A Wedding and a Funeral

From my Sunday School lesson for this weekend, using Max Lucado's Fearless book as curriculum. The chapter concerns our fear of death...

Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling-places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way to the place where I am going. John 14:1-4

It may seem strange, but Jesus is using wedding imagery to describe life after death. When a couple was betrothed, the groom would go to his father's house and prepare a home for the new couple, then he would return and claim in wife.

Why would Jesus use wedding imagery to describe death? What do a funeral and a wedding have in common?

Think about the idea of many mansions – many dwelling places. And think of the man - Jesus - who is telling us about it. William Barclay, in his writings about this passage, talks about houses on earth that are too crowded for everyone. I imagine that Jesus has heard the story from his mother about the night he was born – when there was no room at the inn. In the light of that thought, what does this passage say to us? Can it be that heaven is a place where there is room for all? Barclay says, “Heaven is as wide as the heart of God and there is room for all. Jesus is saying to his friends, ‘Don’t be afraid. In this world, people may shut their doors upon you. But in heaven you will never be shut out.’”

Image: Alaska, 2nd day of cruise.

Legacy

I read more of Fearless today. The chapter I read was about the fear of insignificance -- of not mattering. Being invisible.

I understand it, and I imagine everyone experiences it at one time or another. One paragraph (or two) stopped me:

When the billionaire realizes that he will run out of years before he runs out of money, he establishes a foundation. No doubt some altruism motivates the move, but so does a hunger to matter.

Part of my job is helping those who are motivated to give financially to the ministry of the church. I have met with a man who established a scholarship because it was a way to honor his wife who had died under tragic circumstances. I have spoken with another man who wanted to create an endowment to aid three ministries he and his wife felt were close to his heart. Another woman is building an endowment for her church, year by year, because the ministry matters. Another man is giving a percentage of his retirement upon his death because tithing is part of his make-up -- a part of who he is.

I'm sure there are people who give because it helps them to feel that they matter, but the people I have met are answering a call from God. They are honoring those they have loved. They aren't giving because it will make a difference in how people will remember them, but because their giving will make a difference.

Image: Forget-me-not, the state flower of Alaska.

Fearless in the Face of a Storm?

I’ve started reading the book Fearless: Imagine Your Life Without Fear by Max Lucado. The first chapter speaks about the story of Jesus and the Disciples in the boat when a storm comes.

To tell the truth, Jesus’ reaction bothers me a little bit. When the storm comes, and they wake him up, he rebukes them, saying “Why are you afraid, you of little faith?” (MT 8:26). Lucado says that the word used for storm is seismos. That words is probably better for our understanding of what is happening than storm. Seismos – not just a thunderstorm, but a huge, terrible storm. The boat is being swamped; this is deadly. Fear is a reasonable reaction.

Fear comes in our lives, and our hope is that we are not alone. God is with us. So, they wake Jesus up. I don’t think that’s a wrong reaction, either. Fear can lead us to the good reaction of reaching for God.

I also don’t think the disciples can expect that their close association with Jesus is going to protect them from the storm. Jesus isn’t telling them – don’t be afraid, nothing is going to happen to you.

So why rebuke them? They have a natural, healthy reaction to a deadly situation, and they reach out to Jesus.

I like Lucado’s statement about fear. Look at the question the disciples bring to Jesus when they wake him up (in Mark 4:38b) “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” Lucado says, “Fear corrodes our confidence in God’s goodness.” The disciples (in Mark) wake Jesus up and question his character. They don’t ask for help or for guidance – they question his care for them.

I wonder if that is the source of the rebuke. I wonder if he is telling them to not let fear destroy their faith.

One of the lectionary readings this week is Psalm 77. Below are verses 1-2 and verse 11:

I cry aloud to God, aloud to God, that he may hear me. In the day of my trouble, I seek the Lord; in the night my hand is stretched out without wearying; my soul refuses to be comforted.
I will call to mind the deeds of the Lord; I will remember your wonders of old.

Lucado calls it “spiritual amnesia.” He says fear “dulls our miracle memory. It makes us forget what Jesus has done and how good God is.” Elijah, who had witnessed the greatness of God, has spiritual amnesia in the wilderness (last week’s lectionary reading). Our faith in God is strengthened by our memory of what he has done in our lives. Fear can erode that faith.