In my last blog, I introduced the character of Pastor R, the Forensic Pastor, and his case of judging the qualifications of a potential saint. At the end, I closed with a common trick of television shows – teasing the next episode with a short description of the plot. Well, it backfired; several readers told me they wanted to actually read the next episode, so here it is.
Episode 2: The Forensic Pastor Returns
The scene opens with Pastor R poring over several books: one containing photos of a cuneiform tablet recently discovered in the ancient city of Ugarit, another a dictionary of the cuneiform alphabet, and a third a proposed translation of the tablet. Looking through his magnifying glass, Pastor R smiles to himself, saying, “This translation almost has it right . . . just one minor change and my work here is done!”
Suddenly the phone rings, and Pastor R puts down the glass and picks up the phone. “Hello?”
“Are you the Forensic Pastor?” asks a woman on the other end. “I need your help!”
Pastor R replies, “Then you should call 911.” “I did,” she answers, “and they referred me to you.”
“Not again,” he thought, but instead he asks,”What’s the problem?” “My brother died, and I want to give him a Christian burial. It would mean so much to our parents!” “So, what’s the problem?” She hesitates for a second, then answers, “Well, he was an atheist, as am I. But our parents are Christians and they had him baptized as an infant. Is that a problem?”
Pastor R thinks for a moment, and suggests, “Why don’t you come by my office?” My wife can bake us some chocolate chip cookies, and we can talk.” They set an appointment for the next day and say goodbye.
The next day, at the appointed hour, Pastor R answers the door and welcomes the lady in. He introduces his wife, Mrs. K, and the woman shakes her hand and says, “Hi, nice to meet you; my name is Abigail.” Pastor R motions the visitor to the seat across from him at his desk. “So, then,” he begins, “tell me about your brother.”
She begins, “His name was Alistair. He was very smart and knew a lot about the Bible. . .” Pastor R interrupts her, not unkindly, saying, “So does the devil. But knowing the Bible is not the same as believing it. James 2:19 tells us that even the demons know about God, and they shudder in fear! Also, denying God is not a mark of intelligence, but of foolishness. Psalm 14:1 says, ’The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’”
She retorts, “But he was a good man! He was moral and gave generously to the poor.” Pastor R nods approvingly, but says, “Good works are good to do, but they do not save us. As Martin Luther said, ‘Good works do not make a man good, but a good man does good works.’ St. Paul told us in Romans 3:28, ‘For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.’ So your brother’s civil righteousness was good, but it did not save him apart from faith in Jesus Christ. Peter tells us in Acts 4:12, ‘And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.’ Did your brother ever express faith in Jesus Christ?”
She mutters, “Not that I know of.”
Noting the look on her face, he encourages her to continue. She does so. “As I said, he was baptized at about the age of one and went through catechism. But when it came time for confirmation, he said no thanks, and walked away from both the ceremony and the church and never went back. It was because of what he learned in school about evolution. He knew both evolution and the Bible couldn’t both be true, and decided to embrace science instead of religion. I was so proud of him, I did the same. No religion or church for me – which is why I feel a bit awkward asking you for a Christian burial.”
“So, why do you want a Christian burial,” asks Pastor R, “How he is buried won’t make a difference as to where he spends eternity. The Bible tells us we are appointed once to die, and then comes judgment (Hebrews 9:27). And, whether we believe in him or not, we will stand before him at the judgment and give account of all we did in life -including whether we believed or not (1 Peter 1:5).”
“But I thought God is supposed to be a loving God who couldn’t condemn anyone to hell,” she counters.”Yes, he is, and he showed his love in this – that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. You cannot fault God for a lack of love, but remember that he is also a holy God who cannot abide sin. Jesus warned us that the path of salvation is a narrow one, while the way that leads to destruction is wide, and most will follow it (Matthew 7:13-14).”
“But, my brother was baptized! Doesn’t that count for something?” she asks, her lip trembling.
“Yes. At that moment God claimed him as his own, and sent the Holy Spirit to him. The problem is that he willfully rejected God and his baptism, and as far as we know, he never came back. The Book of Hebrews warns us that those who believe and then fall away can never be restored, because they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt. Also, the Scriptures warn us against grieving the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:30).
“So, Pastor, does this mean you won’t do the funeral?” she asks, sadly.
Just then, Mrs. K walks in with a plate of warm, gooey, chocolate chip cookies. She smiles and points to a couple cookies on the side. “And here are yours, Honey, just as you like them – from the freezer. I’ll bring the milk next.” She set the plate down and exits.
Pastor R says, “About your question. Yes, I will conduct the service. But understand, the funeral is more for the living than the dead. I want to make clear what the Bible says about life, death, forgiveness, and eternal life. Hopefully, believers will be strengthened in their faith, and non-believers will hear the Gospel and come to faith. Hopefully, you also may believe. I won’t belittle your brother, because all human life is sacred to God. He made us in his image, and doesn’t want anyone to perish, but that we should reach repentance (2 Peter 3:9).”
“What will you say about him?” she asks. He thinks for a moment, and answers, “I will tell of his good works, but stress that ultimately, faith is what matters. I will say that faith was a problem for him, but that God continued to be faithful, even to the end (2 Timothy 2:13). Hopefully, before the end came, your brother grabbed onto the faith in which he was baptized, and believed in his Savior. Even as one of the thieves on the cross was saved at the last minute by acknowledging Christ as Lord, so I hope Alistair found that ultimate truth – the truth that matters.”
Abigail nods her head.
Pastor R continues softly, “Abigail, let me pray for you, that this experience of caring for your brother may awaken you to the hope of the Gospel, so that when your time comes, your loved ones may say with confidence that you believed, and fully trusted that when you pass, as your eyes close in death, they opened to see your Savior. Let us pray . . .”
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Thus ends the episode. Unfortunately the network canceled the show due to a writer’s strike. Thanks for your support.
Now may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.
Read: Colossians 4:6, Peter 3:5, Jude 3.