Within the last week or so, the topic of death has come up quite a bit around me. Our church is preparing this week for the Lord's Supper, where we contemplate and reflect on the death of Christ and the death of death itself. A loved family member of my wife passed this past week and we spent Saturday morning in Myrtle Beach for the funeral. A close loved one of my own is refusing to allow friends and family to celebrate their landmark birthday this year out of anxiety over aging and mortality. In each of these circumstances I've been forced to think on death in different aspects and have come to the conclusion that as believers we should regularly engage in a healthy contemplation on death.
Now the reason I say, "healthy," is because there is, of course, such a thing as an unhealthy contemplation on death. One where we are consumed with morbid notions or futile questions about the timing of our death or what have you. However, there is much to be gleaned from a Biblical perspective on death. As I shoot off the cuff I can think of at least five ways or reasons why we should meditate on death: preparation for the time, assurance of our faith, thanksgiving and appreciation for our life, excitement and anticipation for glory, and peace and encouragement in our present sufferings. Over the next week or so I'd like to flesh each one out for our edification and for our encouragement.
First, a healthy contemplation on death prepares us for our own death so as to ensure that we "die well." Boy, that's a funny phrase, is it not? "Die well?" But I am convinced that there is such a thing as dying well and dying poorly, so hang in there with me for a bit. Genesis 1 & 2, as well as Ephesians 2:10, are just two examples of passages in Scripture which so us that our primary function and purpose in Creation as the imago Dei is to worship God. We are vessels which are intended to magnify and exalt His glory. Through salvation in Christ fallen persons are enabled to once more exalt God in all they do on this planet, in sort of a dress rehearsal for eternity. I believe most of you would easy concur with this assessment.
I fail to see why death should be any different.
If our marriages, our employment, our recreation time, our parenting, etc. are all meant to glorify God, then why not our death as well. James tells us that trials and suffering produces endurance and a steadfast faith. What greater trial and what greater suffering is there than death? Therefore, it seems apparent to me that dying for the individual should thus be both an occasion for worship and for the increasing of faith. It is a time when even though uncertainty and fear may beckon us to break, we exalt our great God knowing that He satisfies our every need. Moreover, it is a time when grow in our faith, and our example should inspire others' faith to increase as well.
I think Pilgrim's Progress, the classic and timeless Puritan allegory by John Bunyan, exemplifies this truth. As Christian and Hopeful meet the end of their journey they are required to cross the River of Death before entering the Celestial City. Hopeful has no problems crossing the River, whereas Christian struggles and fears he will drown. Through Hopeful's encouragement he eventually perseveres but with great difficulty. We should aspire to cross the River of Death as Hopeful does, trusting in the promises of Christ and worshiping well. Only through, however, preparation for our death, I think, will we truly be able to do so. If we neglect to labour in this endeavor then we will be blindsided and caught unprepared, suffering and struggling through death as Christian did. However, through a healthy, Bible-centered contemplation on the temporality of this life and the eternal joy which awaits us, I trust that through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, we will be able to die well.
No comments:
Post a Comment