Funeral Sermon for Paul G. Walther
1 Corinthians
15.3-8
For what I received I passed on to you as of
first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according
to the Scriptures, 5 and that he
appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. 6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers
at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen
asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James,
then to all the apostles, 8 and last of all
he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born. (NIV Adapted)
Dear Mom, Susan, Kathy,
Mike, Tim, Carol, children, relatives, friends and members of Zion Lutheran
Church,
My message this morning
is based on the same text that I was studying and preaching from for last
Sunday, Easter. I only had to adapt my sermon just a little on Sunday after mom
called me about Dad’s dying. I want to share it again with all of you with just
a few more changes.
As most of you know the
first Paul was a zealous Pharisee. He wasn’t in Jerusalem at the time of Jesus’
death and resurrection, but he must have come soon after - within a year. About
that time Stephen was stoned to death and Paul was there guarding the cloaks of
his murders. Paul enthusiastically joined the persecution of the church and was
on his way to Damacus to find, arrest, and punish the Christians who had fled
there. Some of them may have been killed also. But on the road to Damascus
Paul, or as he was known then, Saul, was met by the risen Christ. He was the
last person to see the risen Lord, and he was the most unlikely - for he had
never loved Him but had in facted hated Him with all the hatred a human being
could have. Paul was a proud, self-confident Pharisee who viewed God as a
rewarder and punisher. His entire faith at that point was based on his own
achievements. But as always happens in the Bible, when sinful men, no matter
how holy they think they are meet a holy angel or the holy Son of God, it is a
complete shock. Suddenly they realize their sinfulness. Paul described
his shock by saying that Jesus appeared to him as one “abnormally born.” The
Greek word that Paul uses here is the word for “abortion” or “stillbirth.” But
Paul’s shock wasn’t just that he saw Christ risen from the dead. The greater
shock was that this Christ came to him in
forgiveness and mercy, which Paul knew was totally underserved. He was told
go on to Damascus where a disciple named Ananius would say, “rise, be baptized,
and wash away your sins.” Paul’s shock was that God is not just a
rewarder and a punisher, but a forgiver. This is why Paul would refer to
himself not as a man, not even as a child, but as one who had been abnormally
born or aborted and had not even taken a breath. This is why Paul would refer
to himself as the “least of the Apostles” and as “the chief of sinners.” Paul’s
life was completely and forever changed. Paul would go on to become the
greatest of all the apostles.
Easter, and in fact the
entire Christian life, is about forgiveness. The first sentence of Jesus’ first
sermon was, “Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” The last command He
gave to the disciples was to “Preach repentance and the remission of sins.”
From the cross He said, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do.”
In the heart of His own prayer is the profound petition: “Forgive us our
tresspasses.” It is always about forgiveness. Thus Paul also says in our
text, “For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance, that
Christ died for our sins.”
This is the same forgiveness giving Jesus
into whom my father was baptized and with whom and by whom he continued to live
all of his life. By God’s grace he met my mother and together they established
a home in which Jesus was always the center of attention. He lived out his
vocations as teacher, professor, administrator and friend in a Christ-like way.
He and mom stood outside our nearest abortion clinic praying for minds to
change and for babies to be saved. They went to St. Louis to help the homeless.
Once when we were driving home from Ft. Wayne to see my Grandmother, Dad and
Mom were have a serious discussion about the Seminex problem.* I was a
precocious boy in junior high at the time. Dad was frustrated that some pastors
were saying Jonah wasn’t actually swallowed by a great fish and vomitted back
up on the beach. They were saying it was just a story. That’s when I piped in
from the back seat. I decided to take up a little for those wiseacres with a
little of my own logic. I said, “So what if Jonah wasn’t swallowed a great
fish. It’s still a good story, and it still could teach us good spiritual
lessons.” Looking straight ahead, and with the most matter of fact tone you
could imagine he said, “Mike, Jesus said that Jonah was swallowed by a great
fish.” Dad taught me not to question the Bible and it’s center in Jesus.
Saturday he watched two
basketball games, sports being one of the great loves of his life. He and mom
had their last devotions together. The text of that devotions was from John 14.
“In my Father’s house there are many mansions. If it were not so I would have
told you. I go to prepare a place for you.” Shortly after that he left his home
here on earth and joined the first Paul and many other disciples since to
celebrate the greatest Easter we all look forward to celebrating someday -
Easter with the risen Christ Himself.
What about all of us?
