The Lord Can't And Won't Forget Mike
The following 'Funeral Service Sermon' is posted with family permission. May the Lord give to the family of Mike Grubb, and all who mourn, comfort in their grief and a sure confidence in the Lord's loving care.
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| Mike Grubb |
Text: Luke 23:33-43
In the
name of Jesus. Amen.
Friends
and family of Mike, my condolences to you this day. God's peace and assurance
be upon you this day.
A
family member said to me several months ago that they wished that I knew Mike
earlier on in his life, before he began to battle with Alzheimer's. I wish that too. I also wish that you – as a family – did not
have to experience the struggles with Alzheimer's in Mike's life.
Now, I
certainly do not want to assume to understand everything that you have gone
through as a family. Lord knows that it
can be difficult when a close loved one forgets precious memories, forgets
names, forgets birthdays & anniversaries, and can even forget faces. There is no doubt about it that the loss of
memory can be unsettling for those with Alzheimer's and their families.
Perhaps,
what can be so unsettling is that our mind has a way of holding on to things –
things that are important to us. We
cling to good memories, faces that we love, and stories that we cherish. Our mind even will cling to this Christian
faith – the knowledge and hope of Jesus.
But as
is often the case, our minds weaken later in life, resulting in us forgetting
these precious things, as well as important scripture verses and the basic
stories and truths of the Christian faith.
All of
this can lead us to wonder what happens to a person's status with God when the
body begins to shut down, and a person's mind is unable to consciously confess
and cling to Christ.
I am
reminded of a most powerful quote from Helmut Thielicke, an old German
theologian. He once said this,
"Praise God that the
Gospel is more than a philosophy or ideology.
If it were only a dry religious idea, you would just have it as long as
you could keep it in your mind so that it could give you comfort. However, thank God that the Gospel – this
Christian faith - is so much more, that even when you can no longer think about
God, He still thinks of you. If we can
feel nothing of His presence, He still feels for us." (Paraphrase of
Quote)
The
good news of the Gospel for Mike and for all of you is that even when Mike's
mind slowed at the end of life, Jesus remembered him. Even when we are plagued by the pain and
numbness of losing a loved one, God still feels for you.
Praise
God that the Gospel is not dependent on our actions toward God but dependent on
God's actions toward you, me, and Mike. I praise God that Mike's salvation is
not dependent upon his remembrance of Christ, but upon Christ's remembrance of Mike.
In our
reading from the Gospel of Luke, the thief on the cross asked Jesus this:
"…remember me when you
come into your kingdom."
And
Jesus responded to the thief on the cross,
"Truly, I say to you,
today you will be with me in Paradise."
Now, without
going into a lot of technicalities, Jesus speaks this in a way that
communicates certainty. "You will" be with me in paradise: this is
true; it will happen; you can count on this; you can depend on this; it is a
promise of certainty! The thief belonged
to Jesus because Jesus remembered him!
Mike belongs to Jesus because Jesus remembers Mike. It is certain; you can count on it.
How
could the Lord possibly forget, Mike? Mike is one whom Christ died and bled
for. Mike is one whom Christ washed in
the waters of baptism, snatching him from darkness unto light. Mike is one who kneeled at the Lord's Table as
one of Jesus's personal guests. One
simply does not forget a friend, and Mike was a friend of Jesus – and Jesus was
a friend of Mike. And so, Mike's soul is
with Jesus as we speak – in paradise.
Christ did not and cannot forget Mike. It is certain; you can count on
it.
But
what about Mike's body?
This afternoon
the body of Mike will be committed to a sanctified and holy grave to await the
resurrection of all the dead. As a
family, you will remember this grave of Mike's traveling there from time to
time. But as is true with all of life,
your memories of Mike will fade. The inscription on Mike's tomb will diminish
as well. The grass may even grow to
cover his tombstone. But unlike
everything in this life that fades, God's Word does not fade – His Word that
promises a resurrection to you and Mike does not waiver. The resurrection is certain; you can count on
it.
When
Jesus chose to die for Mike on the cross, He was not content to leave Mike's
body in the grave, and so Jesus burst out from His tomb – Alive - to be the
first among many resurrections to come.
And He gives this promise of the resurrection to Mike and you in His
Holy Word, and this promise does not change and does not fade. The Lord always
remembers His promises to His Baptized Saints.
And
so, when Jesus comes back someday, the grave will burst forth, and Mike will be
given a renewed body. And with a renewed body, a completely renewed mind.
Kathy,
mark this, Mike will see you in glory, and you will see him. He will remember you and will smile upon you
with joy in his eyes. And Arlene,
Amanda, and Debra, you have been Mike's girls – the pride of his life. When Christ resurrects all of you on the
great last day, you will see your daddy, and he will see you. Mike will remember you and smile with the
kind of smile that only a dad has for his beloved daughters. And together with all of the saints, you will
giggle and laugh and dance – bursting forth with energy – because Jesus has
made all things new.
"Praise God that the
Gospel is more than a philosophy or ideology.
If it were only a dry religious idea, you would just have it as long as
you could keep it in your mind so that it could give you comfort. However, thank God that the Gospel – this
Christian faith - is so much more that even when you can no longer think about
God, He still thinks of you. If we can
feel nothing of His presence, He still feels for us." (Paraphrase of
Quote)
The
Lord Jesus remember Mike. He feels for
you. He makes all things new.
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