worse than you? He says this because this is our natural reaction. We figure that these bad things must happen as a punishment. How many times have we caught ourselves saying “what did I do to deserve this?” Then there are the voices from preachers on TV that say “If you only had enough faith you would be healed.” This only makes you question your faith and God's forgiveness if you aren’t healed already. Don't listen to lies like this. 

Jesus’ answer to these is completely different. Did this happen because these people were any worse than you? He says clearly “No”. Bad things do not happen because one person is worse than another or because one person has less faith than another. God is not rewarding or punishing people in this way. 

Jesus is doing something different. He wants us to see our own sin and repent. “Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” He says. Here he’s not speaking of death in this body, but of being eternally lost in hell. 

What do events like cancer, war, earthquakes, and drive by shootings teach us? They remind us how fragile our life is. When we see them, we know that it just as well could have been us. This is what Moses teaches us in Psalm 90:12 “Teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.” Today could be the day that any one of us may stand before the Lord, so what then? 

God uses disasters, tragedy, and sickness to show us the law in a very real way. Death is coming for us all because we all sin. When we experience even the worst the world has to throw at us with faith, we humble ourselves, we repent. We turn from our sin. If God uses a disaster or tragedy to turn us from our sin and draw us to Himself, then He has already made something good happen out of something bad. 

That’s what we all should do every day. But what do we do if we are the ones who are suffering? We all know people right now who are between a rock and a hard place, have pain in their body, or are wondering where God is all this. If you haven't been there before you can be sure that someday you will be. 

We should remember we won’t find the proof of God's love in how we feel or what happens to us from day to day. Consider two verses from Romans chapter 5. “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (That's verse 1) We have peace with God through Jesus. God isn’t angry at us anymore. On the cross Jesus took all of God’s anger. He was punished for our sins. Therefore, there is no more punishment or condemnation for us who believe in Jesus as our Savior. 

If we want to see what God thinks of us, we don’t look at our own life or the world around us. We know that many faithful people suffer horribly, and many evil people succeed. So worldly success, wealth, and even health are not the ways God demonstrates His love. “But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” That’s Romans 5:8. If you want proof of what God thinks of you, don’t look at how you feel, how much money you have in the bank, or your health. Look to Jesus’ cross. See Him pour out His life in love for you. Look at Jesus’ empty tomb. See that death and sin are defeated there.  

If that’s the proof that God loves us, then why does He allow these things to happen? Is it His will for people to be sick, hurting, and die? Has He lost control over the world or has Satan thwarted His good design? Is He unable to make His will happen? Maybe He doesn’t care at all. 

No, if that’s what we’re thinking, then we’re asking the wrong question. Here’s the question we should be asking. Listen to what it says in Romans 11:33-35 

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?” “Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?”

God doesn’t owe us an explanation for anything He does. It’s like God says to Job at the end, it’s basically, “I’m God, you’re not. Who do you think you are to even ask?” Job does what Jesus says to do, repent in dust and ashes. If we go digging in the depths of God’s will, we may not like what we find. Indeed, we may not even be able to understand it any more than your cat can comprehend calculus.  

So notice what Jesus does here. Jesus is taking us from the mystery of God’s will and its relation to evil to the promises of God’s Word. It is better for us to seek His promises in His Word than to speculate about His hidden will. There in God’s Word, we do see the big picture of God's will is clearly revealed.

We know God's will is clearly revealed in the Ten Commandments, which we have not kept. So we hear again God’s will for all clearly in the Old Testament reading from Ezekiel 33:11 

“As I live, declares the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel?”

All are sinners, but God doesn’t want any sinner to die in their sin. He wants people to turn away from sin and turn towards Him. We have this promise attached to that. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9) This is part of God’s will too. We in learn in 1 Timothy 2:4 that God “desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” Yes, it is God’s will to save you! 

We also learn from the parable that Jesus teaches about the fig tree that doesn’t produce, that it is God’s will for us to produce fruit in keeping with repentance. This is why the Holy Spirit works to produce love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control in us. When we show these fruits to the world, we can be sure we are doing God’s will. Of course, God’s commands to make disciples by baptism and teaching are also part of His will, so is coming to the Lord’s Supper and receiving the forgiveness God offers for you there. 

God’s will is for us to repent, receive forgiveness in Christ, through baptism and the Lord’s Supper, to read His Word and let that guide our lives. Those things have happened for you, so yes, God’s will is being done in your life. Those are the big clear parts of God’s will that we know. This is already being done in your life now. Even at the end of your life, God’s will will still be done. Psalm 116:15 says “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.” In Christ, death doesn't get the last word. Jesus does, and He's already been through death and will bring us to life on the other side. We know His promise that He will transform our lowly bodies to be like His glorious body when Jesus comes again. That is His will.

If we trust God with these big, revealed parts of His will, then can’t we trust God with the smaller, personal, but hidden parts of His will? God’s Word promises “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:32)

So, what should you say to someone who is going through something horrible? "God has a plan for you" is certainly true. But for me, it begs the question of God’s hidden will. "God has a plan for you" is not completely good news, or at least we should say it is not the Gospel. God’s will for you does include your death with faith, and there may be a good deal of suffering along the way. Consider saying something like this, "God will be with you no matter what happens, and nothing happens outside of His control." 

            Over the last two years we’ve faced the pestilence of COVID and now we’re staring down the prospect of another world war. This has caused some to wonder which of the four horsemen of the apocalypse we’ll meet this week. When we see these awful things take place, we repent, receive forgiveness, and then rest in God’s love for us which is stronger than death. May God give you peace as you do it. Amen. 

 

Sown in Weakness, Raised in Power

    This is the sermon from the funeral for Bob Loges on Tuesday, May 11, 2021. The text was 1 Corinthians 15:35-38, 42-57. The other readings referenced here were the Old Testament Reading Isaiah 65:17-35 and the Gospel Reading John 11:17, 27, 38-44. You can view the video of this service here. 

“Sown in Weakness, Raised in Power”

    But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?” You foolish person! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. And what you sow is not the body that is to be, but a bare kernel, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain. But God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body.
    So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. Thus it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual. The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven. 
    I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: 
“Death is swallowed up in victory.” 
“O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” 
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:35-38, 42-57

In the Name of Jesus, the Resurrection and the Life, dear Cindy, Kim, Melissa, Jennifer, and Samira, your family, and friends of Bob gathered here today,

Our God is in the business of giving new life. In fact, He holds the monopoly on resurrection. He’s the only one who can make it happen. This is good news for us today as we gather to mourn for Bob. God gives us a glimpse of new life all around us right now as we see the earth springing into new life.

You’ll notice that Paul used something Bob was familiar with in this section, planting and a seed becoming full grown plant. That’s just one example of how God gives new life. Let’s look at how this happens in three different ways, in nature, in Jesus Himself, and finally in us, including Bob.

1. Resurrection in Nature

Paul begins by saying, “You foolish person! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. And what you sow is not the body that is to be, but a bare kernel, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain.” (1 Corinthians 15:36-37)

            Bob used to call himself just a “dumb farm boy.” But here’s the thing, a “dumb farm boy” knows more about new life and resurrection than most people. In fact, when you are farming, you depend on this very thing happening.

            Think about the miracle that happens every time you plant just one seed. You take a corn seed, which looks dry and dead. You take this dry, dead, shriveled thing and you stick it in the ground. Even scientists don’t know exactly how it happens, but it does! That tiny little seed sprouts and grows into an entire plant! It’ll be more than ten feet tall by the end of the summer! That plant is way more impressive than the little seed that got stuck into the ground. It’s even grown more seeds to make more plants of that same kind next year. Multiply that by an entire field growing and it’s nothing short of miraculous.

            All of this happens thanks to one command that God gave back on the third day of creation.

And God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth.” And it was so. The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. Genesis 1:11-12

            God made this process good for you and for Bob too, didn’t He? Through that work done in the ground, God provided for you. He used His creation to put food on your table and on the tables of many others. We can thank God for that today.

            Farming happens according to God’s promise. God said these words just once and it still happens today. As Noah and his family left the ark, the LORD said to him, “While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.” (Genesis 8:22) God has kept that promise.

