Sermon for the Funeral of Lucille Brockberg
Dear
members of Lucille’s family, her friends, and members of St. John’s: Grace and
peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!
At
a funeral service, I find that there are often younger people, and maybe some
not so young, who are trying to find the place for religion in their lives. They’re
asking themselves, “Does this mean anything to me? Is this just something my
parents cared about?” But then, at some point, everybody faces something he or
she can’t handle, something that shakes us up. Maybe it’s the biggest stress
we’ve yet faced in this life. Maybe it’s the death of a loved one. Maybe it’s
an unexpected diagnosis of a dangerous disease. Or maybe it’s the eventual
realization that we have to face the end
of this life. And suddenly we wish there could be some place to
turn—or Someone to turn
to—outside ourselves.
Then
maybe those who’ve gone before can teach us something after all. Turning to
their example we see that as they learned and grew their faith became
absolutely foundational. It’s not an old-fashioned thing; it’s not a
generational thing. Each of us needs a firm foundation so we know how to face
the fears of life and beyond. Lucille, I think, is one of those people from
whom we can learn because she knew where her Christian faith fit into all this.
Lucille knew she could face her fears because her Redeemer promised to deliver
her from them all.
It
is this kind of confidence to which the Lord encourages His people in our text
for today, Isaiah 43:1-3a.: “But now thus says the
Lord, He who created you, O Jacob, He who formed you, O Israel: ‘Fear not, for
I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass
through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not
overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame
shall not consume you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your
Savior.’”
In the verse
immediately preceding our text, Isaiah announced God’s wrath upon His people.
They did not obey His Law; they were blind and deaf to all that God had done
for them. God would certainly have been justified in abandoning such ungrateful
and stubborn people to their own sins. The phrase “But now,” however,
introduces something unexpected. We read tender words of faithful love from the
Lord, the God of free and abundant grace.
Isaiah tells
us that this message come from the Lord Himself. These are words of hope and
encouragement in the midst of fear and despair. This is important. There are
many philosophies, ideas, and different ways to live life out there in the
world. There are many strategies people try in order to handle fear—some of
them relatively successful and others abject failures. You can be crippled by fear.
You can bury your head in the sand and try to act as if no problem existed. You
can try to handle it yourself until you break under the pressure. Or you can
turn to the Lord and listen to what He says.
Isaiah
tells us something about this God who speaks to His people. This Lord is “He
who created you, O Jacob, He who formed you, O Israel.” Notice the repetition. That’s
how Hebrew poetry works. Say something, and then repeat it with a little twist
to deepen our understanding of it. Here, God says: “I have created you,” but
then adds: “I have formed you.” That’s a closer relationship. “You are not an
accident produced through a series of random events,” God is saying. “No, I ‘formed’
you. Like a potter with a piece of clay, I have lovingly and skillfully
molded you and shaped you. From the time of your conception, while you were yet
in the womb, I have been actively involved in your life.”
Then
come two great words that are the theme of our text: “Fear not.” This
unexpected announcement to set aside fear comes for three reasons; all three of
them trace the comfort back to the Lord Himself: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.”
These
sweet words of comfort apply first of all to God’s faithful people in the days
of Isaiah. Centuries before, the Lord had redeemed His people from their
bondage in Egypt, claiming them as His own. Now, in spite of their continued
rebelliousness, the Lord would again redeem His people from Babylon. In the
troubled days ahead, these words sustained God’s people. God Himself had said,
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you.” But they also treasured these words for
the promise of a deeper, more significant redemption with the coming of the
Messiah.
When
we read and hear these words thousands of years later, we too find comfort in
them. The Lord has redeemed us too, but from a greater bondage. By our sins, we
were slaves of sin and in bondage to death and punishment. The Lord redeemed us
from sin, death, and hell. He bought us with the price of the blood of Christ
on Calvary. God called us by name when He washed us in the water of Baptism.
