Funeral Sermon for Betty Gedeon

Sunday, Nov.2, 2014
Funeral Sermon for Betty Gedeon
Text: Luke 2:22-32

29 “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace,
    according to your word;
30 for my eyes have seen your salvation
31 that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
    and for glory to your people Israel.”

Dear friends, family and loved ones of our beloved Betty. As we together morn and grieve her passing and our loss, let us comfort and sustain one another with the blessed hope, that in Christ death is a parting for a time but there awaits a joyful reunion for all who believe.

I’m Pastor Russ Tkac from Peace Lutheran Church in Waterford and I’ve had the pleasure of being Betty’s pastor over these last few years. While it had been difficult for Betty to deal with her limited mobility, loss of car use and the freedom that that allowed, Betty too was comforted by her loving family, their help and her trust in Jesus. In this she had true peace.

Ill.

Long ago a man sought the perfect picture of peace. Not finding one that satisfied, he announced a contest to produce this masterpiece. The challenge stirred the imagination of artists everywhere, and paintings arrived from far and wide. Finally the great day of revelation arrived. The judge’s uncovered one peaceful scene after another.

The tensions grew. Only two pictures remained veiled. As a judge pulled the cover from one, a hush fell over the crowd. A mirror-smooth lake reflected lacy, green birches under the soft blush of the evening sky. Along the grassy shore, a flock of sheep grazed undisturbed. Surely this was the winner. The man with the vision uncovered the second painting himself, and the crowd gasped in surprise. Could this be peace?

It was a raging waterfall cascaded down a rocky precipice; the crowd could almost feel the cold, penetrating spray. Stormy-gray clouds threatened to explode with lightning, wind and rain. In the midst of the thundering noises and bitter chill, a spindly tree clung to the rocks at the edge of the falls. One of its branches reached out in front of the torrential waters as if foolishly seeking to experience its full power.

There a little bird had built a nest in the elbow of that branch. Content and undisturbed in her stormy surroundings, she rested on her eggs. With her eyes closed and her wings ready to cover her little ones, she manifested true peace in the midst of all earthly turmoil.

Berit Kjos, A Wardrobe from the King, pp. 45-46.

Peace can take on the many different looks, both young and old, from the baby Jesus wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger … to the man Christ Jesus hanging on a cross crying out, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34) But there is both joy and peace in Christ’s life and in his purifying death that it allows all who depart, trusting in Christ Jesus as both savior and Lord to receive that peace!

Our beloved Betty knew and received that Peace!

In our reading from the Luke text today we read:

22 And when the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, [Mary and Joseph] brought [Jesus] up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord

St. Luke finds it necessary to explain to his gentile audience, like us, the rites connected with the purification because they were not familiar with Jewish laws. The mother was unclean, according to the ordinances of Moses, for seven days after the birth of a son, and must then remain separate for a total of forty days of cleansing, and purification, (Lev. 12). At the close of this period the parents went up to Jerusalem with the Child to present Him to the Lord, for the firstborn of man and beast belonged to the Lord, (Ex. 13, 2,) and had to be redeemed with a sacrifice.

Popular Commentary of the Bible PE Kretzmann NT Vol. 1 Pg 274

So Mary and Joseph bring Jesus to the temple to make a sacrifice to the Lord and to do as the Law required. And while there they run into a man named Simeon who we are told was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, or the comfort and peace of God and we’re told that the Holy Spirit was upon him.

26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ.

27 And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, 28 he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said,

29 “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace,
    according to your word;
30 for my eyes have seen your salvation
31 that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
    and for glory to your people Israel.”

The joy of seeing this child, this Jesus brought to fulfillment for Simeon what the Lord by the Holy Spirit had promised, that he would not die until he had seen the Christ. The joy in Simeon’s song is and will be once again spoken at Betty’s committal service tomorrow at Glen Eden, as we also join with Simeon in joyful praise with what the Lord has given for the forgiveness of the sins of the world.

Betty knew that Chris’s purifying death would allow her to depart in peace!

I had a joyful time visiting with Betty at her home and bringing communion to her as she couldn’t get to church on a regular basis. She would always tell me how much she enjoyed being in worship but thankful as well when she could attend and really enjoyed receiving the Lord’s Supper at her home which helped to strengthened her faith.

I visited Betty at Sanctuary the day before her stroke and we had a great visit. She was sitting at the counter having dinner and was able to talk and receive the sacrament. She so looked forward to going home and with Betty that could mean to her home or the Lord’s home or both. I was surprised to hear of her stroke from Kathy on Friday as she had looked and sounded so good.

We can all see the effects of time on our faces as we look into the mirror each morning. As much as we might all hope to have the blessings of a long life like Betty, the reality of death is real and sooner or later we will all answer the door when death knocks. But too, like Betty, we can have comfort and peace because:

Death’s sting has been swallowed up in victory by Jesus Christ and we can all have comfort in His blessed work and this blessed Good News. As we together grieve the loss of our beloved Betty and think about this frail existence we all inhabit here in this world, we can still have peace.

Charles Wesley the great preacher wrote about peace in this way:

I rest beneath the Almighty's shade,
My griefs expire, my troubles cease;
Thou, Lord, on whom my soul is stayed,
Will keep me still in perfect peace.

Charles Wesley.

Comfort and peace, is what Betty knew. That Christ had come to rescue her and you can know that as well. Comfort and peace, knows the joy of Christ Jesus in your life by God grace and mercy. Comfort and peace, is being called to follow Christ by God’s Holy Spirit who indwells all believers and is called the comforter even by Jesus himself.

For Jesus Himself says that:

“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Dear friends, you have access to the father as Betty did through Christ Jesus our Lord who came to live, suffer, die and rise again for you and who will give to all true peace found only in His saving arms that were outstretched upon the cross as He gave up His life for you.

Because of Chris’s purifying death he allows you to depart in peace!

So when the trials of life burden you and the storms of life rage and when even death is near, rest in the peace of Christ like Betty and the little bird who sees not the storm, the raging waterfall or the crooked little branch but rests in the loving hands of the savior who reminds us in John’s gospel the wonderful comfort Betty knew:

7 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. 30 I and the Father are one.” (John 10:27-30)

In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen