+Timothy John Lietz + Funeral Sermon

Job 19 - ²³ “Oh that my words were written!
    Oh that they were inscribed in a book!
²⁴ Oh that with an iron pen and lead
    they were engraved in the rock forever!
²⁵ For I know that my Redeemer lives,
    and at the last he will stand upon the earth.^[a]
26 And after my skin has been thus destroyed,
    yet in^[b] my flesh I shall see God,
²⁷ whom I shall see for myself,
    and my eyes shall behold, and not another.
    My heart faints within me!

Romans 8 - ²⁶ Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. ²⁷ And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because^[a] the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. ²⁸ And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good,^[b] for those who are called according to his purpose. ²⁹ For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.³⁰ And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

³¹ What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be^[c] against us? ³² He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? ³³ Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. ³⁴ Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.^[d] 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? ³⁶ As it is written,

“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
    we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”

³⁷ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. ³⁸ For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers,³⁹ nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Matthew 18 - At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”² And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them ³ and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. ⁴ Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

⁵ “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me,

“See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.

Grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Amen.  Our text today comes from the Epistle lesson just read, especially these words from St. Paul, “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers,³⁹ nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  Thus far our text. 

Dear friends, especially family and friends of Tim.  The past few weeks have been very difficult at times.  It has been a struggle from one day to the next, as we watched the slow decline of Tim.  There’ve been drives back and forth to Fargo.  There’ve been hours spent bedside in the hospital.  There’ve been tears that were cried in the midst of smiles that were shared of days gone by.  Stories were told, memories remembered, new memories were made – specifically exploding electrical outlets in the hospital. 

And throughout it all, Tim’s body grew weaker and weaker.  The strength that had carried him through 4 years of cancer treatment was wearing thin.  His breathing became shallow, his heart slowed, and finally on Friday evening, his life came to its end.  And to a certain extent, for us it was a relief, to see the suffering end, to see the struggle completed.  And yet now we are left with a hole in our heart that we are uncertain will ever be filled.  And that is the very sting of sin and death.  That because of our guilt, we must face death – be that the death of a loved one, or our own impending demise.  Because of sin, death exists.  And we know and understand that first hand today. 

And as we are face to face with such a close and personal loss, our own strength wavers.  We want to know why this had to happen.  Why do our loved ones leave us?  Why must we suffer and hurt?  Why do so many whom we love go away forever?  And as we ask these questions, we can feel our strength weakening, our hearts melting, and our sorrow grow.  We are not strong enough to face the challenges this sinful world presents us.  We cannot make it day by day on our own. 

But St. Paul writes, the Spirit helps us in our weakness.  The Spirit prays on our behalf, asking God for mercy for you and for me, and for Tim, because of the blood of Christ.  The Spirit proclaims loudly to God the Father that we are innocent and deserving of life in Jesus our Lord.  And, St. Paul writes, nothing in this world, not heights or depths, nor things present nor things to come, not even life or death can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. 

It’s a love for you and me and for Tim that runs deep.  So deep in fact that Christ’s love led him to Jerusalem where on an old rugged cross he died for all our weakness.  He suffered for our suffering.  And the punishment that brought us peace was laid upon him.  Jesus died so that as we face death we might be certain of eternity and life in his name. 

And what’s more, Jesus rose again from the dead.  He is alive now, and promises that all who believe in him will also live.  That means you.  That means me.  And that means Tim. 

And so it is through Jesus, our Redeemer that we know where Tim is right now, and even forever and ever amen.  He’s in heaven.  He rests in the loving arms of his savior.  And so we can shout with joy the words of our Old Testament lesson.  For we know that our Redeemer lives, and that in the last we shall see him with our own eyes.  And even after our skin has been thus destroyed by cancer, and struggle and the sickness of this sinful world, because of Jesus we shall see God in our own flesh and with our own eyes. 

In Jesus this is possible.  In his sacrifice we are saved.  In the Son of God crucified and risen for the sins of the world, we are more than conquerors over this world of death.  And even today, “I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers,³⁹ nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  Amen.