            Bob loved farming. Even when he couldn’t do it anymore, he wanted so bad to be out there planting every year. The brokenness you saw in Bob’s body and mind is just one part of the brokenness of the world that comes from sin.

2. In Jesus’ own life

Bob’s confirmation verse is Psalm 1:1 “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers.” I haven’t lived up to that, you haven’t lived up to that, Bob didn’t live up to that either. All of us have walked in ways that show we listen to the counsel of the wicked. We’ve all stood and defended our own sin. We’ve all gotten comfortable scoffing at the world, our neighbor, and perhaps even God.

            No one has done this perfectly, except for one, our Lord Jesus Christ. He came to this world to live the prefect life we could not live. And then He allowed the same thing that happens to a seed to happen to Him. Listen to how Jesus describes His own suffering and death,

And Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. John 12:23-24

            We’ve already seen what happens when a seed is planted in the ground. It grows into something far more amazing that what was planted. The same thing would happen to Jesus’ own body. Just think of the difference between Jesus’ body on Good Friday and on Easter. If you saw Jesus when He died, you wouldn’t even want to look at Him, it was that horrible; blood oozing from head to toe, skin torn by whips, nails through His hands and feet, and a crown of thorns on His head.

Yes, what Paul says here was true for Him, perishable, dishonored, weak, dust like Adam. But He was like that unimpressive seed that gets planted in the ground. Just as God’s Word and promise takes seeds and makes them grow, so Jesus, the Word of God, was changed into something that was so much more! Jesus rose from the dead. His disciples saw Him, talked with Him, touched Him, and even ate with Him. Jesus was clearly alive again! Even now He  is imperishable, incorruptible, glorious, powerful, and very, very real!

Jesus’ lowly body was transformed into something glorious. It’s an even more amazing transformation than a seed becoming a whole stalk of corn. It was the same body, just perfect, the way things were supposed be all along. Death has no more dominion over Him. Because Jesus did this, He promises to do the same thing for us.

3. Resurrection for Us

            We know that promise is true for us because we have already been united with Jesus in His death and resurrection. That happened for Bob when He was baptized here at Holy Cross on July 7, 1940. On that day, God made the promise to forgive all Bob’s sins and gave him everlasting life.

            Just we see God’s promise fulfilled each spring as new life begins, God kept His promise to Bob. All his sins were forgiven. And Wednesday morning, the eternal life that Bob already had overcame death and Bob was welcomed into the joy of heaven. Since Bob died in Jesus, death doesn’t have anymore dominion over him either. Bob is with Jesus! He is enjoying the presence of God our Savior and he is done with suffering and confusion.

We know that’s true now, but we’ll see it again. Jesus promise to come our graves just as He came to Lazarus’ grave and call us out. This means that today we are planting a seed. We’re placing Bob’s body in the ground. It’s weak, it’s perishable, he’s returning to the dust we were taken from. But to God this is a seed. In fact, to God, our cemetery is a garden that will sprout to life when He says the word. We’re planting it today in the sure and certain hope of the resurrection.

But look at how Bob’s going to be when we see him on the last day! Those same things that we said about Jesus’ body will be true about Bob and all of us. We will be imperishable, glorious, and clothed in God’s power. We will live forever with Jesus and with each other. This is where our hope lies even now.

            If we trust God’s promise about seed time and harvest coming each year, shouldn’t we trust His promise of eternal life and resurrection? After all, we see seeds growing new plants every year. That happens because God said it would. Since you can see that promise come true before your own eyes, trust that God will also make this promise come true. Jesus is coming to transform all our bodies, and Bob will be right here with us with that happens!

During Bob’s life, you all enjoyed a lot of fun with him. There were the lame jokes and lots of laughs. There were sleep overs with the girls and their friends and then the grandkids. There was riding in the snow and so many other good memories. Just think, in this new creation that’s coming when Jesus raises the dead, we’re going to be able to do all those things again.

And yes, as Isaiah says, there will be work to be done and we will enjoy the work of our hands. Can you imagine what farming will be like in that new creation? There won’t be weed or thorns, the weather will be perfect, and we will enjoy it all. Bob is going to love it, and so will you.

