Leroy Peck: Departed in Peace

TEXT: Nunc Dimittis

In the Name of +Jesus. Amen.

Dear family and friends of Leroy, as well as fellow saints at Zion Lutheran congregation….

Grace, mercy and peace be unto you from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Today we gather as those who mourn the death of a father, grandfather, great grandfather, and fellow church member and brother in Christ. And it is okay for us to mourn. Even our Lord Jesus Christ wept at the funeral of Lazarus. Jesus wept, even when He knew that Lazarus would be raised again. We are no different. We may weep, but our tears are not without hope. Rather we weep as those who are confident in the bodily resurrection at the End of Time.
We also gather to care for the earthly remains of Leroy. And we do that with the resurrection in mind too. The Lord has taken care of Leroy’s body these 83 years and we must trust that He will also do with it as He sees fit until He comes again.

The Scripture chosen for the message this morning is taken from Luke 2:29-30, where the aged Simeon sang, “Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace according to Thy word, for mine eyes have seen Thy Salvation…”

Luke 2 is perhaps one of the most heard chapters of the entire Scripture. It is the narrative of the birth of Jesus. Every child in Sunday School is familiar with this text as it is often the setting for every Christian Church’s Children’s Christmas Program.

Luke 2 is the story of shepherds in the fields watching their flocks by night. It’s the story of angels singing, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests.” It’s the story of the Holy Family, Mary and Joseph and Jesus who is wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger. Even more than that, it the account of the Word made Flesh. The birth of Jesus is part of God’s perfect eternal plan to bring about the salvation of all mankind.

But perhaps one of the lesser known accounts of Luke 2 is the story of Simeon and the presentation of the 8-day old Jesus in the temple (the reading is assigned on the 1st S. after Christmas).

The Bible tells us that Simeon was a righteous and devout man who was waiting for the consolation of Israel. “consolation of Israel” is Luke’s way of telling us that he was waiting for the Messiah who would bring comfort to Israel… “Comfort, Comfort ye my people” The Messiah would not bring earthly comfort but comfort from the ravages sin, death and the devil. Simeon was full of the Holy Spirit and that Spirit had revealed to him that he would not die before he had seen the Messiah.

“How strange?” everyone must’ve thought when Simeon had seen Jesus he took Him in his arms and said, “Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace according to Thy word, for mine eyes have seen Thy Salvation…” Especially strange in that to the naked eye Jesus didn’t look anything like a person who would bring comfort. After all, He was only an 8 day old baby and He needed comforting Himself. Nevertheless, the Holy Spirit gave Simeon the eyes of faith that saw past a wrinkly, pink little baby. Simeon knew that He cradled in his arms the Savior of all mankind, Immanuel, the Prince of Peace.

Simeon was a righteous and devout man… there are few, if any, that would deny that Leroy was a righteous and devout man. Leroy was a kind and generous man. Many of you remember story after story about how he would keep gum around and was always looking for a child to give it too… just because. He never expected anything in return. He was a faithful husband and father, and grandfather. He loved animals. He liked spending time outdoors in his garden OR picking asparagus along the side of the road. He had very few, if any, enemies. And even more than all that, Leroy was devout in regular church attendance. Not that Leroy had a personal relationship with Jesus, but that Jesus had a personal relationship with him. God had called Leroy to be his own dear child in Holy Baptism and Leroy lived in that Baptismal grace until this past Wednesday, June 25th, when he died in the Pocahontas hospital.

Leroy was born in 1925, the same year that Adolf Hitler published his famous Mein Kampff (My Battle/Struggle). By the time Leroy was 20 years old he would be engaged in the aftermath of the German surrender to allied troops as member of the US Army. It would be a time of testing and trial for Leroy, but the Holy Spirit was upon Leroy. Leroy’s gift of baptismal faith may have been shaken and jarred at times, but the Holy Spirit kept him in true and saving faith.

I have known Leroy for about 2 years. During those years, Leroy often proclaimed his faith in Jesus Christ. He loved to be in the Lord’s house. He lived the psalmist’s words, “I rejoice when they said to me, ‘Let us go unto the house of the Lord.’”

On the day Leroy died, I visited him in the hospital. He was a little restless and was having a great deal of trouble breathing. When I walked into the room, his eyes went almost immediately to my communion kit. Leroy wanted the Lord’s Supper.

After a little visit, I prepared the communion table and began the liturgy for Holy Communion. Leroy followed along as best he could (oxygen mask and all). I began the confession of sins, “I a poor miserable sinner.” Leroy had trouble speaking, so I asked him, “Leroy is this your confession?” “Yes.” And then he began to go on for a while. It seems there were some other sins that he wanted to confess. Leroy may have been devout and righteous, but he would be the first to tell you that he was also a poor miserable sinner. I forgave Leroy his sins and then the most spectacular thing happened. Leroy interrupted the liturgy and said, “Thank you pastor.” And then he gave me a hug.

Leroy’s last meal was the Body and Blood of Jesus for the forgiveness of sins. And afterwards, we sang together the Nunc Dimittis. Especially those words, “for my eyes have seen my salvation.” The aged Simeon looked at an 8-day old baby and saw the Savior, his Salvation. The aged Leroy looked at plain bread and wine and saw the Savior, his Salvation.

The words of Simeon were some of the last words Leroy heard before he entered heaven. Today, Leroy gets to visit with the aged Simeon in the heavenly banquet that will have no end.
Today we mourn. But we do not mourn without hope. Leroy has fought the good fight. He has received the crown of victory. He didn’t earn heaven… no sinner could do that. But he inherited it as a gift from the Babe of Bethlehem, the Christ child… that Lamb of God who hung upon the cross for Leroy’s sins and for your sins.

The resurrected Christ lives and so does Leroy. Make no mistake. You will see Leroy Peck again on that last Day when the trumpet blows. This body that we lay to rest will rise to live before God forever.

God will grant it for Jesus’ sake. Amen.