One of the hardest parts of professional pastoring is ministering to families in times of loss. It is hard because our natural inclination when folks are hurting is to try to fix it. We want to make the sorrow stop, but it’s impossible. You can’t make it so folks don’t weep and hurt at the death of a family member or friend. Nor should you make it stop. Hurt is a part of life and mourning is a healthy natural thing that has to happen. As a Christian, we often turn to Paul’s words in 1 Thessalonians 4. In that letter, he reminds the church that they believe in heaven, where God resurrects all believers to enjoy God forever. Therefore, we don’t mourn as though there is no hope. Instead, we mourn today with an eye on eternity. We are sad today, but know that the story is not over. This is an important idea that’s easy to miss. We look to eternity, but we weep, too. We see this in the account of Jesus resurrecting Lazarus from the dead. He goes to the tomb where his friend had been buried for 3 days, knowing that He intends to bring the man back to life. Still, the text tells us that: “Jesus wept.” Death was not a part of the original plan for the creation. We were intended to live forever, but the world is broken. It doesn’t run the way it was meant to run. As a result, we mourn when tragedy strikes. We can be heartbroken at the circumstances we face, and it’s ok. I have met people who claim that mourning is a sign of a lack of faith. In reality, mourning is a sign of our humanity. Ignoring our sorrow doesn’t make it not exist and it doesn’t honor God.
The cool thing about the Lazarus story is that Jesus doesn’t just weep and leave the people hopeless. Instead, he calls his friend from the tomb to live again. This is a model for believers. We weep today, but know that tomorrow is full of hope because God promises eternity to his people. As proof of the resurrection, we see Jesus resurrected from the dead. The Bible describes Him as the “first fruit of the resurrection.” This means that He is the first of many to come. There is so much hope in that. Hope is a powerful thing, especially for those who mourn. In the opening lines of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says: “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” It’s hard to imagine sorrow being a blessing. I’d compare it to working hard on a hot, dry day. At the end of the day, you might find yourself dirty, sweaty, and very thirsty. A cool glass of water on a day like that tastes better than anything else on a comfortable day on your couch. For me, my faith changed completely the first time I experienced a death. I was heartbroken, but suddenly the resurrection and eternity in Heaven became the greatest source of comfort in life. Hope is our cool drink on a hot and miserable day. When Christians mourn, they sit in the hot, dry sorrow and sip on the cool comfort of hope. Both are good.
