Friday, March 31, 2023
No-one Was Sorry When He Died
Most funerals are marked by at least a modicum of grief and sorrow. Most of us hope that when we pass someone will miss us. One misconception is that, if we can get rich and famous, we will certainly be missed, and others will grieve when we pass. It turns out that popularity and money have little to do with being loved or missed. There are a thousand real life stories that have proven this. But, the point of this article is not to chide the selfish; it is to point out the powerful truth that even poor and obscure people can live lives that touch others in a lasting and meaningful way. With God’s help, we can live so well that many will miss us when we say goodbye to this world.
The Bible gives a clear example of one individual who had an opportunity to positively affect the lives of the people of Israel. His name was Jehoram. As King of Israel, he had the money and the power to leave a positive, lasting legacy like David, the first King of Israel, did. David was a flawed person, but he had a good heart. He knew how to worship, he knew how to repent, and he knew how to let God’s love for him translate into love for other people. Jehoram, on the other hand, was cursed with rebellion and selfishness. He did life his way. He excelled at the dog-eat-dog game. He ignored the morals and values that were handed down to him, and scrambled to get all he could get.
Jehoram’s selfishness was made evident when he killed his six brothers in order to secure his place as King. He also refused to abandoned idols and worship the one true God. This should not surprise us, since he was the son of the now famous Ahab and Jezebel, who were the kind of people that give politicians a bad name. He had an opportunity to do good, but he lacked the character to seize the day. The Bible summarizes his rule like this: “Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years. No one was sorry when he died. They buried him in the City of David, but not in the royal cemetery.” (2 Chronicles 21:20.) This marked the end of King Ahab’s dynasty and reminds us that humility and kindness will make your life beautiful, while money and power that is used for selfish gain will leave you empty and lonely.
This gives us food for thought. Could it be that our lives have far more potential that we may realize? Maybe a lack of money, education, fame, etc., has less to do with a full life than we thought. A great and memorable life may be more within our reach than we think. God’s Word makes the case that selflessness and loving-kindness will protect us from a life that ends with the epitaph: “No one was sorry when he died.”
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