Funerals
(Editorial - May 2001)
We can say with Martha, "I know that he (she) shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day" (John 11:24). Our deceased brother or sister will certainly rise from the dead when "the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God" (I Thess. 4:16). This confidence we should firmly proclaim and, as is usually done, we should contrast the truth to the idea of the immortal soul going to heaven (or elsewhere). It’s an ideal opportunity to declare the gospel to any visitors present; and, in the process of assurances of resurrection, we have the ideal opportunity to express the truth regarding the state of the dead.
Judgment to come
Yet we know there is more than resurrection ahead for our brother/sister: "It
is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment" (Heb. 9:27). We
know, too, the judge is the Lord Jesus, not ourselves, and that he will judge "the
secrets of men" and "will bring to light the hidden things of darkness,
and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts" (Rom. 2:16; I Cor. 4:5). While
we may desire to eulogize long years of faithful service in Christ, we need to remember
that both resurrection and judgment lie ahead, and we are not the judge.
On the other hand, we may think of the confidence of the apostle Paul: "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing" (II Tim. 4:7-8). Yet the apostle Paul was unique. He filled up the sufferings of Christ being a chosen vessel unto God. When his final hours approached, he could confidently utter these words of faith. In doing so, however, he does not provide a pattern for us to make a like evaluation of our own brethren.
Some unexpectedly fail
Yet there are some who fail of the grace of God.
Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven…Many will say to me in that day, Lord, lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? And in thy name have cast out devils and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity (Matt. 7:21-23).
God forbid any of us, including our deceased brother or sister, should be so rejected at the judgment seat. But it happens to "many" and, no matter what we may think, only the Lord truly knows who is so fated. While we would never suggest such a possibility in a funeral service, the words of our Lord should moderate any excess in our eulogy.
We should note, as well, there is a human tendency to exalt the works valued in man’s view – "prophesied," "done many wonderful works" -- and overlook the quiet service highly valued by our Lord. The words of I Corinthians 13 are stunning when viewed in the context of a funeral service. Who would be more praised than a martyr, or feeder of the poor, or the person able to endure affliction with faith, or the great Bible student or ardent teacher of scripture, yet we could be all these things and yet fail of God’s grace if we have not the love which "suffereth long, and is kind; envieth not; vaunteth not itself…" (I Cor. 13:1-7). These are attributes which only our Lord fully sees, for he, alone, knows the secrets of the mind, heart and life.
In fact, we do a disservice to our knowledge of the gospel when we magnify a brother/sister of prominence and speak in humble, muted terms of the lowly servant of all. As we know, the humanly first shall be last, and the humanly last first in the divine order of rank.
The person’s hope
Appropriate eulogy can be framed in terms of the hope of our sleeping brother/sister.
Such an approach avoids presuming on the Lord’s judgment of the heart, yet gives
opportunity to fittingly express the various qualities and works of the deceased.
We can note, for example, that because they had great confidence in the promises of God, and rejoiced in this hope firm to the end, their lives were greatly impacted to serve others rather than live as if this life were all they had. They saw the kingdom before them, so they were not overwhelmed by the setbacks of life. They looked forward to the power of the spirit-body, so they remained cheerful even in their fading years.
An excellent passage in this regard is in Philippians 3:
Brethren, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but one thing I do, forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus…our commonwealth is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will change our lowly body to be like his glorious body (Phil. 3:13-14,20-21 RSV).
Observing our brother/sister was pressing toward the goal gives opportunity for comment on all the varied aspects of a life we may wish to commemorate. But our eulogy will be conveyed within the framework of the hope of the kingdom, rather than the certainty of the deceased being part of the kingdom.
Celebration
Within the context of sorrowing the loss of our brother/sister, celebration may seem an
incongruous idea. Weeping may be all around us, even as the Lord wept at the tomb of
Lazarus over the victory, even temporary, of our great enemy, death.
With most believers, however, the truth of the gospel has brought into their lives an abiding joy and deep confidence in the promises and mercy of the Almighty. In their lives will have been a profound satisfaction that they knew the purpose of life, the reality of death and God’s plan for the earth and His desire to have them participate in it. Here is cause for celebration, not only of the hope of the deceased but also of the loving-kindness of the Father.
Funerals inevitably are a time for tears and sorrow, but, when it’s a believer who has fallen asleep, it’s also a time to celebrate the promises of God and the hope of our brother/sister. It’s a time to sing of the day when "Death is swallowed up in victory. O death where is thy sting? O grace, where is thy victory?…thanks be to God which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."
These words celebrating God’s victory through Christ then lead to the closing exhortation, "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord" (I Cor. 15:55-58).
Don Styles