Life is precious, death is painful, but in Christ Jesus one can have true comfort. This statement is for the deceased, not for the survivors. Even though David is better off does not mean that the survivors feel better now that David is dead. Yes, we, in our minds, affirm the truth of God s Word, but, nevertheless, in our hearts, we still hurt very deeply. Death leaves an empty place in the home and in the heart.
Death is like an amputation that never heals.
Having said this, for the Christian, the finality of death only brightens the reality of heaven and makes the blessed hope that much more wonderful. Just as Jesus did more than send a message of comfort to Mary and Martha at the loss of their brother Lazarus, so Jesus traveled to Bethany and stood by the grave and wept. Today, just as then, the bereaved need the ministry of comfort. The church family at Oakwood Hills seeks to give the ministry of comfort to David s family to his wife, to his daughter, to his mother, to his brothers, and to his sister. We are to comfort one another.