Our
Lord calls his servants to his side. We never know ahead of time how
he will provide for them or what he will do through them.
Our
brother, Don, who lies here is one of those people who always seemed
surprised at how his Savior had worked in him.
Whenever
we would talk he always wanted to talk about how the Lord had blessed
him.
Life
of farming
opportunities
for service
ability
to love and serve his late wife, Elizabeth, ability to love and serve
his wife, Virginia.
Never
blessed with children, so he worked to be God's blessing to others,
both family and friends
always
seemed hungry to hear from God's Word and to receive the Sacrament of
communion
This
is where life comes from – God's Word.
This
is where we find our hope.
This
is where we find love – this is love, not that we loved God but
that he loved us and sent his Son Jesus Christ for us.
This
is where we end up living, in 1 Corinthians 13.
Not
our love
Not
our patience
Not
our kindness
Christ's
love on our behalf
What
will Jesus do through us?
Love
our neighbor
Bless
those who curse us
Persevere
patiently, knowing that our reward is great because our Savior is
great
All
those earthly things, as we read in 1 Corinthians 13, will pass away.
God's
love will endure forever.
We
are weak, we wither, we fade away
Might
as well give of what the Lord has given us. He has blessed us, we can
be a blessing to others.
We
love because Christ first loved us.
We
give because Jesus has given to us.
We
nurture others because Jesus has nurtured us.
How
has he nurtured us?
Word
and Sacrament.
How
do we do the works of God?
Believe
on the Lord Jesus Christ. This is our eternal bread. This is food to
life everlasting.
As
we lay our brother to rest, we know we can see him again. He has
spent many years hungering and thirsting for righteousness.
He
has been a partaker of the Word of God, the food to eternal life.
He
will rise again, for he knows that his Savior has risen again.
He
has seen his Savior face to face. All wondering, all doubting, all
fear, all the cares of this world have passed away.
We
too can look to our Savior. We too, right here, right now, are
partakers of the Word of God. We too do the works of God by hearing
and believing the Word of the Lord. We too are nourished to eternal
life. And we know that death is not final. It has been overcome in
the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.
Jesus
is the one who raises the dead. Jesus is the one who gives himself so
that we can rise like him.
Don
is not alone. Neither are we. We too can rest in the perfect love of
Christ, who casts out all fear, who has defeated death on our behalf.
Let us then look to him, trusting that he is our great reward, as he
is the reward of our brother Don.
Throughout
this day, then, as we are led by our brother to the cemetary, as we
walk down the path we pursue, let us remember how our Savior went
there too. Let us build one another up, reminding each other of the
Word of God at work in our brother, reminding one another of the Word
of God at work in each one of us. I hope the luncheon will be a place
where that building up continues, as we tell stories and share
memories. I hope that in the days and weeks to come we will gather
around Virginia and the rest of the family and friends, building one
another up together in that living hope that we have in Jesus,
receiving nurture to eternal life.
That's
what our Savior has given us. That's what our brother Don would
rejoice in, for he always hungered for the Word of God.
Now
may the peace of God which passes all understanding guard your hearts
and minds through Christ Jesus our Lord, in the Name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, amen.
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