Ruby Hartje, member of Bethel Lutheran Church, died on Tuesday, December 21. The sermon is based on the text she selected beforehand for her funeral.
CLICK HERE for the sermon audio.
Psalm 145:18-19
Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Our text is written in Psalm 145:18-19; we consider these verses: “The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth. He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He also will hear their cry and save them.” Thus far our text.
Barb and John; family and friends of Ruby; beloved in Christ: It may sound cruel of me to say this, especially as we gaze at the coffin before us, but today is not about Ruby. It may sound equally cruel of me to say this, especially as you have gathered here to mourn the death of a beloved family member, friend, sister, or fellow congregation member, but today is not about you, either. I will say nice things about Ruby, and I will speak the comfort to you that I am given to speak, but none of that will matter if you don’t understand that today is not about Ruby, nor is it about you. And Ruby understood the truth of this.
You may not know this, but Ruby has had this day planned for a long time. The selection of her coffin; the pallbearers and organist; the hymns we are singing, the selected verses in those hymns, and even the sermon text—all of these things were selected by Ruby long before I became her pastor. Ruby had thought long and hard about what she wanted the end of her life to confess to her loved ones and friends. And what Ruby wanted to confess is that Jesus is her Savior.
Listen again to the words Ruby selected: “The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth. He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He also will hear their cry and save them.” She knew what mattered: that the Lord did the work. “The Lord is near.” “He will fulfill the desire…” “He will hear their cry and save them.” Like Mary, the brother of Lazarus, who knew to sit at the Lord’s feet to hear Him preach while Martha felt the need to vacuum the rug and dust off the computer, Ruby recognized that Jesus and the gifts He died to give her was the “one thing needful;” the housekeeping—the worldly matters—could wait. And with her preparations for her dying breath, she wanted to make sure that you knew the same thing.
A visit with Ruby was never a quick affair. Ruby was a storyteller of this highest caliber, and she enjoyed sharing her stories. So when it was time to visit Ruby, I wouldn’t schedule anything for after. She’d tell me about the store in Jacob; about her beloved Bud and her family; about working for the jeweler in Anna and the courthouse in Jonesboro. She loved to talk about Beta Sigma Phi and the relationships she formed with her sisters. We’d sit there for an hour, two hours, sometimes even three hours.
But she always recognized that I was there for more than just to listen to her stories; I was there to bring Jesus to her. Ruby is a baptized child of God. Though her hearing wasn’t great by the time I became her pastor, she listened carefully as I read Scripture to her. She confessed that she was a sinner who needed forgiveness from her Lord, and she rejoiced to receive that forgiveness, spoken by her pastor as from Jesus Himself. She confessed her faith in the Triune God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. She opened her mouth to receive Jesus, physically present in His body and blood in and under the bread and wine. In these gifts, Ruby received what her Jesus died to give her: forgiveness, eternal life, and salvation. And like Simeon in our Gospel, having received her promised Jesus on her forehead, in her ears, and in her mouth, she was ready to depart this life in peace.
These gifts are for you, as well. Whether you know Him or not, Jesus knows you and loves you. Whether you know Him or not, He died to win for you the forgiveness of your sins. Whether or not you confess Jesus as your Lord and Savior, He is you Lord. He wants you to know Him as your Creator, your Lord, your Savior, your Life. He wants you to call upon His holy name. He wants to give you those eternal gifts He came in flesh to give to all His people—gifts greater than any jewel. He wants you to be His child, washed in the waters of Holy Baptism to be a part of the Church, the family of faith—a fellowship greater than even that of the closest sorority. He wants to be your Savior, with forgiveness and pardon greater than any human verdict of “not guilty.”
So no, today is not about Ruby. And no, today is not about you. Today is about Jesus. We have come together today to hear His Word, to receive the comfort and peace only He can give, to rejoice in His gracious mercy and love for Ruby and for us. Today is about Jesus—Jesus for you, Jesus with you, Jesus in you. Call upon His name, for He is near you; He will hear your cry and save you. In the name of the Father and of the Son (+) and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The peace which passes all understanding will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus always. Amen.
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