Treasures in Heaven
The following is the script from a funeral service for an infant in our congregation. Several in our congregation were unable to attend and the family has agreed that it would be ok to publish this sermon for our church community and others who might find comfort from these words.
Friends and Family, I am especially glad you have come today to join with us as we seek for a healing embrace of the Living God, as we cry out for understanding, ask for a divine touch of comfort, and worship our Lord who is completely righteous, perfect in wisdom, and always on time with His actions.
“In the most beautiful of gardens, even those tended by the most skillful of botanists, there is an occasional rose that buds, but never opens. In all respects the rose is like all the others, but something keeps it from blooming. It fades away – or disappears – without having reached maturity.”
What happens in nature’s garden happens once in a while also in the garden of God’s human family. A baby is born, beautiful, precious, but fails to come to its rightful unfolding. This child, like the bud that never fully opens, is gathered back into God’s heavenly garden of souls – where all imperfections are made perfect; all injustices made right; all mysteries are explained; and all sorrows turned to happiness (Marjory MacMartin marj.macmartin@sympatico.ca)
Today we mourn our loss of such a child. We weep, just as Jesus himself wept at the death of his friend Lazarus. Even if we knew the answers to the questions that rise so naturally to our hearts and minds at times like this, there still would be no adequate explanation for this loss. It is painful.
Let us Pray.
Matt 6:20-21
20 “But store up for yourselves atreasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; 21 for awhere your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Last Sunday morning, the treasure chest in heaven gained a new jewel as the soul of Addison Hernandez made her flight from here to arms of Jesus. Not only did Addison make her transport, but as the Scripture indicates, a little bit of our hearts made the transition to heaven as well. You see, the greatest treasure in heaven is the Lord Jesus Christ, but other rewards capture our hearts as well. There are the treasures that constitute the rewards for our works on this earth, but there are the treasures who have gone before. At times one who has lived out a fruitful long journey on this earth makes their way to heaven and we can easily celebrate with them even as we mourn for them. When they have struggled with difficult diseases it seems much easier to let them go. The fact that we can celebrate their lives and accept their homegoing makes them no less of a treasure in heaven. In these days our hearts are in heaven because that is the place of our treasure.
But a circumstance like this is not so easy to accept. With one so tiny yet with such promise for so many things it leaves us with more questions than we have answers. We will likely never know the answer to the questions of why this life was orchestrated in such a way? Why were our hopes and dreams not allowed to enter into a life with Addison? We will not answer these questions today, and I find it more satisfying in this world to deal with what we know than what might have been or what could have been because I have learned that although we can dream and speculate about such things, we cannot really know such things.
We can know the things that God has taught us in the Scriptures. He has taught us that there are treasures in heaven. He has also taught us about the event that follows death.
He has said to us that those who die in Christ Jesus are transported immediately to be with Him. To the one beside him on the cross who believed, He said today you shall be with me in paradise. Through the Apostle Paul He said to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. He has said to us if we possess a faith in God that changes our lives we will have eternal life.
But what about an infant? Aren’t we all born guilty due to our sin nature? Yes, you are theologically correct. The Scripture teaches us that there is none righteous, no not one. Even the most innocent of babies has been born with a sinful nature and is in need of redemption. No doubt, that truth is one most difficult to grasp, however, there is within the Bible teachings about little children who die before their mental capacity could develop in order to grasp the sinfulness of their heart and make the spiritual and mental step from self to God.
A great passage to teach us this truth is found in 2 Sam 12:21-23
21 Then his servants said to him, “What is this thing that you have done? While the child was alive, you fasted and wept; but when the child died, you arose and ate food.” 22 He said, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, ‘Who knows, the Lord may be gracious to me, that the child may live.’ 23 “But now he has died; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but bhe will not return to me.”
If the child died, where did he go – into the arms of Jesus – to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.
King David had an understanding that he would go to the child. The indication here is that the child has gone to a place of eternity where David would also go. Notice some things about this truth, there was no baptism, no circumcision, and no great prayer meeting to deliver a soul from purgatory. There was an immediate transport to the gates of heaven.
I believe this is proof enough of the biblical teaching about infants and heaven. Even so there is no direct confirmation of this Scripture from the Lord. On this passage I find nothing else in the Bible that would contradict David’s proclamation. I do find support for his statement such as when Jesus said you can only come to Jesus if you come as little child. I find confirmation when Paul writes to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.
So Chris and Kathy, I believe today you have a treasure in heaven and that treasure is a human being which I believe is the capstone of God’s creation
In these days there will be many of us who will try to bring you comfort through words that we say. Some of our words may be helpful and some may not. Please know that each of us are at a loss for words in trying to grasp the mystery of life and death that is before us. There is no human rationalizing capable of knowing exactly why God extends the life of some while shortening the lives of others. We do know that we live in an imperfect world due to the fall of man in the garden. We know that when sin entered into humanity, all of creation was affected and sickness, disease, and death will be a part until Jesus comes back.
Some may tell you that God wanted or needed a child in heaven. While that may seem to give purpose to a life, I am certain God is not the selfish deity that statement implies, He is complete in Himself. Some may say it was God’s will and in a sense we must say it fits within His permissive will. But understand, it was never in God’s perfect will for man to sin and death to enter in although He gave man a choice in many matters which resulted in sin and death.
Some may tell you that you are young and you can have other children. And while that may be true, we must remember that other children will not replace the emptiness you feel in your heart. Addison was a special gift from the Lord, unique and precious. Nothing could replace nor should replace her in your heart.
Chris and Kathy, we mean well when we say things that may even bring more pain than healing so we ask you to simply bless us for our effort to be of comfort and hold to the fact that there are mysteries in this life for which we have no answers.
Even though we may not know the answers, we can go on. King David, picked himself up and worshipped upon news that his child had died. What a great and challenging reminder of two very important truths for us to be able to deal with tragedy and in particular, a tragedy like this:
1. While Addison has been transported to the arms of Jesus, we remain on this earth and our time is not over. We have other family that God has included for us to enjoy this life. We have a continuing ministry and walk with Him here. We must go on. We must, just as did King David, make a decision that life continues and we must continue our journey.
God is our greatest and only strength to cope with the tragedy at hand. King David prepared himself and worshipped the Lord. We must also turn a corner to worship the Lord even in the midst of our pain. CS Lewis once said, God whispers to us in our pleasure, He speaks to us in our conscience, but He shouts to us in our pain. While we are well aware that God has the power to intervene and that leads us to the place that we can desire that God would have intervened in a different way than He did, He is also the God of all wisdom and comfort. If we can come to the place where we can trust Him, even in this action, we are not far from receiving strength for our days and great blessing through his great pipeline of faith.
