How Christians should take comfort over those who have died.
1 St. Paul says in Romans 15:4 that the Scriptures are for our learning, so that we may have hope through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures. Since it is natural for us to grieve for departed dear friends, we should in such cases turn to the Scriptures and seek a certain and right consolation from them against such grief and sorrow. For outside of it we may seek comfort in all kinds of ways, but we will not find a lasting one that can satisfy the heart and rightly ward off displeasure. Only the Scriptures are able to do this. Cause: It is the book of the Holy Spirit, which is the only one.
and right master who can change our hearts and bring comfort and joy instead of suffering and sorrow.
(2) Therefore let us now take before us the history of the widow's son, whom the Lord Christ raised from the dead, and set beside this consoling work the testimony of the Scriptures: that we may learn to comfort ourselves rightly, not only in the case where we lose dear intimate friends, but also for ourselves, when it shall be time for us to depart, that we may know what we shall hope and wait for at that time. The history writes Lucas at 7, 11-16. and reads thus:
Luc. 7, 11-16.
And it came to pass afterward, that he went into a city called Nain; and many of his disciples went with him, and much people. And when he was come nigh unto the gate of the city, behold, a dead man was carried out, which was an only son of his mother; and she was a widow; and much people of the city went with her. And when the Lord saw her, he was sorry for her, and said unto her, Weep not. And he came and touched the coffin, and the bearers stopped. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise. And the dead man arose and began to speak. And he gave him to his mother. And fear came upon them all, and they praised God, saying: There is a great prophet risen up among us, and God has afflicted His people.
This is a very comforting story, in which both are very finely and actually depicted: first, what we humans are wont to do with the dead, and second, what our dear Lord Christ wants us to do. Experience shows that when a dear person or friend passes away, we, like the widow here, can do no more than weep and cry. Cause, we let ourselves think like her, we have lost such a person, it is over with him, we must be deprived of his presence and kindness from now on. This is our way and nature, how we see ourselves and others; we cannot and do not know any better about ourselves.
But what does this history teach us first, and then the Scriptures and the Word of God by all means? Are such thoughts of this widow also true? Item, does she also have cause for this, that she is so heartily grieved and sorrowful, as if she had lost her son altogether? For our dear Lord Jesus Christ comes and comforts her, not as we do with one another in such sorrow and soften others with us; he has compassion for her, but he does not like the weeping, for he has in mind to help her. Therefore, he says, she should not weep like this. He goes to the bier and says, "Young man, I say to you, get up!" Immediately the dead man gets up and speaks, and he gives him back to his mother. There we see that this woman had no reason to be so distressed, and that her thought was completely wrong and erroneous, that she thought she had lost her son. For before half a day is gone, her son is alive again and is fresh and healthy. This happened at that time in the city of Nain, before the gate, and everyone who was present saw it with his own eyes, that the widow had lost her son.
Son was dead; but by this one word from the Lord Christ JEsu he was raised and came to life again, as if he had only been sleeping on a bed.
5 Now the holy prophets and apostles, and the preaching of our dear Lord Christ Himself, testify everywhere that our dear Lord Christ wants to do just such a work with all those who believe in Him, that He will not leave them in death, but will raise them from death to eternal life through His word; as He says John 5:28, 29. 5, 28, 29: "The hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who have done good will come to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil will come to the resurrection of judgment." Therefore we also speak and confess in our holy faith: I believe in the resurrection of the flesh and eternal life. That therefore we should not only believe that as the Lord Jesus raised up the widow's son here, so he will also raise up us and all Christians; but we should believe still more, namely, that he will raise us up to eternal life, since he was only raised up to this temporal life.
For this reason St. Paul continues his exhortation and teaching when he writes to the Thessalonians (1 Thess. 4:13): "I will not keep you from them that sleep, lest ye sorrow, as others which have no hope. With these words, St. Paul makes a great distinction between Christians and all other people, and concludes: "Those who are not Christians are those who do not believe in Christ, do not consider him their Savior, and through his death alone receive forgiveness of sins and eternal life.
