God Wants Her Back Home
Sermon
Life Everlasting
The Essential Book of Funeral Resources
Object:
For a child who died at the hand of her mother
God Wants Her Back Home
Psalm 22:1-2, 11, 14-15, 18; Psalm 23; Mark 5:21-23, 35-42
(Read Mark 5:21-23, 35-42.)
Carl, we have been to hell and wonder if we'll ever get back home. Besides your family and friends, the whole community has felt the fabric of reality ripped. You don't kill a baby! How could this have happened? Our hearts are seared with pain. Our bones are out of joint. We have laid in the dust of the grave so that our mouths are dry. Where is God? Where is Sarah? Where am I now? We have been to hell and wonder if we'll ever get back home.
Carl, is there any comfort for you in knowing that you are not the only father who has struggled with the life and death of a daughter? You just heard a story from the Gospel of Mark in which we meet a man named Jairus. Jairus was a father. He had a daughter, also. He loved his daughter. That is why it pained him deeply to see his daughter sick. She was dying. So, he came to Jesus and asked that he heal her. Jairus had heard that Jesus cared deeply for people and that he had powers to do strange and marvelous things. So, he came to Jesus and asked him to heal her. The illness and possible death of his daughter was just too hard for him to face alone. Such things should not happen. Jesus agrees and goes with him. But, then, some messengers from home come and bring the bad news that Jairus' beloved daughter had died. How can this be so? Children are to live! I can almost hear Jairus' thoughts race on ahead: "She is the sparkle in my eye, the bounce in my step. I have walked her around town and shown her off to anyone who would care to stop and see her most precious smile and share a laugh with her giggle. How can death rob me of her? God, don't let it be true. Children are to live!" Jesus agrees and goes in to where the little girl is. Jesus is convinced the girl will live again. The people think he is crazy and start making fun of him; but, then, that's understandable because they did not know that Jesus knew something very special about God. That's where Jesus put his confidence. That something special is this: God is love and God's love is more powerful than death and all evil and even our doubts. So, Jesus dismissed the nonbelievers and went into the room where the little girl was lying. He reached out and took her by the hand and said, "Little girl, I tell you to get up." And she did. And they couldn't believe it. Jesus did, however, and so did the girl. Everybody was amazed and Jairus smiled once again.
Carl, death has intruded upon your daughter's life. We are in the room where the child is lying. We cry out together with you for the life of Sarah. "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from my cry? Why are you so far from the words of my distress?" Silence answers and Sarah remains so still. Then, in the nearness of the darkness, there penetrates to our ears the voice of one who dares to say, "Don't be afraid, only believe."
"Don't be afraid." How many times do those words appear in the Bible? Don't be afraid; fear not. Over and over again. God knows that in our lifetime, whether long or short, we will be afflicted in many ways with griefs and sorrows, sins and toils, worries and countless sufferings. That is the nature of life as we experience it. We know it no other way. No one is exempt -- not even the children. But, in Jesus, God meets us and addresses us where we are. "Don't be afraid, only believe." This is more than empty words. God fills his words with action and gives us solid ground on which to stand and not be afraid. God acts and gives us solid ground on which to stand and believe.
For Jairus, Jesus met his daughter in the room where she was lying. He raised her up to new life. God fills his words with action. God acts and gives us solid ground on which to stand and believe. Carl, Jesus has met your daughter in this room where she is lying. A few feet from her coffin is the baptismal font -- a coffin of another sort. The Bible tells us, "We were buried with him by baptism into death...." At the baptismal font ten months ago, Sarah was met by Jesus. She was four months and a day old.
You see, every cradle rocks over an open grave. To live on earth is to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune and to suffer the flaming darts of the evil one. We inherit such a life at the moment of our birth. But, in baptism, we experience a new inheritance and are reborn to a new life. At the baptismal font, Jesus reached out his hand and touched Sarah through the water and said to her, "Sarah, you are now my child. I love you and will care for you with a love that cannot be killed, with a devotion that cannot falter. You are part of my family now and nothing will separate my love from you -- neither life nor death, nor things present nor things to come. I promise you life now and forever." God fills his words with action, and the water touched her living body. Sarah became a child of God.
Such was Sarah's first meeting with Jesus. Now, she meets him again. For he has not forgotten. Granted, the wolf has had his day, but the Good Shepherd will have his way. Snatched from the fold of life like a defenseless lamb, Sarah will not be able to continue that journey of life on earth with us. But, Sarah is not lost to the Good Shepherd. For the Good Shepherd knows his own and calls them by name. Today, Jesus is here in this room where Sarah is lying to take her with him to her heavenly home -- where there will be no fear nor tears nor sorrow anymore. The angels will dance to the sparkle of her smile; they will skip to the rhythm of her giggle.
