Sermon Text: “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.”
Just a few short months ago, I was given what was up to that time, one of the more challenging speaking engagements of my ministry, when Nadine had asked me if I’d be willing to speak and offer a prayer at her and Leroy’s 50th wedding anniversary celebration at the AgriHall. Having only been their pastor for just under two weeks, I had a hard time trying to figure out what to say. While I did have some fun with my little speech that day, in all seriousness, I was honored to have been a part of that day, and to offer a prayer to our gracious God, thanking Him for the years He had given to LeRoy and Nadine, and asking Him to be with them in the years to come. That was a great day, a day I’ll never forget, a day I know Nadine will never forget.
Well, here we are today, almost 5 months later, and again, the Christensen family has presented me with another challenging speaking assignment. To be honest with you all, I’ve sat at my computer in my office quite a bit over the last few days, wondering what am I going to say, to bring comfort and hope to you all today. For Nadine, Doug, Jana, and Julie, it’s been quite a past few weeks for you, as you sat back helplessly and watched your husband, your dad, who had been such a model of health and strength throughout most of his life, to start having problems getting around, and then, to hear the diagnosis that no one wants to hear, Cancer. Many doctors simply refer to it as “the enemy”, and it’s a pretty accurate description. In such a short amount of time, that brain tumor took a seemingly healthy, active man, and robbed him of his ability to walk, to move his arm, and in his last few hours, even his ability to speak. It was relentless, and it not only took its toll on LeRoy, but also on his beloved bride, Nadine, his three wonderful children, his grandchildren, and other family and friends. It was, in a lot of ways, a bully, who not only tormented LeRoy, but also those who loved him. In the midst of all of this, what is a Pastor to say? There are no words that I can offer here today that will bring LeRoy back, or reverse the cancer, no matter how much I wish I could do that for you. But, what I can share with you are words that are so much better than anything I could come up with on my own. Today, my task is to provide you comfort and strength from the only place you can find it, from God’s Word.
The words of our sermon text from Luke 2 were first spoken by a man named Simeon. We don’t really know a whole lot about this guy, he’s what I would call a “man of mystery”. We don’t hear about him in the Bible up to this point. Was he an old man, or was he still working on a full beard? Has he had a good life, or has he struggled quite a bit? Is he married, or single? Is he in perfect health, or does he have a hard time getting around? We don’t know, the Bible doesn’t tell us these things. We’re told his name is Simeon, and he’s waiting for the consolation of Israel, in other words, he’s waiting for the Messiah. It’s 40 days since the birth of Christ, as we’re told that Mary and Joseph and the infant Jesus have made their way to Jerusalem and the temple, where Mary was to undergo the rite of purification and Jesus was to be presented in the temple, as he was the firstborn son. Somehow, the Holy Spirit tells Simeon that this little baby in the midst of everything that goes on in the temple, is the promised Messiah. We’re told Simeon goes into the temple courts, takes the baby Jesus into his arms, and sings a song of praise to God. He sings: “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.” Simeon, being in the presence and seeing with his own eyes the promised Messiah, now declares that he can go in peace, as God has fulfilled his promise of a Savior, and his promise to Simeon that he would someday see the Savior. After blessing this family, and sharing with Mary what would happen to her son, Simeon quietly, yet quickly, disappears from the pages of Scripture just as quickly as he had appeared. What happened to him after this, did he die right away, or did he live several more years? Again, we don’t know, but what we do know, is that God fulfilled His promises to Simeon.
Throughout his life in this world, LeRoy heard the promises of God from God’s Word. I did some searching of our church records earlier in the week, and I discovered a couple of dates that you won’t see recorded in his obituary, but were just as important as any other dates in his life. On November 15, 1936, Leroy’s parents, Henry and Marie, brought LeRoy to our old church which stood where the courtyard is now and today stands on the south end of town, to be baptized. There, Pastor Hagedorn spoke God’s Word over LeRoy, and baptized him in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. That day, LeRoy’s parents and his baptismal sponsors, Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Christensen, promised to see to it that LeRoy would be raised in the Christian faith. As LeRoy grew in years, he came to the services of God’s house, where he heard the wonderful promises that are summed up in the Gospel reading, that God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. LeRoy came to know that promise was his. So, after careful instruction in the Christian faith, on May 20th, 1951, LeRoy made a public confession of his faith through the Rite of Confirmation in this very sanctuary, as part of the first class to be confirmed in this church building, by Pastor Nielsen. LeRoy took those confirmation vows seriously, and he continued to come to this place week after week, to confess his sins, hear God speak His word of forgiveness, and to kneel at this altar rail, where he would hear Christ say to him through the mouth of the Pastor, “Take, eat, this is my body, take, drink, this is my blood, given and shed for you, for the forgiveness of all your sins.” LeRoy knew and believed that although he was a sinner, although there was nothing he could do to pay the debt of his sin, that Jesus Christ had died on the cross to pay for all of his sins, and would give him the gift of eternal life.
