Dealing With Death

Many people don’t know how to deal with the death of a friend or family member.  Some choose to ignore the news.  They attempt to convince themselves that if they don’t acknowledge their loss then they won’t have to deal with the unpleasant business of grief.  Although some foolishly turn a blind eye to death’s reality, others commit another form of folly—they respond to tragedy with comedy.  For them, everything is one big joke.     

On the other end of the emotional spectrum, others choose stoicism.  They rob themselves and those closest to them the opportunity to heal by determining to conquer their innate emotions to mourn.   Sadly, others are in a word, inconsolable.  Their sorrow overwhelms them and makes life unlivable.

The Bible teaches us a better way to deal with death.  It explains both the cause—relief from living in a broken and fallen world forever—and the remedy for death—faith in the One who conquered humanity’s common foe—Jesus Christ.  For those searching for hope in a world that doesn’t offer any or for those seeking an alternative to empty platitudes offered by clueless clergy, they will find relief from their angst in the pages of this sacred book.

Today, we’ll look at the first real funeral depicted in the storyline of Scripture.  In Genesis 23:1-20, Abraham, the Bible’s superhero of faith, deals with the death of his wife Sarah.  His response is sober, yet filled with faith.  There’s much that we can learn from Abraham as he makes funeral preparations for his spouse.  Although he was living in the moment, his actions all pointed to a certain future!

This article is an excerpt of this Sunday's sermon in my series in Genesis.  All are welcome to join us for worship every Sunday at 10:30 am.  Lighthouse Community Baptist Church is located at 22 Pequot Trail in Pawcatuck.