They have no hope and cannot have any comfort in death, neither for themselves nor for others; they must remain in eternal death and be damned. For this reason it would be necessary that they themselves, and others with them, should think and care for the sake of such eternal misery. But the Christians, on the other hand, are a peculiar people, adorned with a glorious and delicious ornament. For they have a hope and can comfort themselves, not only when other dear people are lost to them through death, but when they themselves are to die.
But such hope is not a worldly hope, as one sees that sometimes some prefer to die, or worry about others the less, that they have lived in honor and dignity, have well cared for their children and left them well etc. Worldly children sometimes comfort themselves in this way, but it is a miserable, beggarly comfort that brings no hope against death. But this is the hope and consolation of Christians, when they lose someone dear, or die themselves, that they believe that Jesus Christ died and rose again, and that God will bring with Him through Christ those who have fallen asleep. This, I say, is the right consolation, which we should well remember and imagine, diligently keep to it, and with it build up our hearts against the displeasure and sorrow that arise from the death of those who are related to us or dear to us.
8 For just as Christ here raises this widow's son from the dead and restores him to her, when before she thought she had lost him, weeping and wailing for him, so do you ever hear from all Christians, even though they challenge God with death. You lose your dear child, your dear husband, or any other good friend; do not weep, do not grieve, do not let yourself think that you have lost him. For it is certain that, if you are and remain a Christian, it will be restored to you. Our dear Lord Christ himself will take him with him on the last day, and thus help you together again, so that you will henceforth remain undivided and with each other for eternity. This is a real hope and a certain comfort that will actually follow.
where you enclose him properly in your heart, so that the sorrow must disappear and the displeasure vanish.
(9) And though it is not possible that flesh and blood should not grieve greatly in such a case; as we see that the holy patriarchs and fathers heartily mourned for their parents, for their spouses, and for their children: yet this hope shall make a difference between our sorrow and grief, who are Christians, and the unbelievers. For those have no hope nor comfort at all, since they neither have nor know the word of God. And if they already believe that body and soul die together, their displeasure must be all the greater. For there they cut off all hope for themselves: What once is gone, that is gone and will never come back. Therefore, the dearer someone has been to them, the greater is the suffering. But if they believe that there is life after this life, they can be even less satisfied. For on what will they rely, on what will they hope for forgiveness of sins, since it is impossible that they should not have an evil conscience because of sins?
(10) But Christians have a certain hope, since it is impossible that they could fail. They know that whoever believes in Jesus Christ, that is, whoever believes him to be a Savior, takes comfort in his death and desires forgiveness of sins from him, that he will certainly have forgiveness of sins and that God cannot be hostile to such people for the sake of his Son. For God's command is clear, that we should believe in Christ, accept Him and put our trust in Him. Therefore, although death comes and takes such a person away, as it does others, Christians know that death cannot hold him, but must restore him in his time on the last day. Therefore, although flesh and blood are concerned about such death, the Spirit is there who sees from God's word and concludes: Well then, if I no longer have you here on earth, we will be reunited there; Christ will restore the afflicted widow to her son. Therefore let there be moderation in weeping and mourning etc. So that the Christians
Weeping is such weeping, because there is a glorious hope with it, which finally outweighs the suffering, that it must disappear and melt away.
(11) Therefore all power is in this, that we take hold of such a hope and form it firmly in ourselves; then we will not worry so much about our dear brothers and friends who are dying, and we ourselves will be all the more comforted, even if we have to go. And it is no one's fault but our own if we leave such hope out of our eyes and hearts. For our dear Lord Christ has put all his work with his Christians so that they would be sufficiently assured of such hope, and would always have cause to remember it and practice it.
