By: Obed Pineda
Of the plethora of lessons I received from my beloved mentor, there is one that I fondly remember. He and I were in attendance at the funeral of a faithful sister in Christ and had just arrived at the gravesite where her remains were going to be buried. It was a crisp, sunny morning and a gentle breeze was blowing. As we were walking to the burial spot, freshly dug for the interment, he turned to me and asked, “Have you ever noticed how much one can learn about a stranger from their burial site?” It was this question that aided me in gaining a better understanding of the meaning of the expression commonly uttered at funerals, “to honor the life of.” It was in that moment when I learned that burial grounds were a means to help preserve the memory of the dearly departed, but also that to honor someone means to remember them. When my mentor posed his query to me, he was reading the various tombstones speaking on behalf of their respective, silent owners. Of course, some spoke more about the legacy left behind by the person than others. Still, it was curious to notice that this manner of human recognition has often been the catalyst that drives a vast majority of people to pursue “greatness.” This intense craving for recognition from the world for successful worldly accomplishments is what society has come to call being “immortalized.” This brand of legacy, however, lacks one very important detail: Divine recognition. The apostle Paul warns about this type of earthly immortality by confirming that “we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal” (2nd Corinthians 4:18, emphasis added). The beloved apostle concurs with the inspired Paul as he exhorts, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life – is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever” (1st John 2:15-17, emphasis added). Both inspired scribes demonstrate that what mankind wants to label as “immortal” is quite the opposite of the word itself. It must be accepted that it is impossible to obtain the eternal in a physical world because it is temporary and transitional. In other words, the memory of those accomplishments will eventually be forgotten to time. However, let us not ignore the assurance made by John that “he who does the will of God abides forever.” This promise is repeated by the Holy Spirit as He commanded John, “Write: ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.’ ‘Yes,’ says the Spirit, ‘that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them’’ (Revelation 14:13, emphasis added). To be able to fully grasp the magnificence of this precious promise, one must first pay attention to Who is making the promise. Remember that John was instructed to “Write” and further along the Scripture it is revealed that it is the Holy Spirit who says “Yes,” to confirm the words being written by the apostle. This is of utmost significance because the Holy Spirit is God, and therefore He is both eternal and all-knowing. Peter describes God’s eternality by reminding us, “beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day” (2nd Peter 3:8, emphasis added). The apostle’s use of the literary device known as a simile, must not be dismissed since it is a figure of speech making a comparison between things, with the purpose of explanation. Therefore, the apostle is using our knowledge and understanding of time to explain the idea of eternity; the absence of time. He accomplishes this by illustrating that in a realm where time does not exist, there is no notion of how much of it has transpired since it is insignificant there. Thus, this lesson unveils the outstanding value of the promise that God knows those whose works are honorable in His sight, and will never forget them. The Psalmist declares, “The Lord knows the days of the upright, and their inheritance shall be forever” but also warns, “the wicked shall perish; and the enemies of the Lord, like the splendor of the meadows, shall vanish. Into smoke they shall vanish away” (Psalm 37:18, 19, emphasis added). Earlier in this composition, it was stated that there were a vast amount of tombstones of different sizes with different names and stories on them. Yet, the ones that stood out were the ones that had nothing etched on their markers. After asking about those blank tombstones, I discovered that some of them were so deteriorated from the time that erosion had erased their identities, along with their tale, of the stone. Regrettably, those eroded, blank stones had never been replaced or restored because loved ones either no longer existed or had abandoned their burial sites. These neglected headstones were poetically and sadly referred to as the forgotten dead. All recollection of them and whatever accomplishments that had obtained, had been wiped from memory. Holy Writ teaches, “Blessings are on the head of the righteous, but violence covers the mouth of the wicked. The memory of the righteous is blessed, but the name of the wicked will rot” (Proverbs 10:6-7, emphasis added). Just like the Lord has promised that He knows those who are righteous, He also promises that He will not acknowledge those who are wicked. This dreadful thought is illustrated by the Master continuously in His doctrine that He preached while on earth. In Matthew’s account of the Gospel, twice we read the Savior’s response to those did not follow the will of the Father, seeking His approval (Matthew 7:22-23 and 25:12). Curiously, this is also portrayed in one of the most known stories recorded by Luke. This takes place from its very introduction: “There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate” (Luke 16:19-20, emphasis added). Observe that the unrighteous are simply referred to as “a certain rich man,” but a name is given to the righteous man, Lazarus. This minute, subtle detail expands when we remember that “anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:15, emphasis added). The Master reveals that this nameless “rich man also died and was buried. And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom” (Luke 16:22b-23, emphasis added). It cannot be denied that his man had successful here on earth since he was rich. Lamentably, his achievements were not worth remembering by the Lord because they were dishonorable in His sight. His indifference toward Lazarus’ needs, is proof of why. His selfishness ultimately led him to be another man forgotten in an unmarked sepulcher.