The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1911-01-26
\ Christian
Burial
By REV. v. BEHNKEN
P..tor Of Trinity Lutheran Church
Houston. Texas

IS look at tnat matter q ntlle closer.
When I see a funeral procession
composed of heathens, headed by a
1eathen priest, l conclude that the de-
ceased was a heather. When l see
Jews, headed by a rabbi, in funeral
professions, l rightly conclude that the
deceased was a Jew. When a COM
2any of men wearing aprons or badges
Or other paraphernalia follow a cot
in. l conclude that the deceased was
| lodge member. When I see a COT
in decked with the country's flag, &C
companied by military men, and when
| see military rites performed at the
grave, l can safely conclude that the
deceased was a soldier. And when
| e the Christian congregation, with
their pastor, at the grave and hear
them sing or pray or use the word of
Sod, l ought to be able to conclude
that the deceased was a Christian and
lied a Christian death.
Is that not right? Ought we not to
be able to conclude that? Yes, we
ought to, and years ago W. could, but
nowadays you cannot. Almost daily
you can see where so-called Christian
ministers officiate at the graves of open
anbelievers, suicides, criminals and
The like. Is this not true? They are
aot abashed to grant such who have
lied in open unbelief a Christian bur
!al. That is shameful. u~nspeakably
horrible.
But, they say, you cannot judge
others, you cannot see into their
heart whether they were Christians or
not. whether they have died in the
faith or not. God says: Judge not,
that We be not Judged" and that is
what you do when you deny them a
, Christian burial.
Now, my dear friends, it is true that
We cannot look into other mems hearts
to see whether they are upright Chris
tians or not. But we do know, and
that most a%ssuredly, what kind of peo-
pie are not Christians, namely, those
= who despised the word Of God and
the sacraments and refused to make
use of the means of grace and that
such people are not Christians, we
:. know from the word of God that can
1 uOI l1c. Su1lSC says Ill u1luAoL dDiC
- words: HE that is of God heareth
= Gods word"
: And God also says: Because thou
:, hast rejected knowledge, 1 will also
reject thee" Think of this a mo.
~ ment. There is a man who knows our
- church doors are open to him, he
= knows that the ringing of the bells in
:. vite him, but he passes by.
: ask everyone who still has a
2 spark of conscience in him, ought such
a man to have a Christian burial:
. Ought we to open the door to such a
;" person, who refused to enter then
- when alive? Shall We confess that we
! look forward to his resurrection into
. everlasting life? Is that denying the
y faith, denying Christ as the only hope
a of salvation? Do we not know tina
VI God says, Blessed are the dead WHIT
- died in the Lord?" Shall we alter o.
change this? Let us remember tina
God said: BE not deceived, God il
y not Knocked"
1t is just this gross denial of faitl
at the graves of the ungodly tina
causes men to become Indifferent ii
religious matters. Christianity !
therefore laid bare to open ridicule
Men will ask, Why should l run t
= get a preacher who will bury me TO
Mt ten dollars and will preach as fine
sermon as for those who constantly &
o. to church,"
But some will say, HE will not mer
a ton the deceased at all. We do no
e. want to have the impression that tn
deceased is blessed and eternall
ID saved" That makes matters wors
he still. Then they become hypocrites
BY the fact that the deceased is nc
ct mentioned in the prayers they sho,
he is not worthy of it.
They stand there as Christian mil
listers and yet do not dare to mentio
the deceased, because they and ever!
=" one present knows that he was not
Christian, and that a Christian mil
lister has no business there.
~ But they say, 1--WE are preaching t
the living and not the dead" Wha'
are we burying the living? Is it nc
al the dead to whom the honor of a Chris
a. tian burial is given? And do they sa
ep that they want to comfort the survi'
ors? How shall they comfort? If the
SIX say the deceased is saved, they al
en- guilty Of a falsehood or If they spea
'el the truth and say the deceased di
ny not die a Christian and cannot h
saved, then they have aroused a storl
a of hatred against themselves. c
mt shall they preach repentance there
at That will fail also. Are they not of
er' ciating at the burial of an unbelievel
Will not the people say, IF what yc
in say be true, why are you here grantin
I'D a Christian burial to an unbeliever.
M Oh, my friends, let us remembt
nd blessed are the dead (and only they
who die in the Lord" And to the
nj alone ought a Christian burial /
it granted. If they have been hypocrite
It's and deceived us, they will find the
ed Judge whom they cannot deceive. b
as for us, may God grant US gra.
an that We may not deny the faith n.