Funeral: "The measure of a man" (Ps 37:21,26)

FUNERAL MEDITATION: "THE MEASURE OF A MAN" (Ps 37:21,26)

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Dr. Paul Manuel—2006

Where below you read "the deceased" Pastor Manuel

inserted the name of the individual.

What is The Measure of a Man? How do you evaluate his life? What qualities impressed people about him? When we lose a member of our congregation, as we did yesterday with the passing of the deceased, especially someone who meant so much to so many, it is fitting to ask these questions, not just to remember him, although that is certainly important, but to remind us about what is important in life. That is what I would like us to do this morning: to remember. It is an occasion to honor him, yet it is also an opportunity to check our own priorities, to make course adjustments, whether large or small, and ensure we are on track with God.

 

In recalling and recounting elements of the deceased's life, we do not suggest that he had reached the level of Christ-likeness to which we all aspire, merely that he made progress toward that goal, progress we noticed and progress we hope to make. Some of us came on the scene later in the deceased's life, so our contact with him was not as extensive as others. Some of you grew up with him. Many of you knew him all your life. I knew him relatively briefly but, in those few years, I saw what he became, the finished product, or at least as much as we see now.

 

Think for a few moments about what you might like to say.... David writes in Ps 37,

The wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous give generously (Ps 37:21).

What impressed me about the deceased was his generosity. For example, he was generous with his time. The Choraleers prepare for a singing engagement by rehearsing extensively. It is a prerequisite to ministering effectively, and members of the group make a significant commitment to realizing that goal. Occasionally, the deceased would miss a rehearsal, not because he was tired or simply felt like staying home, but because he had another engagement, another request or obligation to be somewhere. His extensive schedule probably frustrated some people, and I would rather have seen him at rehearsal, but his absence was a sign of his generosity, his willingness to spend time with people. He was also generous with his money. As I sat in Diaconate meetings with him, where we discussed the needs of various people both inside and outside the church, he was never reluctant to recommend that we help, and he was always among the first to contribute. He also offered financial incentives for students to improve their grades, and there are probably other examples as well, because the deceased was generous with his money.

 

Occasionally, the media report that a celebrity donated a substantial amount of time or money to some charitable cause and, while that may be noteworthy, the quality of generosity is not defined by a single event. After stating that "the righteous give generously," David goes on to say,

They are always generous (Ps 37:26a)....

In the years I had known the deceased, I found that to be true of him. He was always generous.

 

Now it is your turn. Perhaps you recall other examples of his generosity, perhaps something else. What qualities impressed you about the deceased?

 

[Individual reflections]

 

What is The Measure of a Man? One day, others will reflect on your life, perhaps not this way, but they will note your passing. What will have impressed them? What would you like to have impressed them? ...If you could write your own obituary, what would you want it to say? ...While you are living, that is what you are doing. You are writing what will become the testimony of your life. Paul says to the Corinthians:

You yourselves are [a] letter...known and read by everybody (2 Cor 3:2).

That is a sobering thought.... It is also a wonderful opportunity to show others what is important in life, because how you spend your life is a measure of how you want to spend eternity. Paul goes on to say,

You...are a letter from Christ...written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God (2 Cor 3:3).

We have reflected upon what God said through the deceased. Now, from his new heavenly vantage point, the deceased would be asking, "What is God saying through you?"

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