Yes, the world is a liar. It says one thing in public, but another in private. When we talk about a “great man” (or woman), we speak of their accomplishments and their deeds. How much money is in his bank account? How many positions of honor does she occupy? What kind of clothes does he/she wear? The world says, by implication, that those are the defining terms that characterize their place in our society. Their value comes from those “things.”
But, what if that person experiences a long period of illness, or grief, or loss of stature? What if they die? What do we say then?
Man has never really known what to say at the death of a friend or loved one. We want to help, to say a good word, to give comfort – but often we don’t know how to do it. When we read the newspaper on such occasions we see that someone found the words to write. What is appropriate at the grave, or in the privacy of a family gathering upon such a death?
If we follow the above method for the occasion we would talk about how rich he was, how educated she was, how many major organizations were they part of? But that is not what we usually do, because, though the world tells us these are the most important things in life, we know better.
Earlier this year a respected newsman, Tim Russert, died. Those who knew him helped us to see something we had been told was not true. Wall Street columnist Peggy Noonan wrote the following words I think deserve to be heard.
“When someone dies, we tell his story and try to define and isolate what was special about him – what he brought to the ‘party’, how he enhanced life by showing up. In this way we educate ourselves about what really matters. Or, often, re-educate ourselves, ‘for man needs more to be reminded than to be instructed.’
In a way, the world is a great liar. It shows you it worships and admires money, but at the end of the day, it doesn’t. It says it adores fame and celebrities, but it doesn’t, not really. The world admires and wants to hold onto – and not lose - goodness. It admires virtue. At the end, it gives its greatest tributes to mercy, generosity, to honesty, courage, talents well-used, talents that, brought into the world, make it better. That’s what it really admires. That’s what we talk about in eulogies, because that’s what’s important. We don’t say, ‘The thing about Joe was he was rich.’ We say, if we can, ‘The thing about Joe was that he cared about people.’ ”
Is that not true? At the end of one’s life, we may know that he or she was rich, educated or famous, but that’s not what we want to remember if that person was really our friend.
How do you determine if a person is good? Don’t you examine his character, not his checkbook? Don’t we take a look at those with whom he/she associates? Don’t we search to see if that person cared about the poor, the lonely, the aged, the children? Isn’t that better?
Jesus set a standard when He spoke the parables in Matthew, chapter 25. In the first parable, Jesus brought attention to a man who was not diligent in his work. His employer had given him one talent (a measure of money), and instructed him to go to the market and “put my money to the exchangers,” Matthew 25:27. In the next parable He set another standard of judgment. “Good” will not be determined by possessions or rich friends, but by:
“I was hungry, and you gave Me food: I was thirsty, and you gave Me drink: I was a stranger, and you took Me in: Naked, and you clothed Me: I was sick, and you visited Me: I was in prison, and you came untoMe.”Matt. 25:35-36[NKJV]
The next time someone close to you is approaching the end of his life, think of the qualities of “good” given by Jesus. When you think of your own status in the eyes of God, note that His evaluation will include what is written in the Bible from the mouth of Jesus, John 12:48.
Even the world knows what it takes to be “good”. Why not develop
those traits
