Christ Speaks Well of the Faithful Departed

All Saints Day

November 1, 2015

Matthew 5:1-12

Christ Speaks Well of the Faithful Departed

In the name of the Father and of the ☩ Son and of the Holy Spirit.

Why don't we speak ill of the dead? Why don't people who are alive say mean things about those who have died? Habit, tradition, politeness are all reasons. You don't go to a funeral and bad-mouth the person who died. It's just not done. It isn't good manners.

But another reason is that when someone we love dies, we are naturally drawn to remember only the good things about them. Even if Aunt Hilda was a terrible cook, we'll still find something nice to say.

Because of His cross, Christ has nothing but good things to say about our dearly departed ones.

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (Matthew 5:3-12)

Blessed are the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, and so on. And Christ promises them rewards for today and forever.

For some of His promises Jesus used the present tense: this is your reward now, the kingdom of heaven. But He also promises things to come: they will be comforted, they will inherit the earth, they will be shown mercy.

When a believer dies, they come into the kingdom that they've always been a part of. This is the kingdom that they have prayed for themselves and others: Thy kingdom come. Baptism, Preaching, and Communion brings us into His kingdom. And when we die, we come ever more fully into the kingdom to which we belong. The same kingdom; it just looks different.

All these rewards of which Christ speaks are ours because of Him. Heaven is ours because He suffered hell on the cross. We are shown mercy, not because we turned the other cheek, but because He turned the other cheek and was sticken, smitten, and afflicted. His enemies hit Him and He showed us mercy. We will see God because Christ has made us pure with His blood.

We speak well of the dead. This is good. But it doesn't do anything for our salvation. Reminiscing at the visitation and saying that at least Aunt Hilda tried hard to be a a great cook doesn't change the fact that she burnt every cake she baked. Our efforts don't matter to God as He judges our salvation. Effort doesn't matter when you're dead.

This is the basic reason why faithful Christian churches and their pastors keep eulogies out of the funeral service. Eulogies are long followery emotional lists of all the good things that the dearly departed accomplished and tried to do with their lives; they have no place in the worship of Christ. A eulogy pushes Jesus to the side and places ourselves on a pedestal. Eulogies reinforce our deeply-held opinion that we can save ourselves through effort and work and belonging to the right groups of people.

Why do families become so agitated when told that the best place for the eulogy is somewhere other than the funeral service? Part of it, I think, is the belief that their loved one is being disrespected. But most of it is more about the living than about the dead. The dead in Christ doesn't care; they alraedy are with Him. The survivors become even more angry when the eulogy is clearly revealed for what it is: worship of human beings.

So faithful Christian funerals overflow with Christ. They preach what He has done, His suffering, death, and resurrection, and His Gospel Sacraments, and His imminent return at the end of time. This is the service that every faithful Christian wishes that their loved ones hear at their funeral: Christ speaking well of the dead.

And unlike our speaking, His words make things happen. His word makes the dead come to life. This is what happened to each of you in Baptism: Christ spoke well of you, who once were dead. And it will happen again, when He comes back, and speaks the dead to the life and living into life everlasting.

Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners―of whom I am the worst. Alleluia! Amen!