Dear Jean, Ron, Joyce, Keith, family and friends, grace, mercy and peace to you this day of celebration from God our Father and from our Lord and savoir Jesus Christ. This is a day of celebration. It’s a celebration and remembrance of the life of Les, your husband and father, your grandfather and friend. His life on earth was a full life, a life of family and friends of joy and fun, and, faith. His faith gave Les a foundation from which to live this life that we gather here to celebrate today.
His life, as all our lives are, was mixed with life’s difficulties and rough edges. But the faith that was his gave him a foundation, a rock solid foundation, which allowed him to enjoy this life. And his faith was founded on another life we celebrate this day, the life of Les’ savior, Jesus Christ. Les knew Jesus, and more importantly… Jesus knows Les.
Les no longer lives by faith; he doesn’t need faith any longer. Les now lives by sight. He lives in the presence of God by the grace that was given to him by faith as a gift from God’s Holy Spirit. Les no longer needs faith or hope. He has what he hoped for, life in God's eternal kingdom. Les knew of this Life by means of God's holy word. Les’ children picked our scripture to be read today that speaks of Jesus Who, by His dying on the cross and rising to life again from the grave, gave Les and gives all of us, hope.
There’s a lot of good scripture that we’ve read today that speaks of the comfort we have in the promise of the resurrection that is Les’s and ours by grace through faith in Christ alone. But when I was thinking about Les and the few short years I’ve had the joy of knowing him, another verse came to mind that I want to share with you. It’s from 1 Timothy 4:12 and it reads, "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity."
Now I didn’t think of this because Les was so young, although to everyone else here who knew him, Les was very young in heart and spirit. No, I thought of this verse because all kinds of wonderful adjectives come to mind when you think of Les – kind, encouraging, enthusiastic, joyful, delighted, grateful, loving, and caring. Les lived his life as that verse in Timothy says to: as an example to others. Les took comfort and confidence in his Lord Jesus Christ and exemplified that by making life an enjoyable adventure.
And life an enjoyable adventure, not just for him, but for anyone fortunate enough to know him. Even in the hospital, in the midst of his pain, his kindness reached out to those who looked after him. He delighted in introducing me to the "great people; wonderful people", as he said it, that were, in his book, first rate.
In Martin Luther’s small catechism we learn in the meaning of the eighth commandment, that we as Christians are to put the "best construction" on what other people do. Les was the living example of that. He always sought to see the best in the efforts of others. The way he spoke of others is what Luther meant by putting the best construction on what others do. Les was able to find reason to praise those around him and he encouraged them without any guile or duplicity on his part. His manner and warm grace made you want to be around him. I will very much miss visiting with him and being greeted by him.
The thing is, when you talk about Les it’s so easy to praise him, yet it was he who praised his Lord and maker Jesus. His trust in Christ was simply a given with Les, and without embarrassment or heavy handedness he would speak with others of his trust in Christ. It was as natural to him as breathing.
Now in that verse from 1 Timothy it also speaks of a life of purity. Les’ purity was not found in himself and he knew that. Les had his shortcomings, faults, sins, and guilt in abundance. We all do. But for Les, like for all of us, purity is found in Whom he trusted.
Les trusted in Jesus Christ as The One who loved him and died for him, though Les knew he didn’t deserve it. But Les knew that Jesus’ dying for him on the cross and granting him forgiveness for all his sins meant that on this day, today, we, his friends and family, would have the comfort of knowing that Les was with his savior in heaven.
Yes we do grieve and mourn to be separated from Les while we remain on earth. We have sorrow over the loss of his presence among us. We will miss him, But he is not missing. We know right where he is; he is with His maker, redeemer, and friend Jesus Christ, and we have comfort in that knowledge.
He would want you as well to have that same trust in Jesus’ dying on the cross and rising to new life again. Les knew that for him, and for all who trust in Christ, that means assurance of forgiveness both now in life on earth and life forever with Jesus in heaven. That death and resurrection of Jesus is what gave Les, and all who trust in Christ, the purity needed to stand before God in heaven with a clear conscience. It isn’t anything we do that gives us purity, but it’s what Christ did. Les trusted in that, took hope in that, and he died in that confidence.
His eldest son, Ron, told me of the example Les set for them all in their family by his love for their mother, by his love for his family, and in his love for God and God's church. Ron also told me about saying the Lord’s Prayer and the 23rd psalm with his dad within just a few minutes of when he passed away and how that brought him peace. Ron followed his dad’s example of faith in God's word and the power of that word to reach into our earthly life and comfort us.
Les has done what God said we are to do in the 1 Timothy passage: set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith, and in purity. Les is now at rest from the trials of this earth and is free to celebrate with His Lord. We leave here today confident of the gift of eternal life that Christ has granted not only to Les, but to all who like him, take joy in and celebrate life, the life that is ours by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. In His holy and powerful name, Amen.