Christ's Way of Running a Funeral

Maintaining Purity of Worship and Abstaining From Superstition at the Grave

Howdy,

As I noted last week in this space we are moving on to a new section in the Directory of Public Worship. I must warn that is not any happier a subject than the visiting of the sick. That being said we who rest in the resurrection of Jesus Christ mourn not as the world morns, for our hope is built on the cross and the empty tomb. This section of the DPW is rather short, and to the point.

Here it is:

WHEN any person departeth this life, let the dead body, upon the day of burial, be decently attended from the house to the place appointed for publick burial, and there immediately interred, without any ceremony.

And because the custom of kneeling down, and praying by or towards the dead corpse, and other such usages, in the place where it lies before it be carried to burial, are superstitious; and for that praying, reading, and singing, both in going to and at the grave, have been grossly abused, are no way beneficial to the dead, and have proved many ways hurtful to the living; therefore let all such things be laid aside.

Howbeit, we judge it very convenient, that the Christian friends, which accompany the dead body to the place appointed for publick burial, do apply themselves to meditations and conferences suitable to the occasion and that the minister, as upon other occasions, so at this time, if he be present, may put them in remembrance of their duty.

That this shall not extend to deny any civil respects or deferences at the burial, suitable to the rank and condition of the party deceased, while he was living.

This chapter more than any other shows some of the keenest differences between the day in which the DPW was written and today. The opening sentence seems quaint, if not odd. In the twenty-first century we have things like embalming that do not make the concern here quite so necessary. However, that being said what is the actual concern here other than the obvious bio reasons? Notice what the second paragraph says. There is an anxiousness on behalf of the divines that people do not misunderstand the biblical doctrine of death. When people die, they are moved directly to heaven by the power of the Holy Spirit. They do not remain with us until a minister is there to pray them into the throne room of God. Men and women are not watching over loved ones waiting to say goodbye. Funerals are for the living, not the dead.

The main worry is that the people of Scotland, in this case, would not fall back into the type of pagan and Roman Catholic superstition which permeated many of their practices. There is of course nothing new about this. Jesus used women who were paid to be mourners on the walk from the place of death to the graveyard as an example in Matthew 9:23-24 for those who do not rest and trust in the resurrection and/or the power of God. These folks have no interest in the sad realities inhabiting the families heart and soul. They are here in order that the family might be seen and the individual made the center of attention in the community. Now, there is nothing wrong of course with mourning, or recognizing the importance of the individual in the midst of the sadness of death, and the loss which is felt. But notice when you go back and read the Matt. 9 passage that who is the one who can provide joy in the midst of the difficulties of the day? The very Lord that was blocked on His way to heal and give life because man-made glories and ideas. These were keeping Jesus from being central to the moment. Here again is yet another way that the Bible (and the DPW) is pointing to the manner in which good intentions can be no substitute for thinking through how best to operate in a trial. False piety does not heal hearts.

The previous paragraphs are a good example of how even if the outward form of instruction may be seen as outdated, the principle that is being communicated can still be of much use to us as the people of God. As the directory moves on there are other aspects of superstition that are also to be warned against including: praying by or towards the dead corpse . . . have proved many ways hurtful to the living. This may again seem odd, but notice what is being said. Our practices around burial can affect much about how well those left behind deal with the days and weeks to come. Here is why the gospel of Jesus Christ cannot be obscured by the outward ceremonies or communicate something, either explicitly or implicitly, that is in conflict with the eternal hope we have in goodness of the grace of God. Whatever we do in a funeral or memorial service needs to begin with the same questions we ask of things we do in any other time of worship, whether or on the Lord’s Day or not. There is a real danger to missing the opportunities available if we make it about our wants or ideas when the grave is there to remind us that our only hope in life and death is Jesus Christ, and Him alone. No amount of worldly things and ideas can do that for us.

There is a pretty interesting notation made at the end of the chapter concerning civil words of testimony as to the rank and condition of the person who passed. Something all of us are surely aware of any time we attend a funeral for a veteran. It is interesting given all the worry about the family doing superstitious things that the writers of the DPW would allow the offering of the flag or taps or a twenty-one gun salute. However, it should not be of much surprise since the divines are making a distinction between religious and secular actions at the graveside.

In closing, there is much more we could glean from the chapter but here is a good place for us to bring this Thursday devotional to a close. Our funeral practices must make much of the comfort granted from the one who put to death, death, and the format and purpose of our gathering at a graveside. It should be done for the same reason we do all things. For God and His Glory Alone.

Last word:

https://sb.rfpa.org/an-honorable-christian-burial/

Blessings in Christ,

Rev. Benjamin Glaser

Pastor, Bethany ARP Church