For Dust Thou Art...the Wayfarer 9/23/14

For Dust Thou Art
9/23/14

“And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;

Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;

In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.”

(Genesis 3:17-19)

“Ashes to ashes, earth to earth, dust to dust”, words heard and spoken many times over the years by this old preacher, pertinent again as once more we are reminded of the mortality of the human man that came about so long ago in a paradise because of the unwillingness to accept the simplicity of perfection that was offered that obtuse and stubborn creature, and the unwillingness to hear and obey the commandment of his creator.

Death eventually comes to all, station in life or stature and standing with society having no influence whatever on that predetermined outcome of a life begun at birth allowing choices to be made through the free will given at that birth.

Each life comes with struggles and pain, with joy and the warm fuzzy provided through accomplishment of perceived goals established through the choices made within that life, and lead, eventually to the same, long ago established end of a mortal life, to face the beginning of life chosen for the spirit, the soul of the being that inhabits the flesh of that mortal man.

 “Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble.

He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not.

And dost thou open thine eyes upon such an one, and bringest me into judgment with thee?

Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? Not one.”

(Job 14:1-4)

These words are a portion of Job’s answer to Zophar’s accusation of his condition being caused by sin.

Just as did Elihu, Zophar  ASSUMED  that Job had to have done something to anger God, and place him within his wrath.

Although this was not the case at all, Job realized the same thing that Paul did, as he gave us the words in Romans 3:23, that all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.

He accepted the fact that he was imperfect, but refused to admit to sins not committed.

The response in the 3rd and 4th verse, also immediately bring to mind Christ’s admonition to those gathered that only the one without sin should cast that first stone!

When we come to the end of the life given, there is none fit to judge that life lived, or the life yet to be given beside the Judge to be faced by each that must individually face him and give account for that life.

Over the years, I have been asked many times to give the funeral sermon for the families of folks who have left the temporal and temporary bonds of this body, and gone on to face that Judge, to give that account and reap the reward earned while living the life given them.

Some were well known to me, few were strangers, of whose lives I have known little.

Whether well known, or stranger, whether well loved by family and friends, or shunned by the majority of acquaintances, each of these had no need of any judgment of my own, received no comfort from any words spoken by me or by any other speaking at the farewell that was accorded them.

Whether that farewell was attended by few, or by many meant nothing to them, though it seems to mean so much to those in attendance.

What was important at each of these occasions attended and spoken at were never the first words with which I opened this, but the words that I have heard so often and spoken so often as well…the same words with which I shall conclude each time asked to stand before family or friends or stranger caring about the life and existence that has been taken to the next and final level.

What is important, is that those in attendance remember the mortality faced by each, and the immortality of the soul of each as well.

“For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and the living.

But why dost thou judge thy brother? Or why dost thou set at nought thy brother?

For we shall ALL stand before the judgment seat of Christ.

For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.

So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.”

(Romans 14:9-12)

All means all!

When farewells are given, no matter how glowing the eulogy given by man, no matter how great the praise given, or how little given, that eulogy becomes mute and meaningless as the truth must be given before God, and the consequences of each life lived must be faced.

Tears and sadness inevitably come for those who had reason to care about any mortal life that ends.

Joy may be taken by those with the knowledge of the choices made within that life that would give proof of having made the most important choice faced during that life.

Recrimination and judgmentalism is reserved for the Judge.

Sorrow is reserved for any who may feel a loss, but each must remember that that loss being mourned is a loss within their own life, that the loss to them should be the gain of the one lost, and a cause for joy… if the correct choices were made when they were available for decision.

“He that is unjust, let him remain unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.

And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.

I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.”

(Revelation 22:11-13)

Ashes to ashes, earth to earth, dust to dust, in the SURE AND CERTAIN hope of the resurrection.

2 Timothy 1:12 King James Version (KJV)

¹² For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!

Amen and Amen
the Wayfarer9/23/14