Revelation 7:9-17; 1 John 3:1-3; Matthew 5:1-12

Hope to Grieve

            Do you ever cry at the end of a movie just because you know it’s over? What about when your favorite TV show finally calls it quits after over a decade of episodes? It sounds silly when we say it this way, because what could be more descriptive of first-world problems? But I want to stop for a second and put it another way. If you know anything about me, you should know that I’m a huge Lord of the Rings fan. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve watched the movies. I’ve read the books, followed the lore, and so on also. Well, just this past week, I rewatched the movies again… and just like every time I watch it, I get this touch of sadness and grief watching the credits roll on the final movie. Why? Because every ending we face is a microcosm of the problem we face in life. Indeed, we face loss in many different areas of life that we don’t often think about. For these small examples of loss are also a reminder for us. For the brief time that we get enveloped by a show or movie, we’re able to escape reality. But when it ends, we’re quickly reminded that all things come to an end eventually. There’s nothing that is permanent in life. For the harder we try to hold on to something, the greater the feeling of loss is. Thus, as we come to talk today about the greatest losses we face, that is, the death of a loved one, let us learn how to cope with loss and find our Lord’s comfort for us.

            As we celebrate All Saints’ Day today, we struggle to hold it together as we’re reminded again of those who have died and been taken from us. Yes, today is a day to cry and weep over the evil of death. But lest we miss the entire point of today, we’re to examine our own lives and hear the precious words that our Lord has for us. For so, let us learn today:

IN THE MIDST OF LOSS, CHRIST GIVES US HOPE!

I.

            For those whose loss is still all too raw, whose wounds in this life still ache, don’t think I’m here to tell you how to grieve because everyone grieves differently. For one, it might be a crying session every night as the pain of death still haunts us. For another, it might be a stoicism that plunges itself into work and daily chores. And yet, for another, it could be a combination of the two or something else altogether. No matter how you slice it, we’re not good with endings. Whether it be saying goodbye to a loved one in death or even walking away from a decade’s old friendship. But this is where we must begin. We can’t avoid those endings. We can’t ignore death. We can’t pretend that it didn’t happen or try to make light of it as if that’s going to be any better. What does Jesus say? “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted,” Matthew 5:4. I don’t see anyone at funerals telling me they feel blessed. And what comfort is there looking at a casket or an urn?

            Funerals are hard because they’re an ending. The end of a person’s life, and the end of our time with them. But that’s not the only reason. For every ending is also a reminder. A reminder that our life has an end too. It’s a reminder that everything we know and love will come to an end at some point. Our favorite shows. Our best friendships. The lives of those we love. It all ends… eventually. For this is the sting of sin and death. As Paul writes, “For the wages of sin is death,” Romans 6:23. Death is our ultimate reminder that we live in a fallen world. We’re reminded that we’re not perfect and no matter how hard we try to fight it, we never will be. We’ve sinned and fallen short ourselves, thus we deserve death. Everyone deserves death. For so, let us weep. Let us cry over those we’ve lost. But in our tears, let us acknowledge our fallenness and the brokenness of our world. For this is how we must deal with death. We must acknowledge it. We must speak it. We must face it. For there will never be any overcoming death if we don’t realize that death is our enemy.

II.

            So, for those whose loss is still raw, for those whose grief is near, for those who weep and mourn now, consider yourself blessed… because there’s one final thing we learn in these moments. We come to learn of Christ! For amid our loss, we come to realize that there’s nothing in this whole wide world that can help us… except Jesus! As John writes, “Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is,” 1 John 3:2. Beloved brothers and sisters in Christ, if ever there is a moment to cling even harder to Christ and his promises, it’s in the midst of our grief and loss. It’s when the pains of this life become unbearable. It’s when we come face to face with our own mortality in the various endings we face. For Jesus wept over death too. Jesus felt the sting of losing those he loved also. Jesus knows the pain of having to say goodbye… just so he can lead us to the place where we never have to face it again. As John writes, “Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” Revelation 7:15-17. 

            This is what we’re given to understand today. It’s Christ who gives us hope on even the darkest of days. It’s Christ who gives us hope in the face of death. Christ is our sure and living hope and comfort. For Christ has not only walked our road, not only faced the jaws of death, but he has defeated them! Christ has burst the bonds of hell and death so that he may free us to a new and living way! Christ came to join us in death, by being put to death on the cross. He has paid for all of your sins so that he may lead you through the valley of death, unto himself in heaven! This is our hope and comfort, even for those we’ve lost. Though they sleep for a time in the grave, they are alive in Christ. For Christ has washed them in their baptism. He has fed them at his table with his own body and blood. He has walked beside them on this road we call life, so that they may walk beside him on the golden roads of paradise! And if they are with Christ, then so shall we be. We shall see them again when Christ comes to bring us home to himself in eternity. Just as he has promised to do. 

            Beloved brothers and sisters in Christ, when death comes as an unwelcome visitor, when the endings we face in life overwhelm us, look to Christ and cling even closer to him. For he turns our endings into new beginnings. He turns our death into the gateway to paradise and eternal life! In Jesus’ name! Amen!