A handful of years ago, I stood in a baptism tub with Red, listening to his spiritual story being read. Red’s life was riddled with pain and tragedy, some of which was self-inflicted from frequent abuse of alcohol. He lived a hard life that was drastically far from God and his body and his soul showed the scars. But in the tub that day, he beamed with faith and hope.
Red struggled to get into the tub because his leg was still healing from multiple surgeries. Several months prior, he was broadsided while riding his motorcycle. The painful effects of his broken bones and the surgeries that followed were still evident. Dave, who had been instrumental in Red’s coming to Christ, was assisting me in Red’s baptism. As we began to dip him into the water, Red groaned in pain. Dave and I stopped. Baptism wasn’t supposed to be physically painful and we didn’t want to hurt him more. But Red looked at us and said, “Get it done, boys! I need to be baptized today.” With both pain and joy expressed on his face, Red emerged from the water. As a pastor, I’ve had the privilege to baptize many people, but Red’s is one of my favorites.
Red disappeared from my life for a couple years, but I got a call from him this week. He moved to Florida because he was unable to work due to physical restrictions from his injuries. The last couple of years have been financially difficult for Red and his wife. They moved from town to town in their camper looking for a place to settle. During that time, Red learned he has cancer. His call to me was to tell me that he was choosing not receive the treatment recommended for this type of cancer. As he said, “The treatment is worse than the cancer, Phil. I’m not going to do it.”
It’s not up to me to discern if Red is making the right decision in stopping his treatment; but what I know from my hour with him, he’s again filled with faith and hope. Throughout his history of pain and tragedy, Red has found strength in finding faith in a good God who has loved him and saved him from the horrible life he was living. Now, hope is what keeps Red’s heart alive. Hope is the ability to look beyond your current painful situation to see a day when all this will be made right. He still has hope that he’ll be healed of the cancer; but if not, he has hope that he’ll experience the embrace of Jesus.
Today, I’m tired of stories of death and sickness. Two friends of mine entered the hospital this week with serious physical issues. Yesterday, I listened to another close friend grieve. He had just attended the funeral of his teenage kid’s youth pastor who was tragically killed. Right now, I’m fully aware that this planet is broken. It’s groaning to be cleansed of sickness, pollution, and death. I’m so glad this is Easter week! I need an infusion of faith and hope that God will do what he says he’ll do to make all things right—to make all things new again.
Paul wrote to the church in Corinth about the importance of Jesus’ resurrection, which we celebrate this week. After giving a compelling argument that Jesus’ resurrection from the dead means we have a certain hope in our own resurrection, Paul paints a picture of the day when all will change; all will be new again. If you’re sick of sickness, if you’re weary of sin and death, let these words comfort you this Easter week.
But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed! It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed. For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies. Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled:
“Death is swallowed up in victory.
O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?”
For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ. So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless. 1 Corinthians 15.51-58 NLT
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