Day 9: Living Redeemed

Readings for January 9: Ezekiel 3:12-37, Psalm 62:5-7, Romans 2:1-16

Are you ready to die?  I’m not.  Does death scare you?  It doesn't scare me.  Why?  Because I am a child of God, and I believe that I have been forgiven by Jesus, God’s Son, our Lord who died on the cross so that I will not die eternally.

Can you say that?  It took me a long time to be able to.  Why?  Because I am a sinner.  (It also took me a long time to be able to say that heartfully, even though I grew up a Christian.)  I am a sinner and I know that under the law of God I am condemned, and the only hope that I have is that I die.  However Christ came and died so that I will not die.  Even though my time on this earth may come to an end, I have confidence that I will awake in heaven.  

“[How to prepare for death:] First, one must admonish the people to attend church and listen to the sermon so that they learn through God’s word how to live and how to die.  It must be noted that those who are so uncouth and wicked as to despise God’s word while they are in good health should be left unattended when they are sick unless they demonstrate their remorse and repentance with great earnestness, tears, and lamentation….Second, everyone should prepare in time and get ready for death by going to confession and taking the sacrament once every week or fortnight.  He should become reconciled with his neighbor and make his will so that if the Lord knocks and he departs before a pastor or chaplain can arrive he has provided for his soul, has left nothing undone, and has committed himself to God.  When there are many fatalities and only two or three pastors on duty, it is impossible to visit everyone to give instruction, and to teach each one what a Christian ought to know in the anguish of death.  Those who have been careless and negligent in these matters must account for themselves.  That is their own fault.  After all, we cannot set up a private pulpit and altar daily at their bedside simply because they have despised the public pulpit and altar to which God has summoned and called them.

“Third, if someone wants the chaplain or pastor to come, let the sick person send word in time to call him and let him do so early enough while he is still in his right mind before the illness overwhelms the patient.”

And so, likewise, we should not judge.  Two prisoners are on death row.  As the one is heading down to get executed, the other one yells out to him: “What did you do to die like this?”

“I killed two men.”

“Oh,” the first one replies, “You’re worse than I am.  I only killed one man.”

“What difference does it make?  We’re both going to die.”

Do we do this?  Yes.  Daily.  We look at fellow sinners and judge them.  It may be a dirty look or a dirty word.  It may be harsh words or gossip.  Or we may decide that they need to die.  But the fact is that we judge people every day, and we shouldn't, for we have no place to do it, for we are on the same walk of death, and the only hope that we have is that Christ has saved us.

And so my prayer is this:

Dear Heavenly Father, enthroned in heaven, how great Thou art and how deserving of all of our praise.  Lord, I thank you that you have brought us through this week so far, and I pray that you would help guide us ever toward You.  Let us remember that just as You have loved us and not condemned us, so should we to love and not condemn our neighbors.  This we pray through Christ, our Lord and Savior.  Amen

May the peace of God, which surpasses all human understanding, keep your heart and mind in Christ Jesus.  Amen.