This is a sermon I'm writing for a funeral of a woman I've never met and who
isn't Lutheran. However, I am assured by the pastor who has been
ministering to her and for whom I am filling in that she is a Baptized child
of God and a woman of faith. Let me know what I can improve, please!
You'll notice that I don't know how many children she has--though it's at
least two--or even the name of her husband, so those blanks will be filled
in as I talk with her daughter and the pastor.
__________________________________
Sermon—The Funeral of D**** D*****
They Will Be Done
Matthew 6:10b
Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ. Amen. Our text is Matthew chapter six, verse 10b: Thy will
be done on earth as it is in heaven.
It is never easy to accept being separated from those we love whom the Lord
has called to rest from the labors of this life. Sometimes it is made
easier by the circumstances surrounding the final days, months or years of
their life. Certainly in the midst of our grief we can feel some relief
that D**** no longer struggles with the ravages of cancer. Nevertheless,
while there may be some measure of relief, there is also grief and pain and
sorrow.
The events that led us to where we are today were not unexpected. Pastor
L******, who had been visiting with D****, knew that she was not likely to
be in this world much longer. He made preparations in case things would
transpire as they did. He spoke with me before he left town to make sure
someone would be available to bring the Word of comfort to you if he hadn’t
gotten back. More important than that, however, he visited with D**** and
prayed with her. He shared the Word with her, comforting her and reminding
her of the truth that Jesus died to give her eternal life. And he prayed
with her the very words which we just heard, words from the Lord’s Prayer:
“Thy will be done.”
If it were up to us, D**** would have regained some measure of health and
would have lived to enjoy the company of her family and friends. This was
not to be. This was certainly not the way we wanted things to turn out.
However, we can be comforted that the life and death of D**** D*****
happened exactly as it was meant to happen. We can be confident and sure of
that. The prayer that Pastor L****** and D**** prayed together was
answered resoundingly. They prayed, “Thy will be done.” And everything
happened exactly as the Lord willed it to happen.
Why would God desire that our beloved sister in the faith should die? That
question is no easier to answer than the question of why He would allow her
to suffer as long as she did. It is not because He is a cruel God. It is
not because He desires the death of His children. We can make some guesses.
After all, we know that she was suffering from terminal cancer. Surely a
loving God wouldn’t want to unnecessarily extend her suffering. But the
truth is, no one can fully know the mind of God. No matter how much faith
we have, no matter how much education we might have concerning God’s Word,
nobody can know the full counsel of God. As Paul teaches us in the First
Letter to the Corinthians, “The foolishness of God is wiser than the wisdom
of men.”
That’s why our Lord Jesus Christ would have us call upon the Father and say,
“Thy will be done.” The great joy of that prayer is that we don’t have to
understand the will of God. We can bring our petitions before the Lord. We
know that He already understands what we need and want, and knows and
understands these even better than we can ourselves. We bring those
petitions before the Lord, and we leave them in His hands, knowing that He
will provide for us whatever is right for us, whatever is best, whatever
will answer our prayer in the most beneficial manner. His will shall be
done and is done; and whatever that means, we can trust that God has
answered our prayer exactly as it should be answered. For some, that might
be a miraculous cure. For some, it might be a temporary respite.
And for D****, that meant that it was the Lord’s will that she should be
washed in the waters of Holy Baptism, where God made her His own child. It
meant that it was God’s will that she be a sweet-natured, generous, artistic
bundle of energy. It meant that it was God’s will that she should meet
XXXXXXX during World War II, and that they should be married in 1947 and
spend 61 wonderful years together. It meant that it was God’s will that she
should have XX children who she would raise together with her husband. And
it meant that this was exactly the right time for the Lord to call her home
to Himself.
When I spoke with her daughter the other day, she said something that struck
me. She was telling me about how she talked with her mother, and in the
course of the conversation between them they determined that “Sometimes we
reach for other things than what we have. Instead of that, we need to be
patient and wait on the Lord.” In the midst of the suffering D**** endured,
and in the midst of the grief that her daughter bore as she spoke to me,
they understood this profound truth. Thousands of years earlier, our
brother, the psalmist David, understood this same truth. He prayed, “Show
me Your ways, O LORD; teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach
me, for You are the God of my salvation; on You I wait all the day.”
This is not an easy prayer, even in the best of circumstances. It’s never
easy to set aside your own will and wait for the Lord to show you the plans
He has for you. Nevertheless, it is the best path, the narrow way, for God
will answer your prayers with answers that are far better than anything we
can ask or imagine. For D****, the answer that God gave is a rest in His
arms that will never end. For us, while we wait for that same eventual
answer, He will bless us according to His gracious good will—with the means
to support ourselves, with the love of family and friends, and with the
comfort that we need and desire in our grief.
God grant us faith to pray, “Thy will be done.” For when we pray that
prayer, we know He will answer graciously. In the name of the Father and of
the Son (†) and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The peace of God which passes all understanding will keep your
hearts and minds in Christ Jesus always. Amen.
Rev. Alan Kornacki, Jr.
P.O. Box 3134
Morgan City, LA 70381
h. (985) 384-1783
c. (985) 518-0433
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://revalkorn.googlepages.com/home
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