Being Polite

A friend of mine recently remarked,

“How come you never go to the funeral of someone who died and went to Hell? Seems like at every funeral, the preacher in charge always says that the person being buried that day is now with the Lord in Heaven. No matter what kind of life he or she lived, they’re in Heaven.”

The odds are against it being true that everyone who lives goes to Heaven when they die. Jesus Christ said the very opposite: “Wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it” ( Matthew 7: 13- 14).

But we don’t want to offend anyone, do we? We certainly don’t want to anger anyone at a funeral where emotions are high enough already. And if we pastor a church, we want some of these people to like us, and maybe visit our church. They certainly won’t do that if we suggest that their lost loved one went to Hell.

Maybe we could skirt around the situation like this: “So and so is in God’s hands now, in the care of Jesus.” That’s not lying, in a way, because all the dead now are directly under God’s authority.

No sense at a funeral in mentioning the truths learned from Luke 16: 1931: if that dead loved one didn’t live a godly life, he likely is awaiting Judgment Day in a place of tormenting flame. And then adding, “If the rest of you want to avoid being sent to that rat- hole in your future, get things right between you and your Maker right here and now.”

But it’s the plain truth. And people don’t want to hear the truth. They don’t want to be “preached at.” And telling them what they don’t want to hear ain’t easy. And it doesn’t make friends.

So we avoid speaking the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. We limit any talk about religious matters to just what people may be willing to listen to. That Jesus Christ loves us all, and died on a cross so that our sins will be forgiven, and we can go to Heaven.

Many today even reject that. “Don’t feed me all that #*@!!!” they often say. Many may never hear about the Hell of Luke 16 until they get there. Which, sadly, contributes to why, “Many there be which go in thereat” ( Matthew 7: 13).

Try the polite approach first. But if you really love someone enough to not want them to go to Hell, tell them the whole truth. Even if they may want to crucify you for it.