“Your mother was in an accident, and is at the hospital in critical condition.” Those were words I never expected to hear. Yet, at noon on Tuesday, October 17th, 2017, that’s exactly what my father told me. My sister and I rushed to the hospital as fast as we could. We learned that our mother had sustained unsurvivable injuries. As the afternoon progressed, we gathered around her bed to pray, read from Holy Scripture, and sing hymns. We recited the Apostles’ Creed and Lord’s Prayer at 4:30 p.m., then she was delivered into the resurrection.
I never expected to bury my mother at just twenty three years old. The hospital staff, friends, classmates, and professors had little clue how we dealt with this tremendous loss or were able to continue with our lives amidst our grief. But, I understand how, for many young people, the same situation would he hopeless, debilitating, and maybe something they would try to run from. I can even understand why they might flee their church or God. After all, how could God, who we confess, loves us so much, allow something as terrible as this to happen? Our mother was a loving and faithful Christian woman who steadfastly devoted herself to God’s Word and Sacraments and served others in any way she could. She surely didn’t deserve to be taken now!
However, Holy Scripture speaks a much different message: We all deserve death. As the Apostle Paul writes, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23).” Ever since Adam and Eve fell into sin in the garden of Eden, death has been a reality of life here on earth. God told Adam, “for you are dust, and to dust you shall return” (Gen. 3:19b). God has not guaranteed us any minimum number of years in this life. Also, He has not promised that our lives will be easy or pain-free. We will face trials and tribulations, pain and suffering, and even death as difficult as that may be for us to swallow. The weight of the Law, and how sin uses the Law to kill us, rests heavy upon us. However, thanks be to Christ that’s not the end of the story!
As soon as Adam and Eve rebelled against God, and dragged all creation down with them, He prepared a plan of Salvation. He promised in Genesis 3:15 that Eve’s offspring would bruise Satan’s head. This promise was fulfilled in God’s Son, Jesus. Jesus took on human flesh, was born of the Virgin Mary, lived the sinless life that we could not, and then was crucified and died, taking upon Himself all of the sin of you and me and everyone in the world which separated us from the perfection of God. Even better, Jesus didn’t stay dead! He rose from the grave three days later, defeating sin, death, and the devil, so that we can say with the Apostle Paul, “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” (1 Cor. 15:55). This is the wonderful, sweet message of the Gospel: That Christ died to take away your sins, my sins, and the sins of the whole world! How exactly do we receive this forgiveness? The resurrected Christ promises us in Mark 16:16 that, “Whoever believes [the Gospel] and is baptized will be saved.”
I know for sure that my dear mother Lisa was baptized, enjoyed faith in Christ through the Gospel and His gifts, and was received into the resurrection at 4:30 p.m. on October 17th, 2017. Does this mean that the pain is gone? Of course not – burying my mother will always be painful. However, the knowledge that she sees Christ face-to-face in the resurrection and that we will be reunited with her at the wedding feast of the Lamb is a great comfort. And, more than that at present, we are comforted when we receive Christ’s Body and Blood at the altar in Holy Communion. We commune with my mom and “all the company of heaven” who have passed from this life into life eternal. That’s what your pastor alludes to when he speaks or chants the Proper Preface and it says, “therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven…” All the company of heaven – that’s my mom, your mom, grandma or grandpa, and all Christians who die in Christ Jesus. Remember that the next time you receive Communion. It brings comfort to those who grieve.
For me and my family, at a time of such profound pain, what else could we do but take comfort in the Gospel? Since we had this comfort, instead of being overcome by grief like those with no hope, we were freed by God’s Spirit and Word to bear witness to Jesus who is our forgiveness, life, and salvation. In the end, Christ Jesus is all that matters in this life and the life to come. He is my mom’s life and resurrection. He is our life and resurrection.
by Matthew Kelpe