Dear friends, this is the hope we have. God brings new life. We see in the fields each year. We know it happened to Jesus when God raised Him from the dead. Since God has done this we can be confident of His promise to Bob and to us. Amen.

Prayer in the Name of Brahma

 

This article was published in the Sweet Springs Herald on January 27, 2021.

Prayer in the Name of Brahma

Jesus said, “Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it. John 14:13-14

Our Congressman, Emmanuel Cleaver II, had the honor of opening the 117^th Congress in prayer on January 3^rd. Without a doubt, this prayer will be remembered for ending with “amen and awoman”. However, this was not the gravest concern with the Cleaver’s prayer. The only god mentioned by name was Brahma, and thus Christians cannot expect God the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ to answer this prayer.

The prayer began well. It was appropriately humble, confessing “without your favor and forbearance we enter this new year relying dangerously on our own fallible nature.” He continues, “control our tribal tendencies” and give light to “see ourselves and our politics as we really are, soiled by selfishness, perverted by prejudice, and inveigled by ideology.” He started winding down by paraphrasing the familiar blessing from Numbers 6:24-26. So far, so good!

Had Rep. Cleaver ended there with a simple “amen” it would have been a wonderful prayer to open congress. But, in the final twenty-seven words, everything came off the rails, theologically speaking. Before adding the now infamous “awoman” to the end of the prayer, Cleaver made it clear that “we ask it in name of the monotheistic God, Brahma, and the God known by many names and many different faiths.”

We cannot expect God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ to answer this prayer. Simply put, Cleaver didn’t ask Him to do anything. He asked the Hindu god Brahma to answer it instead. The way he prayed is like calling your wife by the name of your ex-girlfriend. 

                Along with Shiva and Vishnu, Brahma is one of the most important of the countless Hindu deities (not quite the “monotheistic god” Cleaver mentions). In Hindu tradition, Brahma is the creator of the universe. But Brahma is not worshiped with as much devotions as other gods in Hinduism—very few temples are devoted to him.

                To assume that gods in other religions do the same things or make the same promises as the God who reveals Himself in the Bible is ignorant. It shows an unwillingness to learn what other religions teach. Has Brahma promised to hear your prayers or commanded you to pray in his name? Did he die for your sins? Has he overcome death for you? He has not done any of these things. He is not interchangeable with the God revealed in the Bible.

                The prophet Jeremiah compares gods like Brahma to the LORD saying, “Their idols are like scarecrows in a cucumber field, and they cannot speak; they have to be carried, for they cannot walk. Do not be afraid of them, for they cannot do evil, neither is it in them to do good. There is none like you, O LORD; you are great, and your name is great in might.” (Jeremiah 10:5-6 ESV See also Isaiah 44:9-20)

Jesus Christ has promised that God will hear your prayers for His sake (see John 14:13-14 above). Therefore, Christians pray in Jesus name or as He taught us in the Lord’s Prayer. We know God will hear us because Jesus sits at His right hand and is praying for us (see Romans 8:34).

I will gladly affirm what many others have said, calling Congressman Cleaver to repent, even in this paper. (For example, I commend to your reading the letter by Rev. Tyler Holt, here on January 13, 2021.) His prayer was politically acceptable. But what is acceptable to the world is often directly offensive to Christ Himself.

The LORD is incredibly jealous and is angry when His people call on other gods. Surely, He is in the case of this prayer. However, throughout the Old Testament we see Israel constantly calling on other gods to help them. What does the LORD do in response? He calls His people to repent and offers forgiveness. Yes, Jesus blood was shed for sins like this—and all the sins of the world. That’s why we pray in Jesus’ name alone. I pray Emmanuel Cleaver hasn’t forgotten this.

Cover Letter to Representative Emmanuel Cleaver II

 The following email was sent to Representative Emmanuel Clever II, my congressman, regarding an the article I wrote for the Sweet Springs Herald to be published on January 27, 2021.   

