This is part of our e-journey through the gospel of John. Today is from John 11.
I hate funerals.
Who doesn’t right?
I don’t think it matters how many you go to…it just doesn’t get easier. Now for me, it’s a bit different. As a pastor, there is a certain expectation that we somehow know exactly what to say and when to say it to make everything smooth and nice. Let me fill you in on a little secret…none of that is true.
Well, some of it is true. I’ve been around enough funerals now to know that saying nothing and just being there is tons more important than having anything profound to say. In fact, the more profound you think something is at a funeral, the more you should keep it to yourself. There is nothing profound at a funeral. No one ever remembers what the preachers says at a funeral and that’s a good thing. If you do remember what the preacher said, it’s probably because he (she) said something incredibly insensitive or stupid.
Unless of course, you’re Jesus. Jesus had a way of wrecking funerals. I mean completely and utterly destroying them. Raising people from the dead will ruin a good funeral every time. The mourners start laughing at Jesus during one scene (Mark 5). Luke 7 is another scene where Jesus - right in the middle of the processional - goes up to the mom, tells her not to cry, then rips open the casket and says “Get up, boy.” You have to admit - that scene would unnerve even the best of us.
But this one has to be the best. He shows up 4 days late and tells the people to unbury the dead body. Can you imagine that? Climb back in the limos, head to the cemetery with shovels because Jesus said so.
“But the smell….”
There’s always something in the way of obeying Jesus, isn’t there? The smell, the convenience, the money, the time…the list is long but there is always something there that at the time seems so important keeping us from obeying him…it seems so significant at the time, doesn’t it? The smell…would suffer through a few minutes of decaying flesh to get your friend back alive? Would you suffer through a short time of financial hardship for treasures in heaven? Would you suffer through a shot time of inconvenience to change the world?
I wonder how many opportunities I’ve missed because of words like that…
Would I suffer through a short time of financial hardship for treasures in heaven? Would I suffer through a short time of inconvenience to change the world? Would I suffer through a few minutes of decaying flesh to get your friend back alive? Those are some real questions…..Would I suffer through a “short time” of inconvenience to change the world? How long is short and what is the inconvenience? What am I really willing to suffer? Hmmmmmm………
Seems like you could use something from Discovery Channel’s “Dirty Jobs” if you ever do a talk on this, as I know how you like to use clips that drive the point home.
I get your larger point, and it is a good one! But to your comment, “There is nothing profound at a funeral. No one ever remembers what the preachers says at a funeral and that’s a good thing. If you do remember what the preacher said, it’s probably because he (she) said something incredibly insensitive or stupid.” OUCH!
You lose on this one. The ‘preacher’ at my dad’s memorial said some of the most gracious, Jesus honoring things I think I had ever heard up to that point. Same thing at Marjie’s mom and dad’s service. Spank! You need to give us in this ‘biz’ a little more credit than you do.
[…] What If There’s No Reason? John 10:1-21, Polarizing Jesus John 10:22-42, Someone Has To Be It John 11, But The Smell… John 12:1-11, More Than You Bargained For John 12:12-50, Unbelievability Of It All John 13, You […]