But that’s not to say that God wasn’t good to LeRoy in this earthly life, either. God gave LeRoy all that he needed to support his life in this world. On September 15, 1957, in this very sanctuary, LeRoy stood next to his beautiful bride, Nadine Olsen, and the couple pledged to love, honor, and cherish each other in good and bad, sickness or health, rich or poor for as long as they both shall live. LeRoy lived out his life of service as a husband as well as anyone could ask, always doing anything he could to be sure Nadine was well cared for. Even in his last days, his first concern wasn’t for himself, but for Nadine. In the brief time that I knew him, I know I certainly learned a lot about being a good husband from the example he set.
Later on, LeRoy and Nadine adopted three children, Doug, Jana, and Julie. He made sure his family made it here to God’s house on a regular basis so that you, too, could hear the promises that God had made to your dad, were also promises God made to you. In his family life, LeRoy lived as a servant to them. His life of service to others continued into the church, where he served on the church council and as an usher here at Our Saviour’s, to his 8 and a half years of service in the National Guard, participation in the Lion’s Club, Cattleman’s Association, and Pork Producers, he was always available to help in any way he possibly could, living a life of service to others. He truly was one of the best people you’d ever want to meet, I know my life is better for having been his Pastor these past few months.
But, in his final hours, none of his good works, or that life of selfless service to others, could slow the wages of sin. Never in his life did LeRoy hear the message of God’s law, the message that accuses us and reminds us that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, more clearly than in his last month in this life. Today, as one last lesson, LeRoy would tell us all that we are seeing what the wages of sin are, as we look at this casket. I’ve been asked quite frequently did God give LeRoy this tumor? That’s a hard question to answer, but I realize the answer isn’t easy. When God created Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, He didn’t intend for us to be sick, to get tumors, colds, or any other affliction, but to live eternally. But, when sin came into the world, things no longer worked the way God intended them to. People get sick, get injured, or cells mutate and form tumors that aren’t supposed to be growing in our bodies. Ultimately, sin caused LeRoy’s tumor. That’s part of living in a sinful, fallen world.
But, the amazing thing is, God uses the things in this world for His purpose. God wanted to bring his servant, LeRoy, to his promised home. And He used this tumor to bring about that purpose. On Sunday afternoon, shortly before LeRoy left this life, I led him and his family in prayer together. Toward the end of that brief prayer service, I sang the words of our sermon text, those words that had been sung by Simeon so many years ago, “Lord, now you let your servant go in peace, Your word has been fulfilled. My own eyes have seen the salvation that you have prepared in the sight of every people. A light to reveal you to the nations, and the glory of Your people, Israel.” Today, that song is not just Simeon’s song, it is LeRoy’s song. With his own eyes, LeRoy can see the salvation and eternal life that Christ had won for him, and is now enjoying the place Jesus prepared for him in heaven. No more tumors, no more broken bones, no more tears, only joy, peace, and perfection now and eternally. Some of you have heard me say this before from this pulpit at a funeral, but I will say it again. LeRoy is in a place that is so amazing, so wonderful, so peaceful, so indescribable, that if he had the option to return to this world, without worry of any more tumors, or any other physical ailments, he wouldn’t want to. He’s in the presence of His Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! But, I know he’d also want me to tell you that one day, he wants to see each and every one of you where he is today. And that there’s only one way to get there. It’s through faith in Jesus Christ. For God so loved you, that He gave His one and only son for you, that whoever believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life. That’s the peace LeRoy left this life with, and the fulfillment of the promises he had been given through God’s Word are now his for all of eternity! What a blessing it was for me to be his pastor in these last months of his life, to bring him God’s Word and Sacrament, and last Sunday, at his bedside in the last moments of his earthly life, to sing this song with him, and to see it become reality for him. For LeRoy, it was a great day, it was a day that I will never forget.
While today is a day of great sadness for us, we are not left without hope. We know that LeRoy now lives eternally in the presence of God. We also know that the same promises that sustained LeRoy in his life in this world, will sustain us in the days and weeks to come. We know that one day, we will join LeRoy in singing “Lord, now You let Your servant go in peace, Your word has been fulfilled!” As it turns out, while I had a diffcult time figuring out what to say today, God certainty had something to say to all of us, something that will provide comfort, peace, and hope in the days and weeks to come. May Simeon’s song, LeRoy’s song, become your song this day and always. Amen.
