Lent Day Twenty-One - The Necessity Of Death

Gospel	Matthew 5:17-19 ©

I have not come to abolish the Law and the Prophets but to complete them

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Do not imagine that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I have come not to abolish but to complete them. I tell you solemnly, till heaven and earth disappear, not one dot, not one little stroke, shall disappear from the Law until its purpose is achieved. Therefore, the man who infringes even one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be considered the least in the kingdom of heaven; but the man who keeps them and teaches them will be considered great in the kingdom of heaven.’

Once again, my journaling fell by the wayside yesterday but the way was long and hot.  The camels were moody and we made little progress towards our goal of Jerusalem.  The Master was not too perturbed about our lack of progress, as a matter of fact, he seemed to welcome it.  

Disaster struck us today and I am still upset by it.  Jack was an older member of our team and he was a retired policeman.  He had always wanted to go up to Jerusalem and over the objections of wife and kids, he joined us knowing full well what he was getting into.  He was a slim man, very bright, he had been promoted to a detective during his stint as a cop, and for a man of his age and what he had been through, he looked like he was pretty fit.  He never complained and I learned that he had beaten cancer three times!  He did his share of the work and was assigned one of the smaller camels to tend whose name was Sandy.  Uriah stormed into our tent well before the sun had even thought of rising and kindly and gently asked us to get up.  Actually, he spoke to the camels with more love, but we were used to it and took it all with good humor.  Everyone was up and doing the needful except John.  He was still abed and Uriah, an evil gleam in his eye approached the supine figure bent down and was going to yell in his ear when he noticed something and told Matthew to get the satellite phone and call for an air ambulance.  John was alive but it appeared that some cataclysm had claimed him during the night and he needed help.  We all stopped while Uriah made the patient comfortable.  Matthew came by about twenty minutes later and reported that the Life Flight helicopter was about thirty minutes out and he had activated the distress beacon that Uriah carried to guide the pilot.  John was a pasty white and there was a tinge of blue about his lips.  He was not responsive and Uriah said while there was a pulse, it was hard to find and it was kind of weak.   Water was brought and Uriah tenderly mopped the brow of the stricken pilgrim with water to keep him cool.  The Master came by and was concerned about John.  He knelt next to the man, place His hand on John's forehead and John's body seemed to relax.  He was no longer quivering.  He was still unresponsive but his pulse was stronger.  A tear appeared on the Master's face and he walked slowly away from John.  The helicopter eventually arrived and the paramedics took John away,  Later that day we were informed by radio that John had passed away.  It shook us a bit because this could have been any one of us. 

The Master addressed us after dinner. 

"Brothers, one of our number has left us because the Father has called him home. Be of good cheer in spite of our loss for our loss is John's gain.  We will no longer be able to see him or talk with him and in the years that follow we may even forget what he looked like or forget his sense of duty or humor.  This is as it is for the human being looks after self before others.  John, when he departed, did so in peace.  I believe that dozens upon dozens of the people that John helped came to escort him to heaven.  With so many friends pleading his case how can the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit keep him out of heaven?   But it is more than that.  You will find in your last hour that you are called upon to trust God and to let go.  Your love for God will make this easy.  On the other hand, if you despise God, hate the thought of being with Him forever, then you will go into eternity kicking and screaming, but you will go at a time and place of the Father's choosing.  As for John, you can be assured that this day because of his selfless life, his giving attitude, his humor, his thoughtfulness and the fact that he never held a grudge, that he beholds the Father, not through a glass but face to face!"

This was a lot to digest and most of us went to our beds early and spent time in prayer and remembering John and praying to build up all of the qualities that will make the transition from earth to heaven easy.  My last thought was, "Imagine, inhaling on earth with your eyes closed and exhaling in heaven in the sight of Jesus and the Saints."

May the souls of the faithfully departed, through the Mercy of God, Rest in Peace.  Amen. 

This post is dedicated to the Memory of Jack Needham