All believers belong to the Lord; we are His possession, His chosen people. And
so, His promises are ours as well, including His promise to “Fear not.”
But
it is easier said than done, isn’t it? Life is full of fears. I’m sure that Lucille
went through most of them. Growing up—that’s terrifying for everybody, isn’t it?
We each struggle to find our own identity. We wonder what our life will be
like, where we’ll work, if we’ll ever get married. When we do tie the knot,
there’s the fear and tough business of making it work.
Lucille
and Harvey went through more than 50 years together facing the fears every
couple faces: finding a job, the ups and downs of family farming, making a
home, planning for the future. Along came children, and Lucille and Harvey
suddenly had a whole host of new fears! There was worry about paying the bills,
keeping the kids fed and healthy, the friends they hung around with, and the
choices they’d make as they established their own way in the world. Finally, in
life, Lucille, like each of us, had to deal with her own shortcomings, her own
insecurities, her own sinfulness, and ultimately, her own mortality.
Lucille
could have become worrisome and anxious, but she kept hearing the Lord’s voice
saying, “Fear not. I not only made you, but I came in the flesh as one of you. I
was born of a woman that I would experience everything that you can experience.
I understand. So don’t be afraid. I redeemed you on the cross when I took all
your sins upon Myself. Every bit of punishment due you ended right there. I
want you to live free, not fearfully, for you are My daughter. I redeemed you,
and in My resurrection even the last enemy—death—has been defeated. Fear not.”
As
the Lord said to Israel through the prophet Isaiah, He also said to Lucille: “I
have called you by name.” That happened over 92 years ago when Lucille was
baptized. At that moment God said, “Lucille, you are My child. You are Mine. I
called you by My name. No one shall ever pluck you from My hand.” And to make
sure Lucille stayed in His flock, the Lord fed her regularly in the worship
service with His life-giving Word and His own true body and blood for the
forgiveness of her sins and the strengthening of her faith.
God
sustains us through even our most difficult times. And, let’s face it: life in this
world does have its difficult times. But our Lord promises to be with us: “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the
rivers, they shall not overwhelm you.” Notice how the Lord says, “When you pass through the waters…” It
is not a matter of if you pass through the waters, but when. In
this fallen world we can expect, we must expect difficulties, troubles,
and trials to come. Because of sin such things are inevitable.
Even
so, the Lord promises, “The rivers… shall not overwhelm you.” Oh yes, they will
bother you; they will try you; they may make you want to give up. But fear not.
I will be with you. “When you walk through fire you shall
not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the Lord, your
God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.”
It
probably won’t surprise those of you who knew her best, but the few times when
I visited with Lucille alone, she wasn’t interested in talking about herself
and how she was doing for very long. She preferred to talk about how much God
had truly blessed her. She wanted to talk about her life, her children, her
grandchildren, her great-grandchildren. She was more concerned about you than
she was concerned for herself.
You
know why? Because she believed God’s words: “Fear not.” Lucille wasn’t afraid
of her last days or her final moments because she knew she was redeemed. She
knew that the Lord had called her by name and made her His through the water
and Word. She knew her Good Shepherd would be with her as she walked through
the valley of the shadow of death. She knew her final destination was to be
with the Lord. That let her enjoy talking about other things. That let her
focus her attention on your welfare, on your successes and challenges, on your
walk of faith, rather than on her own weakness and advancing age.
And
so, I’m sure that Lucille would want me to take this opportunity to direct your
attention away from her and point you back to her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ one
more time. Listen again to her confirmation verse, John 3:16: “For God so loved
the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not
perish but have eternal life.”
Only
in God’s Son, Jesus Christ, and His life-giving Word will you find freedom in the
midst of bondage, hope in the midst of despair, peace in the midst of fear, strength
in the midst of weakness, life in the midst of death. Only in Jesus will you
find forgiveness, salvation, and eternal life. May God grant each of you to
know His saving love. Amen.
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