On Earth Their Work was Not Thought Wise

Text: Matthew 5:1-12
Date: All Saints' Day 11/6/05

  On All Saints' Day, as the end of the Church Year turns our attention to the Last Days and our Lord's final coming for Judgment Day, Holy Church commemorates those Christians who have already gone on before us, entering eternal life through the grave and gate of death with the sign of faith. They include, as the Te Deum lists them, the glorious company of the Apostles, the goodly fellowship of the prophets, and the noble army of martyrs. But along with those most universally known saints of scripture and early Church history, November 2 has been celebrated as the “Commemoration of the Faithful Departed,” a day especially for the remembrance of our more local saints. As a congregation we recall today those from among us in the past year who have died in the Lord, our dear brother Chuck Benson and our sister Eleanor Rutledge. In addition, each of us remember also our departed Christian parents or relatives, spouse or friends. Though they may not have made any historic impact on society as did Rosa Parks, our fond memory of those closest to us far exceeds even her seven-hour televised funeral.

  It is good for us to remember and commemorate those who have denied themselves, taken up their cross and followed Christ and now have been welcomed into the eternal mansions of Christ's nearer presence, to remember them specifically for the purpose of imitating their faith in Christ that we may be encouraged to remain faithful in the great hope of joining them at the great banquet of eternal life in heaven. The scripture readings for this day remind us that our hope and our salvation is totally the result of God's grace, a gift given to those who have faith in Jesus, and not the result of works, of making a name for ourselves or any merit in ourselves.

  Now the Rosa Parks funeral was filled with eulogies—a word that simply means “good words”—reflecting on her historic role in the “civil rights movement” in our country. She and her passing have become part of our national, social and political history and, as such, I suspect, deserved wall-to-wall television and radio coverage in Detroit. The eulogies or speeches by notable personalities were a mixture of religious, moral and political messages. Now I didn't listen to the whole thing, but when Jesus Christ was rightly proclaimed by some I rejoiced. On the other hand, certain ones abused the occasion to press their own political agendas, which offended me. For all the historic significance of Rosa Parks' humble yet resolute act of civil disobedience in the 1950s, however, she lived out her days as a quiet, simple and unassuming resident of Detroit.

  In the history of the Church we thank God for those bright lights used by Him for the further proclamation of the Gospel from the prophets Moses to Isaiah, the apostles Peter, James, John and Paul, the Holy Evangelists Matthew, Mark and Luke, early church fathers with names like Ignatius, Clement and Augustine, faithful bishops, pastors and teachers from Martin Luther to C. F. W. Walther, and maybe you can name some names of those who were important in your life and experience in bringing the saving Gospel to you. Probably most important in any list should be faithful, Christian mothers and fathers who teach the faith to their own children as bishops and pastors in their own homes. This day, “For all the saints who from their labors rest, All who by faith before the world confessed,” we say, “Your name, O Jesus, be forever blest. Alleluia” [LW 191:1].

  We remember the saints, the faithful departed, both the great, famous saints of old as well as those more closely related and known only to us, in order to proclaim the saving Gospel of Christ and that we may imitate their faith. That's why a Christian funeral, while it will most certainly speak of the dearly departed one, will not eulogize or dwell on their particular works as if they have any bearing on the person's salvation. A Christian funeral is a celebration of baptism, that is, a celebration and proclamation of God's free gift of salvation for the one who by faith is clothed with Christ. A Christian funeral sermon will dwell on the clear promises of God to the baptized.

  Now, you should be aware of the false teaching of the invocation of or praying to the saints in heaven. This teaching is mainly related, again, to a theology of salvation by works. Nevertheless, when it comes to “dealing with” the passing of a loved one, we still hear all too often, even by Christians who should know better, phrases claiming that the dearly departed is now somehow “looking down on us.” There is no Scripture warrant for attributing to the souls of the departed a direct knowledge of particular things and happenings on earth, as Isaiah 63:16 (ESV) says, “Abraham does not know us, and Israel does not acknowledge us.”

  When it comes to dealing with the loss of a Christian loved one through death, I prefer to direct people to a deeper appreciation for the Sacrament of the Altar as the place where we are truly nearest to them. For there is our closest, most intimate communion with the Lord and therefore with those who are with him. It is there where we join our voices with the eternal Sanctus of the angels, archangels and all the company of heaven, singing, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God of hosts, heaven and earth are full of his glory.”

  What do “saints” look like? The Beatitudes at the beginning of our Lord's Sermon on the Mount tell us. They are not necessarily the trendsetters or upper crust of society. In fact, as our hymn says it, “On earth their work was not thought wise” [LW 192:2].

  Separated from God the world treasures exactly the opposite of these qualities. With the world we value high spirits not poor ones. But “poor in spirit” means to refer to repentance and faith, of a person's knowing their need of God. The world prefers to claim self-reliance rather than face up to our need of God. With the world we value happiness and shun and avoid any mourning or sadness. True repentance and saving faith, however, begins with contrition and sorrow over sin in order that we may turn and receive the gift of forgiveness. With the world we value applause, being in charge and considered important, self-righteousness, making sure we are the winners in any conflict rather than being the peacemaker. Glorious are the winners of the Heisman trophy, the gold glove and being named the Budweiser Player of the Game. Anything less, whether the runner-up or lost in the crowd of the merely adequate, losing is hardly comforted no matter how well you played the game and rarely considered a “blessing.”

  The Beatitudes are not, as the world thinks, words of Law giving us an impossible list of personal qualities to be developed in order to the blessed and saved. These words are divine Gospel blessing to be heard and seen by eyes and hearts and minds that have first been enlightened in the way of Jesus Christ. For they speak first about him and then about those who belong to him.

  Heaven is being populated not by the “wise according to worldly standards,” “the powerful” or those “of noble birth.” “But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God” [1 Cor. 1:26-29 (ESV)]. Look not to the latest religious movement, fad or sure-fire, best-selling spiritual book to discover some hidden purpose for life. Your purpose is to repent, be baptized and believe in God and “him whom he has sent” [John 6:29 (ESV)], namely, Jesus Christ who “for your sake became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich” [2 Cor. 8:9 (ESV)]; he who has chosen you “before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.” Only “in him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ” [Ephesians 1:3-9 (ESV)],

  Who are these, clothed in white robes and from where have they come? “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb” [Rev. 7:14 (ESV)].

  On earth their work was not thought wise,

    But see them now in heaven's eyes;

  Before God's throne

  Of precious stone

    They shout their vict'ry cries.

  On earth they wept through bitter years;

    Now God has wiped away their tears,

  Transformed their strife

  To heav'nly life,

    And freed them from their fears.

  For now they have the best at last;

    They keep their sweet eternal feast.

  At God's right hand

  Our Lord commands;

    He is both host and guest. [LW 192:2]

___________________
Rev. Allen D. Lunneberg

Contacts:

deblocascio.stmark@sbcglobal.net

Pastor: Rev. Allen D. Lunneberg
7979 Commerce Rd.      (1/4 mile east of Union Lake Rd.)
West Bloomfield, MI 48324
Phone: 248.363.0741
Fax: 248.363.4755