11/05/2019
Katherine
Friends,
Today we celebrated All Saints Day, the church holiday that remembers the faithful dead who have gone before us. We talked about the double promise of God -- paradise with Christ when we die, and the resurrection of the dead at the end of time.
It reminded me of something St. Paul wrote in Philippians 1:21-25: "For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. Convinced of this, I know that I will continue and remain with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith."
Was Paul suicidal? By no means! Was Paul on to something? Absolutely! He knew what few Christian ever learn: The thoughtful Christian, while never hastening the day of death, still looks forward to it. They can say with Paul, "My desire is to depart and be with Christ." They love their spouses, but they would prefer to be with Jesus. They love their children and grandchildren, but they would prefer to be with Jesus. They are happy to stay in this world and serve the Lord as long as he wants them to. But they're ready to depart and be with Christ just as soon as the Lord calls them, because "that is far better."
This is a hard teaching, hard to accept and easily misunderstood. Anytime I've tried to explain it to someone, they've gotten mad at me. But Paul is either right or wrong. He is either speaking by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, or he isn't. "My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better", is either something the Bible teaches Christians to believe, or it isn't.
In Christ,
Pastor Marty Hufford
Peace Lutheran Church