On January 23, 2020, for the first time, I lost a former confirmation student. Slade died of natural causes. His funeral was yesterday.
I offer these words, not instead of, but in addition to what was preached at Slade's funeral:
Why? Why did this happen?
That’s the question facing us today. Why?
Slade was a young man. Nothing
but his future ahead of him. Finishing
school, getting married, starting a career.
And all of that suddenly and unexpectedly ended. It just doesn’t make any sense. Why did this have to happen? It’s not fair. It’s not fair because he didn’t get the
chance to live out his days. It doesn’t
seem right. Yet, here we are today,
gathered together to lay Slade to rest.
It just doesn’t seem right or fair.
Why? Why did God decide that now
was the time to take Slade? This hidden
God that we can’t see who makes what seems to be illogical and arbitrary
decisions about who lives and who dies. We
may ask, like Martha asked Jesus after her brother Lazarus died, “If you had been here, my brother would not
have died!” And we may be asking the
same question today. “Jesus, why weren’t you here for Slade last Thursday?” So why did God do this, now, to Slade? I wish I had the answer to that
question. I would love to give you an
answer, but I can’t. I don’t know. That’s all part of the workings of this mysterious,
hidden, all powerful God that we know so little about. Now, we do know “Why?” But we don’t like the answer. It’s because we are all born as sinners
destined to die because of our sin. St.
Paul said it so succinctly: “The wages of
sin is death.” And that’s what we’re
looking at today and facing today. But
that doesn’t mean we have to like it.
Because we don’t. And that’s why
we’re here today, to gather together to mourn the death of a son, a brother, a
fiancé, a classmate, a friend.
There’s a story in the Bible about a man who contended
with the question of “Why?” Job had lost
everything – for apparently no reason.
And he contended with God about this.
Eventually, God did speak to him.
But He never answered Job’s question, “Why?” God spoke to Job from the whirlwind, from the
unknowable abyss of the unknowable and hidden God saying, “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?” How can you possibly understand me and what I
do? I am God, you are not. Isaiah wrote about this as well when he
wrote, “For my thoughts are not your
thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” This is from the hidden and alien God who’s
will we never fully understand.
But this same God and creator of all things has revealed
Himself to us. Not from the whirlwind
storm and abyss of the unknowable God.
No, He has revealed Himself to us in a way we grasp and hold on to. He has revealed Himself to us in His
Word. In His Word our God has revealed
Himself as a God of love, of grace, of compassion, of mercy, of peace. This God doesn’t answer our question
“Why?” But He does give us an
answer. His answer is His Son, Jesus
Christ. Jesus is God in the flesh, come
here, for us, for you, for Slade. Slade
was baptized into the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Slade was given the title ‘Child of God” and
all that comes with that name – everything Jesus has offered him – forgiveness
of all his sin, made into a new creation, eternal life with Christ – all
promises given to Slade and to you. All
for free. And not because we or Slade
deserved it. But totally because of
God’s love for Slade, and for you. The
price for Slade’s entry into God’s kingdom was paid in full by His brother
Jesus Christ. He paid for Slade with His
own blood.
And this is what Slade believed and trusted. Back in 2010, the day before he was confirmed
in the faith, Slade wrote (quoting the Gospel of John), “’For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son that
whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.’ He gave his
only son to die for me so I could have eternal life. God is my savior. He has given me the
opportunity to have eternal life.”
And a little less than two weeks ago, Slade and Kristen were here in
worship at Hope. Slade once again
confessed his sin and was absolved of his sin.
He once again heard the Word of God.
He once again received the very Body and Blood of His Savior, Jesus
Christ as he participated together with us in the Lord’s Supper. And now, by God’s grace and mercy, all that
is fulfilled. Slade is with Jesus
today. He has that eternal life that he
was hoping for. And on this sad day, I
rejoice for him. I rejoice that Slade
now gets to enjoy eternally what we are all striving for.
The
promises God gave to Slade in his baptism have been fulfilled for Slade. Sin has no more grip on him. No more troubles, no more illness, no more
problems, no more suffering. He is with
Jesus, just as was promised to him. But
one more promise remains. Christ has one
more promise of God to fulfill for Slade and for us. His return.
Jesus has promised to return to raise the dead. Yes, raise all the dead. Jesus, Slade’s Savior, will call him from the
dead. And just as Christ is risen from
the dead, this mortal body which failed him a week ago will rise from the dead
– glorious and imperishable. Slade will
be restored – body and spirit together again to live forever with his Savior in
the new heavens and new earth Christ will make right and new again for all who,
like Slade, believe in their Savior, Jesus.
Slade’s confirmation verse is Isaiah 48:17: “Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy
One of Israel: ‘I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads
you in the way you should go.’”
Thanks be to God that He is the Lord and God of Slade who has led him in
the way He should go. Jesus was there
for Slade last Thursday - to take him into His arms forever. And on this sad day, we can rejoice with
him. Why? Because Christ is risen, and
we too shall arise. Amen.
