10 May 2006
Memorial Service for Harmon Martin
Jesu Juva
When Harmon
moved into Greenspring a couple of years ago, I think he expected he was going
to be able to enjoy the place a bit longer than he did.
But, it turns out, God had other plans.
And so the rich food and feast that Harmon now gets
to enjoy is not in the dining room around the corner here, but the rich food
and feast of Heaven described by the prophet Isaiah. And the Green-spring that Harmon now gets to
enjoy are the green pastures and the
quiet springs of water that His Good
Shepherd has led him to, and laid him in.
And while His time here was brief and often filled with tears and pain,
his time now in Heaven is eternal and filled with joy and peace. For as His Shepherd led him
here in this life, so He has led Harmon through the valley of the shadow of
death and into the life of
And that’s why we’re here tonight. To remember Harmon, yes; and his life, yes. But more importantly,
to hear once again the words and promises of our Saviour to us,
that this life is not all there
is;
that those who die in the Lord
we will see again;
and that although our plans may not work out as we expect,
our Saviour’s
plans always do.
For His ways and His plans are perfect,
even if we cannot understand
them.
Even when His
plans don’t seem to be what we want.
Even when
it seems as if our Good Shepherd
isn’t being very good at all.
Because Good is what our Saviour-Shepherd always is. He proved it on the cross, when He laid down
His life for His sheep. When He took our
sins upon Himself and then died our death so that we might live. He is no hired hand that cuts and runs when
the going gets tough – but a Shepherd who sticks by His sheep. Who came into this world of sin not to
promise us that we would avoid the troubles of this world, but to be with us
through it all.
And He was with Harmon through it
all. From the moment he was baptized
to when he breathed his last; from his home in
And if we would remember Harmon rightly this night,
then we must see in him this same truth that is for us.
The truth not of death but
of life.
Not of defeat but of
victory.
Not of despair but of
hope.
The life, victory, and hope that cannot be seen, but comes only by
grace through faith in Jesus, the crucified One. In your Saviour who laid down His life for
you, rose from the dead for you, and lives for you. In the Good Shepherd who knows His own. Who knows you. Who knows everything about you, for all that
you are and all that you have is from Him.
And so He knows what you need, and has promised to
provide it.
He knows what threatens you,
and has promised to protect you.
He knows what is best for
you, and has promised to do what is best.
Always.
For your Saviour never starts
you in His life, only to then leave you on your own! No, He who has begun a good work in you has
promised to bring it to completion. From
start to finish, loving, forgiving, and leading you, until finally He sets you free from the burden and bondage of
this world, and like Harmon, takes you
home.
Until He does, not all our plans may work out as we
expect. There will be troubles, pains,
heartaches. The valley of the shadow of
death may seem very long and dark. It
may seem that we say a whole lot more goodbyes than we say hellos. We want more time with our loved ones. But whenever a person is baptized and becomes
a child of God, along with that wonderful gift comes
the knowledge that at any time, their Father (and ours!) may call them home to
live with Him. We get them for a while,
but they never belong to us – they belong to Him. To Him who gave them life,
and then redeemed that life with His death and resurrection.
We thank Him that He gave them to us for as long as
He did;
that He enriched our life with
theirs;
that He blessed us so abundantly
. . . even
if we wish it were a bit longer.
And so while it is never easy to say goodbye, that does make it a bit easier. To know that this life is not all there
is. To know that our loved ones who die
in their Saviour Jesus Christ, we will
see again, when on the last day our Saviour returns and our bodies will rise to
life again, to live in Paradise. And that
day will be a glorious day. It will not
be in the pain, the disease, the sorrow, or the trouble that we remember – but
in the joy and peace and rest of
In the Name of the Father,
and of the (+) Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.