I continue with a peek at my commentary on Paul’s letters to the Thessalonians.
Today I look at
4:13-14. An examination of this section usually leads to a discussion of the rapture. However, I want to focus not on Paul’s eschatology, but his pastoral ministry
to the grieving.
Brothers and sisters, we do
not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do
not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. 14 For
we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will
bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.
Paul’s
pastoral heart is evident in his stated desire for them. He does not want them
“to grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope” (4:13b). If not read carefully Paul’s admonishment
could be understood as suggesting that believers should not grieve for the
dead. But this is contrary to the examples of Jesus and Paul, both of whom were
moved to grief over a friend who had experienced or come close to death (Jn
11:33-35; Phil 2:7). The focus here, however, is on what makes the believer
different in their grief. It is not that they don’t grieve, but that they
grieve with hope; a hope that they will see their friends and loved ones again
someday. And this is what makes the Thessalonian believers so different than
the rest of the world around them. Death, Paul is reminding them, is not a
permanent end to life. It is not an eternal sleep. On the contrary, as Paul
will explain elsewhere, it is a transition to a new and better life in
resurrection (1 Cor 15:50-54).
Death has a
way of putting everything into perspective. It’s not that we are not aware of
death. It is all around us every day, but it doesn’t always touch us
personally. Then a spouse, a family member or a close friend passes away and we
stop and wonder what it is all about. In some ways death can be a gift to us
because it forces us to stop and consider, even if for just a few days, about
our own mortality and the meaning of life. Christians are not immune to the
effects of death. Unless Jesus returns in our life time, we will all die. The
difference between us and those who are not followers of Jesus, however, is
that we believe that this is not all there is; that there is more than the
seventy or eighty years we are blessed with here. For us, death is a new
beginning.
I was 29
years old when my father died. He was 51, a Christian and approached his death
with hope and confidence in the promises of God that death was not the final
act. But for those of us who were left behind, it has not always been easy to
hang on to that hope and confidence. Numerous times since my father died I
discovered that my grief would continue to well up again and the fresh
realization that he was gone reopened the wounds. At the same time, 1 Thess
4:13-18 has been my go to passage for finding some solace in his death. Along
with 1 Corinthians 15 it is the theological foundation for my hope that death
is not the end. Over the years there has been a song that I listen to that
expresses the hope I hold onto as a follower of Jesus. The song is by the
Christian rock group Petra and is based on the promises in 1 Thessalonians 4
and 1 Corinthians 15. Here is a part of the lyrics that seems to always get me.
And the grave will come up
empty-handed that day
Jesus will come and steal us away
Where is the sting, tell me where is
the bite?
When the grave robber comes like a thief in the night
Where is the victory, where is the prize?
When the grave robber comes and death finally dies
Many still mourn, many still weep
For those that they love who have fallen asleep
But we have this hope though our hearts may still ache
Just one shout from above and they all will awake
And in the reunion of joy we will see
Death will be swallowed in sweet victory
Whatever one
may think of Petra and their music, the theology of this song
is correct. The main point of Paul’s words in this passage is that it is ok to
grieve for those who are gone. The difference is that we don’t grieve like
those who do not know God. We also don’t grieve without hope because Gods’
resurrection of Jesus is the basis for our own hope of resurrection. Without
the resurrection and eventual return of Jesus there is no hope.
When teaching or preaching this
passage one thing to keep in mind is that Paul is comforting the Thessalonians
and reassuring them that grief is natural. The whole point of explaining the
return of Jesus and the order of the resurrection is so that they could
“encourage one another” (4:18). As the church of Jesus Christ we need to be
able to provide hope and comfort to those inside and outside the church. Simply telling someone to “keep their chin
up” is not enough. Paul is not suggesting that they not grieve, that would be
inhuman. John Stott describes grief this way.
Bereavement is a very poignant human experience. However firm
our Christian faith may be, the loss of a close relative or friend causes a
profound emotional shock. To lose a loved one is to lose a part of oneself. It
calls for radical and painful adjustments that may take many months (Stott,
The Gospel & The End of Time, 92).
Still, some
will struggle with their grief and the how and if they should express it. They
may feel conflicted about grieving the loss of a loved one knowing that they
will see them again at the resurrection and Jesus’ return. In those cases I
find the example of Jesus to be helpful.
In John 11 we have the story of
Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. But it is also a story of Jesus expressing
grief for a dead friend. John 11:35, the shortest verse in the Bible, says: “Jesus
wept.” But here is the twist. Jesus knew that Lazarus was going to live again.
Not at some future point in the general resurrection, but that day, in just a
few moments. In fact, Jesus told Martha just a few verses earlier that “your
brother will rise again” (11:23). And yet Jesus wept. I can’t think of a more
poignant example of good grief than that which is displayed in this story by
the person who is the resurrection and the life (11:25). Yes our confidence and
hope is centered on the resurrection, but like Jesus, we are grieved when the
effects of sin and death are manifested as we wait for the completion of the
new creation.
I tried to give this book away back in July, but the winner never claimed the prize. What a shame for him, but a bonus for my other readers.
