DAVID RUMICS HAD AN INDESTRUCTABLE HOPE.
In the name + of Jesus.
David Rumics had a positive attitude and a
good sense of humor, but he did not live under the illusion that life is always
good. He was grateful for his many
blessings, but he also endured his share of hardships. When he had to deal with heart surgery some
years ago, and again, when diminished health had him walking with a walker or a
cane, he endured the realities of an imperfect world. Worse, when Jon died from cancer, Diane, you
and David both had to endure the pains of watching him suffer and then bidding
farewell. So, David knew his share of
grief. Despite the grief, David always
had hope.
Grief comes from what sin has brought into
the world. Whether it is a failed relationship,
struggles with health, bouts of doubt or guilt, or the finality of death, it
all comes because we are sinners living in a sinful world. Some griefs are the result of our own sins;
other griefs come because of the sinful world we live in. Sin not only produces grief, it brings
death. David was a sinner in a sinful
world. We are all sinners; therefore, we
are all marked for death.
Hope, on the other hand, comes from outside
of us. It has to if it is going to
endure. Hope that is based on our wishes
can be easily destroyed. You can hope
for the best in life, but that is a wish—and such hopes are often dashed. Hope that comes from the Lord, however, will
never be dashed. In fact, hope that comes
from God is indestructible. David Rumics
had an indestructible hope; and so do you.
St. Paul wrote to the Christians in
Thessalonica who had feared that those who died in the faith lost out on the
glories that we hope for. This
misunderstanding produced a great deal of grief for those who mourned for their
dead. St. Paul corrected their beliefs
and gave them an indestructible hope. He
wrote, “We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who have
fallen asleep, so that you do not grieve in the same way as the others,
who have no hope. Indeed, if we believe
that Jesus died and rose again, then in the same way we also believe that God
will bring with him those who have fallen asleep through Jesus” (1
Thessalonians 4:13-14). Although
grief comes because of sin and death, the hope that we have remains. Hope from the Lord cannot be destroyed, even
by death.
David Rumics was baptized into this indestructible
hope when he was a little boy. Through
baptism, God made a covenant with him.
It was a one-sided covenant. God
made the promise; David received its benefit—the hope of everlasting life. David’s life as a child of God began then,
and it continued through his whole life.
From going to St. Joseph Catholic High School, to attending Lutheran
churches with his wife and children, even to partaking in the Lord’s Supper at
Good Shepherd on the Sunday before he died, David was sustained and
strengthened in the Christian faith. In
fact, David’s life as a child of God has not ended, and it never will. David Rumics had an indestructible hope, and
not even death can end it.
This is the hope that comforts you through
your grief. St. Paul did not suggest that
Christians will not grieve. He said that
you do not need to “grieve in the same way as the others, who have no hope” (1
Thessalonians 4:13). Your hope
remains. It is indestructible because it
is based on the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection are
historical events, not fanciful stories.
That is why your hope is not wishful thinking. We don’t imagine that David has gone to some
nebulous “better place.” He has gone to
be with Jesus—the Savior into whom he as baptized; the Savior who suffered to take
away the sins which would have condemned him; the Savior who died and bore God’s
curse for him; the Savior who overcame death and now holds the power over the
grave. The Savior who came for David
Rumics has taken him to be with him in heavenly glory.
We hope for even more because Jesus
promises even more. Today, we have the
remains of a body. That seems pretty
final—ashes to ashes, dust to dust. But
St. Paul declares that this body which has been reduced to ashes will be raised. This is the Christian hope: “The Lord
himself will come down from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of an
archangel, and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise
first” (1 Thessalonians 4:16). The Savior
who possesses power over death and the grave will raise up all the dead. Those who believe and are baptized will be
saved—raised from the dead with perfected bodies, minds, and hearts. This is what David Rumics hoped for. This is what we still wait for because this
is what Jesus has promised. And just as
the Lord has been faithful in all his promises, so he will be faithful in this
one. Death will meet its end. Grief will turn to joy. David will live—body and soul, risen and restored
by Jesus. Frailty will turn into glory. Hope will be fulfilled because this hope is indestructible.
Back in the 1960’s, David Rumics got to
meet a nice girl at a McDonald’s in Benton Harbor. They were united in Christ in 1967. Diane, I am willing to bet you would like to
have another 58 years with David. Or at
least just one more camping trip. April,
I am sure you would like to have another 50-some years with your father, too. Anyone who knew him would like just a little
more time to share a joke, have one more conversation, or enjoy a tasty meal
together.
You can set your hopes higher. For this is what the Lord promises to all who believe in Jesus and are baptized into his name: “We will always be with the Lord. Therefore, encourage one another with these words” (1 Thessalonians 4:17-18). This is your indestructible hope: You will get David Rumics back—not for 50 more years, but forever. It is not wishful thinking. It is not a nebulous “better place.” The Lord Jesus will gather into Paradise all who are his. We will be with the Lord who created us, redeemed us, and set us apart for the resurrection to everlasting glory. Death may bring grief, but Jesus, who rules over death, encourages you with this indestructible hope. Death, on the other hand, will be destroyed. Those who mourn will be comforted. The dead in Christ will live. And your hope will be fulfilled.
In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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