There he lay in a casket in the funeral home. His parents and his brothers stood beside the crushed body of 13-year-old Art, hardly able to believe what had happened. Yesterday he had been a happy, active boy, but today his body was lifeless. How quickly death sometimes comes. We usually think of old people dying, but not a 13-yeald boy. However, we know from the Bible, God’s Word, that none of us can be sure about even tomorrow, for we read, “Boast not thyself of to-morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.” Proverbs 27:11Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth. (Proverbs 27:1).
Art’s family was sorrowing over the loss of their son and brother. Yet, at the same time they were being comforted. You might wonder how this could possibly be. The reason was that they knew Art was now in heaven with his Lord and Saviour. Art had accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as his own Saviour, realizing he was a sinner and on his way to hell. He had learned from reading his Bible and from his parents that he needed to be saved. He had read that God’s Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, suffered on the cross for sinners. Not only had he read and heard this, but more important, he believed it.
Art’s friend Jimmy stood in front of the funeral home. He was shaking, because he was scared. He did not want to go in. Art had been one of his best friends, but now Art was dead, and Jimmy knew that it was his fault. They had been playing beside the busy, four-lane highway where they should not have been. Jimmy had crossed the highway, but Art was scared to try it.
“Come on, you can make it,” Jimmy called.
Twice Art started to cross, but stopped. The third time he made a dash... but he did not make it. He ran right in front of a big trailer truck and was killed instantly!
“You must go in,” urged Jimmy’s mother.
Jimmy slowly walked into the funeral home. Art’s parents and brothers were standing near the casket. Oh, what could he say?
“I... I’m sorry... for m... murdering Art,” he stammered, breaking into tears.
Art’s mother put her arm around Jimmy and told him that Art was in heaven with the Lord Jesus. She gently explained that his body in the casket was just an empty shell, and that Art’s spirit and soul, that part of each of us that will never die, was safe with the Lord Jesus. She told him about God’s love in sending the Lord Jesus to die, so that sinners could be saved. She tried to help him understand that he needed to be saved too, by trusting in the Lord Jesus, or he would never be in heaven where Art was.
What love and grace was shown by Art’s mother in speaking so kindly to Jimmy, the one who was responsible for her son’s death. Yet, it was a much greater love for all of us that caused God to send His only Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to die for sinners. “But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:88But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8).
Don’t put off accepting the Lord Jesus as your Saviour. If Art would have waited until he was 14 to make his decision, it would have been too late. Or if it had been Jimmy that had been hit by the truck, it would have been too late for him. God loves us and wants each one of us to be saved, because He wants to have us in heaven with Himself. Won’t you say “yes” to the Saviour right now?
ML-07/10/1983