Jesus can do this for Sarah. You saw what he did for Jairus' daughter. You saw what he did for all of God's daughters and sons when he walked through the valley of the shadow of death himself and climbed up the hill of Golgotha to be nailed gruesomely on a cross and hung out to dry and die by the hand of the crazed crowd. God the Father suffered the death of his child, too. When Jesus was murdered, the fabric of reality ripped. You don't kill the baby from Bethlehem! The very one sent by God to give new life to the world. "For God so loved the world that he sent his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." Yet, he was killed. Such was the heart of God for us all -- that he would love us to death, so that we might find new life in him. He said from the cross, "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do." The heart of God bled even for his murderers. What depth to love, that it could bear even this pain.
This is the kind of love by which God rules the world. It is this kind of suffering, self-giving love that will gain the final victory. Remember, Jesus did rise from the dead on the third day. Even though the wrong seems oft so strong, yet it is God's loving purposes that will finally win out. That is our hope, and it will not disappoint us. In the meantime, we live under the sign of the cross, the sign of suffering, for God continues to bear the pain of the world until that final day.
God's heart bleeds for Sarah -- for it was not right that her life should end so soon. She had so much more to offer her family and friends-yet-to-be. God's heart bleeds for Janet -- that her world became so distorted that she, hearing voices that told her to suffocate her own daughter, could do such an unspeakable thing. What deep anguish she will live with. Carl, God's heart bleeds for you. For it is not his will that you should suffer this way. You have been to hell -- but God wants you back home. He has blessed your life through Sarah and yes, even Janet. You have memories and pictures that testify to the richness and beauty that life can be. God has blessed you. Your life before Wednesday was real and worthy and not lost in the ongoing story of God's family from Adam and Eve to Mary and Joseph to Jairus to Carl to all your tomorrows. God has not forgotten you. He has not forsaken you. He will still work blessings in your life for Jesus' sake, for your sake, for Sarah's sake. You will smile once again.
Carl, God will be in all your tomorrows and he will bring you home. "Don't be afraid, only believe." Amen.
-- Mark J. Molldrem
God Wants Her Back Home
Psalm 22:1-2, 11, 14-15, 18; Psalm 23; Mark 5:21-23, 35-42
(Read Mark 5:21-23, 35-42.)
Carl, we have been to hell and wonder if we'll ever get back home. Besides your family and friends, the whole community has felt the fabric of reality ripped. You don't kill a baby! How could this have happened? Our hearts are seared with pain. Our bones are out of joint. We have laid in the dust of the grave so that our mouths are dry. Where is God? Where is Sarah? Where am I now? We have been to hell and wonder if we'll ever get back home.
Carl, is there any comfort for you in knowing that you are not the only father who has struggled with the life and death of a daughter? You just heard a story from the Gospel of Mark in which we meet a man named Jairus. Jairus was a father. He had a daughter, also. He loved his daughter. That is why it pained him deeply to see his daughter sick. She was dying. So, he came to Jesus and asked that he heal her. Jairus had heard that Jesus cared deeply for people and that he had powers to do strange and marvelous things. So, he came to Jesus and asked him to heal her. The illness and possible death of his daughter was just too hard for him to face alone. Such things should not happen. Jesus agrees and goes with him. But, then, some messengers from home come and bring the bad news that Jairus' beloved daughter had died. How can this be so? Children are to live! I can almost hear Jairus' thoughts race on ahead: "She is the sparkle in my eye, the bounce in my step. I have walked her around town and shown her off to anyone who would care to stop and see her most precious smile and share a laugh with her giggle. How can death rob me of her? God, don't let it be true. Children are to live!" Jesus agrees and goes in to where the little girl is. Jesus is convinced the girl will live again. The people think he is crazy and start making fun of him; but, then, that's understandable because they did not know that Jesus knew something very special about God. That's where Jesus put his confidence. That something special is this: God is love and God's love is more powerful than death and all evil and even our doubts. So, Jesus dismissed the nonbelievers and went into the room where the little girl was lying. He reached out and took her by the hand and said, "Little girl, I tell you to get up." And she did. And they couldn't believe it. Jesus did, however, and so did the girl. Everybody was amazed and Jairus smiled once again.