January 26, 2021

Dear Congressman Cleaver,

Peace be with you in the Name of Jesus, who sits at the right hand of God our Father, and sends the Holy Spirit,

                I along with the members of my family and congregation pray for you. We are thankful for many of the things you have done in our community. We were glad to see you in Concordia several years ago to lay a wreath at The Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall. We are thankful that you take the time to listen to the farmers and even sit for coffee at Casey’s in Sweet Springs. We are also thankful that you and the other members of congress are safe after the horrible intrusion on our capitol on January 6.

For the past eight years, I have been the Pastor at Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Emma, halfway between Concordia and Sweet Springs. In all my life, I have never written to an elected official. I have never preached against one party or another from the pulpit. However, I am writing to you to share with you what will be published in tomorrow’s edition of the Sweet Springs Herald concerning your prayer to open the 117^th Congress on January 3^rd. I have attached a copy of the article. Please take it in the spirit of Proverbs 9:8-10

Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you; reprove a wise man, and he will love you. Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight. (ESV)

                Mr. Cleaver, I believe you are a wise man. You’ve accomplished a great deal of good in your career for your congregation for Kansas City and for our nation. Truly God has blessed you with many opportunities to serve. Since these are all blessings from His hand, do not trade the fleeting love of the world for the everlasting love of God. Remember the words of our Lord Jesus:

“So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 10:32-33 ESV)

                I know there are many serious differences between my church, the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod and the United Methodist Church. Despite all of these, I hope that we can agree that there is really only one God who has revealed Himself in the person of Jesus Christ. I hope we can agree that Jesus suffered for the sins of the sins of the whole world and gave His life for us only to rise from the dead to give eternal life to all who trust Him.

                If you would like, I will be glad to make myself available for discussion about this article or other matters of policy for our area.

Peace in Christ,

Pastor Jacob T. Mueller

Holy Cross Lutheran Church

Emma, Missouri

Marian Horman Funeral Sermon

 “I Give them Eternal Life”

Jesus said, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. I and the Father are one.” John 10:27-30

In the name of Jesus, who is the Good Shepherd, dear Carol, Marlys, Stanley, Judy, Randy, and your family,

            Putting our own thoughts into words on a day like today can be hard. So, rather than turning inside of ourselves to find something comforting, we get to turn to Jesus and to His promises. When Marian was confirmed, she received this verse as her confirmation verse. It is an incredibly promise from Jesus himself. The promise that Jesus made here came true for Marian. Today, as we look at this text, let’s see what God promised and accomplished for her and what He has promised for you.

            Jesus says, “my sheep hear my voice and I know them.” He knows us better than anyone else in all creation. He is the one who made us and has watched over us every step of the way. Probably the most amazing part of this verse is that Jesus still wants us after knowing everything about us.

            All of us, including Marian, have done things, said things, and thought things, that we would rather other people—and especially God—didn’t know about. We may be able to hide our sins from everyone else, but we cannot hide them from God. He knows it all.

            Our sins separate us from God. Naturally, we don’t want anything to do with Him. But since He is the source of life, separation from Him means death. You see, all of us sin, and all of us will die. And that, dear friends, is why we are here today.

            But before sin and death entered the world, God spoke His Word and there was life. Jesus says here “my sheep hear my voice.” Jesus’ voice brings brings life. With just His voice, Jesus healed the sick and forgave sins. His voice brought Lazarus from the grave when he had been dead for four days.

            You see, Jesus’ voice still brings us life. He is the Good Shepherd who calls His sheep each by name. But He is also the Good Shepherd because He laid down His life for us on the cross. We were straying like sheep, but now we have forgiveness in Jesus blood. We can be sure of this because Jesus not only laid down His life, He took it up again when He rose from the dead.

Marian heard the voice of Jesus when she was called in the waters of Holy Baptism. There Jesus promised that all her sins were forgiven, that she had the Holy Spirit, and that eternal life was hers. Marian continued to hear His voice as she came to church, went to Bible class, and read God’s Word.

Another important way Marian listened to Jesus was through her singing. All her life, from singing with her sister, to singing in the choir, to singing in the nursing home, singing was something she loved.

