Saturday’s “Our Daily Bread” devotional referenced the chapter in Hebrews often called the Hall of Faith. The author of Hebrews is unknown. Some scholars believe it was Paul, but he was called by God to preach and teach to the early Christians, not the Jews. The author does mention Timothy so he may have known Paul and other companions of his. Regardless, the person writing to the Hebrew audience had a deep knowledge of scripture.
In the part of his letter now called chapter 11, the writer gives a brief synopsis of the beginning of the world and walks through the heroes of the Old Testament. He talks about the faith of Abel, Abraham, Noah, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Samson, David, Samuel and many others down through history. These giants of faith are icons to look up to and emulate. They saw miracles from God. But they did not see what was ultimately promised – Jesus. The Christ. God in the flesh.
They had to take it on faith that this promise from God would be fulfilled. They all died with that faith in their heart.
Think about that for a minute. It’s hard enough to keep faith now. And for us, the promise has been fulfilled. Christ was born. Christ died. Christ is risen. IS. RISEN. Not maybe. Not someday. Now and forevermore. We don’t just have a promise; we have an assurance. If we believe this promise and this assurance, then we will one day live forever with Him, with all the cloud of witnesses mentioned and all those before and since. Including our loved ones gone before us who are believers.
I know that my loved ones who have passed on, including my younger daughter, are in Heaven. And it is glorious! In chapter 12 the letter writer says these witnesses and we, when we die, will not go to a place of gloom. He says:
22 But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, 23 to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, 24 to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.
Hebrews 12: 22-24
If this is true, why then do we grieve? And should we be ashamed of our grief?
There is no shame in missing people you love. There is nowhere in scripture that God’s people are admonished for sadness. Jesus grieved with his dear friends Mary and Martha over the loss of their brother. He grieved Judas Iscariot because he knew Judas had betrayed him. One of His chosen twelve. He knew his mother Mary would grieve, so he told his disciple John to take care of her.
It’s okay to grieve. I still grieve for my parents, friends, and loved ones who I miss. I especially grieve for Rachel. I will always wonder why I was destined to outlive my daughter. But my grieving is not in vain. And best of all it’s not without hope!
Really – it’s okay.
Laura
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