Carl, death has intruded upon your daughter's life. We are in the room where the child is lying. We cry out together with you for the life of Sarah. "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from my cry? Why are you so far from the words of my distress?" Silence answers and Sarah remains so still. Then, in the nearness of the darkness, there penetrates to our ears the voice of one who dares to say, "Don't be afraid, only believe."
"Don't be afraid." How many times do those words appear in the Bible? Don't be afraid; fear not. Over and over again. God knows that in our lifetime, whether long or short, we will be afflicted in many ways with griefs and sorrows, sins and toils, worries and countless sufferings. That is the nature of life as we experience it. We know it no other way. No one is exempt -- not even the children. But, in Jesus, God meets us and addresses us where we are. "Don't be afraid, only believe." This is more than empty words. God fills his words with action and gives us solid ground on which to stand and not be afraid. God acts and gives us solid ground on which to stand and believe.
For Jairus, Jesus met his daughter in the room where she was lying. He raised her up to new life. God fills his words with action. God acts and gives us solid ground on which to stand and believe. Carl, Jesus has met your daughter in this room where she is lying. A few feet from her coffin is the baptismal font -- a coffin of another sort. The Bible tells us, "We were buried with him by baptism into death...." At the baptismal font ten months ago, Sarah was met by Jesus. She was four months and a day old.
You see, every cradle rocks over an open grave. To live on earth is to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune and to suffer the flaming darts of the evil one. We inherit such a life at the moment of our birth. But, in baptism, we experience a new inheritance and are reborn to a new life. At the baptismal font, Jesus reached out his hand and touched Sarah through the water and said to her, "Sarah, you are now my child. I love you and will care for you with a love that cannot be killed, with a devotion that cannot falter. You are part of my family now and nothing will separate my love from you -- neither life nor death, nor things present nor things to come. I promise you life now and forever." God fills his words with action, and the water touched her living body. Sarah became a child of God.
Such was Sarah's first meeting with Jesus. Now, she meets him again. For he has not forgotten. Granted, the wolf has had his day, but the Good Shepherd will have his way. Snatched from the fold of life like a defenseless lamb, Sarah will not be able to continue that journey of life on earth with us. But, Sarah is not lost to the Good Shepherd. For the Good Shepherd knows his own and calls them by name. Today, Jesus is here in this room where Sarah is lying to take her with him to her heavenly home -- where there will be no fear nor tears nor sorrow anymore. The angels will dance to the sparkle of her smile; they will skip to the rhythm of her giggle.
Jesus can do this for Sarah. You saw what he did for Jairus' daughter. You saw what he did for all of God's daughters and sons when he walked through the valley of the shadow of death himself and climbed up the hill of Golgotha to be nailed gruesomely on a cross and hung out to dry and die by the hand of the crazed crowd. God the Father suffered the death of his child, too. When Jesus was murdered, the fabric of reality ripped. You don't kill the baby from Bethlehem! The very one sent by God to give new life to the world. "For God so loved the world that he sent his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." Yet, he was killed. Such was the heart of God for us all -- that he would love us to death, so that we might find new life in him. He said from the cross, "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do." The heart of God bled even for his murderers. What depth to love, that it could bear even this pain.
This is the kind of love by which God rules the world. It is this kind of suffering, self-giving love that will gain the final victory. Remember, Jesus did rise from the dead on the third day. Even though the wrong seems oft so strong, yet it is God's loving purposes that will finally win out. That is our hope, and it will not disappoint us. In the meantime, we live under the sign of the cross, the sign of suffering, for God continues to bear the pain of the world until that final day.
God's heart bleeds for Sarah -- for it was not right that her life should end so soon. She had so much more to offer her family and friends-yet-to-be. God's heart bleeds for Janet -- that her world became so distorted that she, hearing voices that told her to suffocate her own daughter, could do such an unspeakable thing. What deep anguish she will live with. Carl, God's heart bleeds for you. For it is not his will that you should suffer this way. You have been to hell -- but God wants you back home. He has blessed your life through Sarah and yes, even Janet. You have memories and pictures that testify to the richness and beauty that life can be. God has blessed you. Your life before Wednesday was real and worthy and not lost in the ongoing story of God's family from Adam and Eve to Mary and Joseph to Jairus to Carl to all your tomorrows. God has not forgotten you. He has not forsaken you. He will still work blessings in your life for Jesus' sake, for your sake, for Sarah's sake. You will smile once again.
Carl, God will be in all your tomorrows and he will bring you home. "Don't be afraid, only believe." Amen.
-- Mark J. Molldrem