Dad would not be happy if I did not bring this sermon directly to you. My
family and my sisters and their families know about this. At family gatherings
we often talk about our faith. What are you thankful for? How is your faith?
Always remember Jesus and hold on to Him. Can we be transformed like Paul of
Tarsus and like Paul G. Walther? Can we depart this life in peace and see the
risen Christ ourselves?
The answer is certainly
“yes.” But like the first Paul God has to break us down. He has to tear from
our souls those terrible misbeliefs that Satan wants us to hold: That maybe
there is no such thing as sin; That we can pick and choose which things are to
be called sins so that we can continue in some of them; That we can compensate
for our sins by trying to be a good person. None of those approaches do
anything about sin. Quite often I see people looking to God for blessings. They
want a good life. But they don’t always want forgiveness. Why would God give
you more life if the life He has given you is being destroyed by sin already,
and you don’t really care? The sin has to be removed, and it can only be
removed by the forgiveness of sins through the life, death and resurrection of
Jesus. It’s all about forgiveness. And that is, amazingly, what Jesus
wants to bring us more than anything. Once we have that, we have
everything. Paul said, “How shall He who did not spare His own Son but
gave Himself up for us also, along with Him, graciously give us all things”
(Romans 8.32). Realizing his own complete weakness as a sinful human
being Paul found complete strength in Christ. “It is not I who live but Christ
who lives in me, and the life I live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of
God who loved me and gave Himself up for me” (Galatians 2.20). God has given that
strength for life and for death in the forgiveness of our sins in Christ. Oh Holy
Spirit, sustain us in that faith that holds dearly to the Easter truths that
Christ died for our sins, that He was buried, and that He rose again on the
third day; And, that as He lives, so shall we live also. (John 14.19)
Amen!
Obituary - Paul G. Walther (1931 - 2015)
Paul G. Walther,
84, of Belleville, Ill., born March 25, 1931, in Brownstown, Ind., passed away
Sunday, April 5, 2015.
Mr. Walther
received a Bachelor of Science degree from Concordia University, Seward, Neb.,
a Master's of Science degree from the University of Michigan, and his Ph.D.
from Indiana University. He spent many years as a teacher, a principal, a
superintendant, and a professor.
He taught at
Eastern Illinois University, Charleston, Ill., and was an
assistant-superintendent and superintendent in the Vandalia, Ill. public school
system. He was also the Director of the Area Agency on Aging in Belleville,
Ill.
Paul was an active
member of Zion Lutheran Church in Belleville, Ill., where he was a member of
various boards and committees. He was a loving husband, father, grandfather,
and brother.
He was preceded in
death by his parents; F.J. and Amanda, nee Woempner, Walther; and a brother,
Richard Walther.
Surviving are his
loving wife of 59 years, Ruth, nee Michael, Walther, whom he married on June
25, 1955; a son, Reverend Michael (Carol) Walther of Maryville, Ill.; two
daughters, Susan (Mike) Garrison of Litchfield, Ill., and Kathy (Tim) Weber of
St. Charles, Mo.; eight grandchildren, Aaron, David, Paul (Laurie), Stephen,
and Lydia Walther, Blake Garrison, Adam and Sydney Weber; two
great-grandchildren, Jackson and Casen Walther; a sister, Hildegarde (Marvin)
Brammeire; three brothers, Wayne (Marlyn) Walther, John (Caroline) Walther, and
Daniel (Kathy) Walther, and two sisters-in-law, Doris Walther, and Marilyn
Michael.
Memorials may be
made to Zion Lutheran Church, to the Lutheran Laymen League, or to the
Lutherans for Life. Condolences may be expressed online at: www.rennerfh.com.
Visitation:
Friends may visit from 9 to 11 a.m. Wednesday, April 8, 2015, at Zion Lutheran
Church, 1810 McClintock Ave., Belleville, Ill.
Funeral: A
celebration of his life will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday, April 8, 2015, at
Zion Lutheran Church, Belleville, Ill., with Pastors Brian Downs, Michael
Walther, and Dr. Darwin Schrader officiating.
At Paul's request,
his body was donated to Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis,
Mo.
GEORGE RENNER
& SONS FUNERAL HOME, Belleville, Ill.
*Seminex is short for “Seminary in Exile.” During the
1960s and 70s some pastors and professors in the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod
were adopting the presuppositions and methods of Bible interpretation known as
Higher Criticism. This approach denied many, if not all, the miraculous reports
of the Bible. Yet they tried to retain the spiritual truths. For more on this see two short videos I made: Part One Part Two