012 For first, behold thy baptism. Why were you baptized? Why are others baptized? Why do we like to be present in all discipline and reverence when one baptizes? Is it also a thing by which one should receive money, goods, power, or other such things? No. St. Paul thus says to the Romans, Cap. 6:3: "Know ye not that all we which are baptized into Christ are baptized into his death?" That is, baptism serves the purpose, even though we must die as well as unbelievers, that it should be a pledge, a sign and assurance to us that Christ died for us, and that we should enjoy his death and live with him forever.
13 Therefore, when you remember your baptism, remember this hope also. If you know that your good friend has been baptized, has taken comfort in his baptism, and would reluctantly have forgiven himself for it, for his sake let go of all sadness. For now, with his death, it has come to pass that he may enjoy his baptism and be rightly made partaker of the death of Christ. Therefore you have no cause to grieve for his sake, but rather to rejoice. Moreover, consider how you are also preparing yourself for this blessed journey home, commanding your spirit in a right faith and confession of Christ, and immediately having a desire to depart from this world and be in Christ etc.
14 Just as baptism leads us to this blessed hope, so does the supper of our dear Lord Christ. For
There we hear not only this great comfort: that the body of Christ was given for us, and his blood poured out for the remission of sins; which should ever be enough to comfort us against sin and eternal death; but just such a sacrifice for our sin, namely, the body and blood of Christ, is put into our mouths by the power of his word in bread and wine for food and drink; so that, as the holy fathers also spoke of it, our mortal bodies here on earth are nourished to eternal life by immortal food. For this reason, it has become the custom among Christians for sick people to be preserved with such living and eternal food and drink, so that they may grasp the hope of the future life all the more surely.
(15) Therefore it is not true, as the devotees of the sacraments say, that in such a supper of the Lord one receives no more than bread and wine. If the word and command of Christ were not there, no one would receive more than bread and wine. But the word of our Lord Christ is clear. And wicked people and harmful deceivers are those who interpret this word differently, namely: that he takes the bread in his hands, gives thanks and breaks it, that is, he distributes it and says: "Take and eat, this is my body. Item, he takes the cup, gives thanks, gives it, and says, "Receive, and drink ye all of it: this is the cup of the New Testament in my blood, which is shed for you and for many for the remission of sins." These words make it clear that all true Christians must confess, although the mouth cannot judge otherwise, for it eats bread and drinks wine; nor can the eyes see otherwise: that they nevertheless eat and drink the body and blood of Christ in this supper; not with the thoughts (as the devotees of the sacrament are sometimes wont to cover their errors), but they eat and drink the body and blood of Christ substantially or bodily when they eat this bread and drink from this cup. For thus says Christ Himself, we must not give the lie to Him.
(16) Now, as I said before, the purpose of such eating and drinking is that we may be able in this
Hope that we will live forever and not remain in death, since our bodies are fed here on earth not only with perishable bread but also with the body and blood of Christ. If you now know that your good friend in such a case has kept himself as a Christian, has not despised such eternal, grace-filled food, which he has sought and enjoyed, then be satisfied only for his person, he will not remain in death. Christ, as Paul says, will take him with him on the last day, and will deliver him to you again, just as the widow here received her son. Thus the Holy Sacraments, Baptism and the Lord's Supper, point us to such hope that we should be certain and doubt nothing.
(17) Indeed, the whole ministry of preaching is designed to foster such hope in us, so that it may grow stronger and more certain day by day. For why does God's word exhort us to believe in the Lord Christ and to put our heart and trust in his suffering and death? Why does God's word always urge us to show love, to beware of evil, to fight against the flesh and sin, and to set a good example for everyone? Is it not all for this reason that we may hold fast to this hope? Because where there is no faith, no love, but rather misery and a sinful life, one must fear God's disgrace and punishment.
18 In particular, the Scriptures have a very fine way of speaking of death and people who have died. For where we speak according to our manner: He is also dead, he is also dead, he is long decayed; but the Scripture says (but only of Christians), He is asleep; so death is not called death, but a sleep. This indicates that although Christians must die as well as unbelievers, their death is a sweet, sweet sleep for them, from which they will be raised again. For as it is impossible that a healthy sleeping person should not wake up again, so it is also impossible that a Christian should always lie in death, because he believes in Christ, confesses him, desires his help, and is thus departed from this world. Christ will save him [through his
He will certainly call forth the Word, like the widow's son, on the last day, and bring him *] with him to the judgment of the devil and the wicked on earth, and thus preserve him eternally.
(19) Since all this is so, let us now conclude what we should do and how we should think about the deceased. Should we also grieve and weep, as we usually do when a good friend encounters a particular misfortune? Should we also think that we have lost them, that we will not be together again? Certainly not! For how would this rhyme with the hope of which we have now heard that it is presented and assured to us in so many ways? It is certain that nothing bad will happen to Christians when they die. For when they fall asleep and pass away, it will be their blessed hour, since all their lives they have prayed and said every day: Deliver us from all evil. This cannot happen unless we take our leave of the world in the name of Jesus Christ; then we will be truly rid of all evil, and it will finally follow that we, together with all Christians, will be raised to eternal life through Christ. There we will come together again and find those who were dear to us on earth. Yes, we will become one household with the dear angels and the holy patriarchs, prophets and apostles, and have all joy in God and in such joy give thanks to Him and praise Him for eternity.
(20) Now consider whether we are not poor, miserable people, that we let ourselves grieve so violently where any one's spouse, child, brother, sister, or other good intimate friend falls away. If it is much, he might have lived with you for another ten or twenty years. You let yourself grieve so much for such a short time, and will not let yourself be comforted or rejoice that instead of such a short time you will dwell and remain with him forever in all joy and gladness; whereas here on earth there can be nothing but trouble and sorrow, as we see every day, especially in our households, among our closest and dearest friends.
*) [c]
The deceased experience that now this, now that is lacking, now that becomes ill, another receives a damage otherwise. The deceased are above all this, and lie in their brooding as in a gentle bed and quiet sleep, and wait when our Lord Christ will come, knock at the bed and call out to them that they shall live with all the blessed, with God and His dear angels for eternity. Who would want to mourn for such people, since we have joy over them and should thank God from the bottom of our hearts that they have come so close to their hope; since we, who are still left on earth, have so far to go and so much driving to endure before we come to it. .
21 Let us learn this, for it is not fitting that we Christians, who have such hope, should grieve so heartily and weep so bitterly with this widow in the Gospel. She probably thinks that it is over with her son. She does not know what a good guest is coming to her, who only needs a word and her son will live again, be fresh and healthy. If she had known or could have hoped for such a thing, her tears would have remained behind. But we know it, and this hope, as you have heard, has been presented to us in many ways and made certain. For this reason it is not fitting that we should weep and grieve as much as the Gentiles for the sake of those who have fallen asleep in Christ,
who have no hope. For it is certain that those who have fallen asleep in Christ will not remain in death, but will rise again to eternal life. There we will join them, provided we hold fast to faith, and thus live eternally with them; and not with them alone, but with the dear angels, with the holy patriarchs, prophets, apostles and all God's saints.
(22) If such a hope were firm and certain in us, don't you think we would forget all sorrow and long with all our hearts for God to come soon and take us away from this misery and bring us to such glorious company? But flesh and blood keeps its kind, that does not stand; therefore we do not let it go to our hearts. We have no desire for it; on the contrary, we are stuck hand and foot in the temporal, we like it, we cannot forget it.
For this reason it is necessary that we be continually encouraged by word and sermon, and that we be often and much admonished that we do not forget this hope, but that the longer we do so, the more and firmer it becomes in our hearts, and so that we not only do not worry about our dear friends, to whom no harm will come when they die, but also gladly and willingly desire death ourselves, so that we may also attain to such grace and blessedness. May God grant this to us all for the sake of Christ, His dear Son, amen.