Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints. — Psalm 116:15 ESV
That Unexpected Call
I thought I’d be doing a number of things during the final week of July. I imagined I’d work on upcoming sermons I would be preaching at church during the last half of August. I thought I would plan for the upcoming school year as we have some changeover in personnel, so it was time to onboard some new teachers in my department. I knew I’d buy some tickets for myself and my son for an upcoming baseball game in our area.
I never imagined that on Saturday, July 31st, I’d be headed down to Rolla, Missouri from our home in suburban St. Louis. But that became part of the plan.
The day before, I received a call about Bill and Sylvia Moore. They had been members at our Anglican church since before we arrived. The first time we attended at Church of the Resurrection, Bill and Sylvia had warmly greeted us before we could even reach our seats. They were in their mid-eighties, a kind and compassionate couple who’d been married for sixty-two years. And I was waiting on the terrible news I knew was coming, for Sylvia had been hospitalized with what could be a stroke or an aneurysm. It turned out to be even worse: a brain bleed claimed sweet Sylvia’s life early Friday morning, with Bill at her side in a hospital room in Columbia, Missouri.
With our rector on sabbatical, two deacons out of town on vacation, and another assisting priest on vacation up in Iowa, it was my duty and joy to come alongside Bill and his family during this time. So at one o’clock in the afternoon on Saturday, I was at Bill’s house in Rolla, in his massive living room, helping to lead a family service of celebration for Sylvia’s life. My friend Bill’s handshake was as warm as ever; his family was immeasurably kind; and there were memories and Scriptures shared. And even though it was not utilized during the service, my thoughts returned to Psalm 116:15 from above. And I began to ask myself, Why are the deaths of God’s saints so precious to him? Now, this is no sermon on the matter, but some ideas came to mind.
Precious to God
1. The death of believers is precious to God because he gives space to yearn with hope in spite of sad loss. Christians trust that this is not the way it is meant to be. Paul speaks to this in Romans 8:23 that “not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.” As good as this world is, something is askew, and we are hoping and yearning for the day when God makes all things new. For now, that’s not the case, and because of that, it’s okay to mourn. There is a glory in grief for wanting Sylvia to remain here among us, for Bill to still want his bride at his side, and yet that is out of reach. For now, our tears water an earth that will be transformed when the new heavens come down here for eternity (Revelation 21:1-5).
2. The death of believers is precious to God because it offers a chance to be thankful for their Savior’s grace and goodness which they exemplified. Bill and Sylvia’s children and in-laws gave testimony to what a glorious mother Sylvia had been. Whether Lori or Dan or Beth or Doug or Steve or any of the grandkids spoke up, the message was colored brightly with the words of Proverbs 22:6…Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old, he will not depart from it. And Bill, through tears that flowed down his face, could not stop talking about what a wonderful wife she was. There was no doubt. She was his crown (Proverbs 12:4).
3. But most powerfully, the death of believers is precious to God because death does not have the final word. Jesus himself would break the curse of sin and death with his sacrifice and glorious resurrection, but along the way to the cross, he would remind others that death was truly the path to endless life for his children. Even as Mary and Martha were grappling with the passing of their dear brother Lazarus, Jesus reminded Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26 ESV)
Think about that. Jesus does not merely provide resurrection and life. He is the resurrection and the life for us. Because of what He went through on our behalf, we do not need to fear what death will bring. It is not a box that closes over us forever; it is the portal to joy everlasting, because death did not have the last word over Jesus.
Perhaps that was the sense of joy that flooded me as I returned home from Rolla yesterday. That Sylvia’s death, while hard, was precious nonetheless. We had space to yearn with hope. We had a chance to be thankful. And we could be encouraged that death does not have the last word.
For more from Rev. Luke Davis, check out his latest book Tough Issues, True Hope: A Concise Journey through Christian Ethics
If God rescues us to be his people, then how can our lives demonstrate our love for him? Luke Davis takes us on a journey through some of the big questions in the arena of Christian ethics, highlighting why our ideas matter. He helps us to have a firm grasp of what the issue is, what God’s Word has to say about it, and what practical impact that has on our lives.