Marian picked all of the songs we’re singing today. These are the words she wanted us to hear, confess, and pray. Look at the last hymn especially. “The Lord’s My Shepherd, I’ll Not Want” is just a paraphrase of Psalm 23. While the other hymns she chose aren’t directly quotations of paraphrases of scripture, they are built on God’s promises to us.

When we sing hymns like these, we are singing back to God what He has spoken to us. It shows that we trust and take hold of God’s promises. This is what Jesus has spoken to us! So, what is that good news? Jesus promises in John 5:25, “Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.” Marian right now gets to listen to Jesus up close and personal.

But even here, as she listened to Jesus, she followed Jesus. That’s what Jesus says, “My sheep hear my voice and I know them, and they follow me.” All the years Marian was in the nursing home, she had this picture of Jesus hanging over her bed. It’s a beautiful picture of following Jesus. 

When we look at it, we see all those sheep following behind Him. The picture reminds us of this point. We are those sheep! You need to imagine Marian and yourself as one of the sheep in this picture. Jesus is leading us! We are following Him.

What happens when we follow Jesus? In John 8:12 He says “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

Even in the darkest time, if you are following Jesus and listening to His voice, you have Him. Sometimes we may feel like the sheep that Jesus is caring because we can’t make it on our own. That’s okay. He promises to carry us through death to everlasting life. He is the light of the world. Because Marian followed Jesus, this kept her going through some incredibly dark times: losing her beloved husband, losing a son, a son-in-law, and even a great-grandson. Even in those dark times there was light because she knew Jesus gives us everlasting life.

            Look at this this way. Marian spent her life on her family—not getting rich, powerful, or famous. She could have done that. Here’s the thing about riches, power, and fame: they don’t last. All those things will go away. We can’t take it with us when we die.

Instead of investing in those things, your mom and dad invested in you, their children and grandkids and great grandkids and especially in their faith. By my count, 30 people, or 7% of our congregation here at Holy Cross is part of Marian’s family. Of course, many more of you went to school here, were confirmed here, and are part of other congregations somewhere else in the body of Christ. Marian passed her faith on to you. Here’s the great thing about that investment: Its lasts. It lasts forever. Riches, power, and fame, all mean nothing in heaven. But when you help other people follow Jesus and listen to Him, they get eternal life from Him just like you. You get them forever.

Jesus says, “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.” As if that weren’t strong enough, Jesus continues, “My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand.” You can be certain that you have eternal life because this is a gift that God Himself is giving to you. If God is giving it to you, no one else can take it away.

Eternal life is just that, eternal! It goes on and on forever. This is a blessing we can’t even fathom because our puny little brains can’t handle the idea of eternity. But look at it this way: One of the hardest things about someone passing away right now is that you can’t be with them. If they had let you, every single one of you in her family would have come by at some point to say goodbye. It hurts even more because many of you haven’t been able to be in a room with her for months. Not only are you morning her, but you’re also morning your chance to say goodbye.

But Jesus’ promise for you and for Marian is everlasting life! Ninety-six years is a great blessing. But what is that compared with eternity? All of you who loved Marian and who love Jesus are going to get eternity together. That time you’ve missed in the past months, you’re going to get it back. You’re going to get it back and so much more. All those things you wish you could do with her you’re going to be able to do, and even more amazing things.

Paul says in the reading we heard from 2 Corinthians 4

“For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:17-18)

Remember that when Jesus comes back God is going to take our corrupted bodies and change them so they are like His glorious body. We’re not going to have pain or sadness or sin. Best of all, we won’t be able to die anymore.

We don’t see it right now, but it’s there. We confess that it is more real and more lasting than what we see with our eyes today. Today our eyes see the horrible result of death. But Jesus’ voice tells us something completely different. Marian has eternal life because Jesus won it for her with His death and Resurrection.

This promise sustained Marian along her way. God has this same promise for you. So what should you do? Do what Marian did. Hear Jesus’ voice because He knows you. Listen to His Words of hope and comfort all over again. Remember that you have also been baptized into Christ and received eternal life already. Follow Jesus by continuing to hear His voice and remember that eternal life is yours. Amen.