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"A time to mourn (grieve)" (Ecclesiastes 3:4). "Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him" (Acts 8:2). "But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope" (1 Thessalonians 4:13).

A regular and necessary part of ministry is supporting people during times of grief and loss. At any given time we have people on our hearts who have recently lost a loved one and the sting of death is still fresh.

Of course this is not only true for those of in "ministry" but for all of us. I had a pre-grief discussion with a young man whose grandfather is nearing death. Of course prior to death we always hold out for a healing and extension of life. But inevitably, in a sense, we are always near death. Not only are we reminded of it due to our aging bodies, disease, and accidents, but also by the increasing violence that fills our land and world.

I heard an interesting perspective on a podcast that is so true: "Grief is the downside of love". Now I can't imagine not accepting this "downside of love" in exchange for the multitude of blessings that love provides but some do and thus escape grief, living only for themselves. They may feel no emotion at all when others die and have no one to grieve for them when they die. Some get into horrible life messes such as the homeless and drug addicted. They are so detached from others that there may be no one who grieves.

Grief is defined as "deep sorrow, especially that which is caused by someone's death". Robert Orr, a hospice chaplain writes, "Grief is the last act of love we give to our loved one. Where there is deep grief there is great love."

Ecclesiastes 3:4 refers to "a time to mourn". This "time to mourn" is quite familiar, especially as we get older and older. The first time of grief recorded in the Bible was surely felt when Adam and Eve heard the horrible news that one son had killed another. Later in Genesis we read that the long-estranged brothers Jacob and Esau gathered to bury their father Isaac.

Today's second text gives insight into the emotion of grief in the early church. After Stephen was stoned, "Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him" (Acts 8:2). Surely the grieving emotions for these godly men were no less intense for them than for us in our losses. To "mourn deeply" has the sense of great lamentation, "to beat the breast in grief". Did they "understand" any better than we do? Surely not. But our faith must confront such reality.
 
Our third text is the beginning of a portion that teaches about the rapture of the church (although Scripture does not use the word). Paul did not want his initial Thessalonian readers (and through Scripture all of us) to be uninformed. The specific issue was death described with the euphemism, "those who are asleep" (later in the text described as "the dead in Christ") (v.16). They were concerned about those among them who had died and missed His return.

He informed them so "that [they] may not grieve as others do who have no hope". He is contrasting those who die as believers in Christ with those who are not believers as expressed in the next verse, "For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again" (v.14).

The aspect of grieve here can be taken in two different ways:

1) As believers we will not grieve. One writer's perspective, "Paul writes to the saints at Thessalonica who had lost loved ones so that they would not grieve but to the contrary they would be empowered by this sound doctrine regarding a believer's death to comfort one another with the sure hope of future glory to be revealed at Christ's return".

2) As believers we will grieve but not in the same way "as others do who have no hope". The Precept Austin Online commentary is helpful in explaining this:

We hold the second view and desire to have a healthy outlook toward the inevitable grief periods in life and consider grief to be a healthy dimension of showing love and being loved. But we grieve as one who does have hope. In fact we have a living hope which we will consider in tomorrow's message!

B e encouraged today! Hebrews 3:13