St. John Lutheran Church

2 Corinthians 5:1-10

“Seeing is believing”

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

Your going to have to trust me on this…I have no pictures to show you…only memories. You’ll have to trust my recollection. If I must…I could get you some witnesses…I suppose. Many live by the old saying “seeing is believing.” Regardless! Here is a recollection of my youth.

Growing up I had the wonderful experience of being sent to Walcamp, a Lutheran Outdoor Ministry located in Kingston, IL. I attended Sports Camp for a few years, went there with my 6th grade class at St. Paul Lutheran School, Oak Lawn, IL, and was a counselor there following my freshman year of college. My favorite camp however was MASH camp. We slept on small cots inside of old Vietnam era military tents like the ones seen in Mash. We even had a large sign out in front of those three well worn tents that said MASH 4077 1/2. The tents were a bit old and musty… they had holes here and there where the rain would drip in…and they had their share of spiders (as we were told don’t point your flashlight up before bed or you might drive those spiders down toward you and we won’t even talk about the mosquitoes.

That camp was great! We earned ranks during the weeklong camp. We had pillow fights with the Cheer Camp and the Survival Camp kids. We cooked over an open fire often. And we didn’t have to take showers…at least not often!

As much as I love those memories…I’m glad I don’t have to sleep in those tents now. Truthfully…those tents were thrown away years ago… they were gone before I was a counselor there. They served their purpose. They were well used. They dry rotted. The holes grew larger. More critters got in. They fell apart. I had hoped they replaced them…but they had not. All that’s left are the memories.

Someone asked John Quincy Adams at age 81 how he was. He answered, “John Quincy Adams is quite well, thank you! But the house in which he lives is becoming a bit dilapidated. I think John Quincy Adams will have to move out pretty soon, but he himself is quite well indeed.”

“For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked. For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.” (2 Corinthians 5:1-10)

The tent that Scripture is speaking about is our body. Our bodies won’t last. Our bodies will fall apart. They will suffer from sickness and disease. They will be well used. But unlike a measly Walcamp tent that isn’t replaced we have a promise that while our earthly tent will be destroyed we have a house, not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. (2 Corinthians 5:1) And that house is made by God. That house is really a mansion; perfect and without end.

Today is my first Father’s Day without my Dad. I have pictures and many many wonderful memories. I’m sure that my father would have agreed with John Quincy Adams that he was quite well though the house he lived in was falling apart. And I know that my dad was quite certain that he would receive a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

Many question what will happen after death. What will happen to our body? What happens to our soul? Seeing is believing…and that makes faith hard…because nobody that I know of has ever seen heaven or a resurrection.

But faith is believing without seeing. Scripture speaks of this: “Jesus said to [Thomas], “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” (John 20:29-31)

God has given us His Son, the very Word made flesh, as well as Holy Scripture. We have been given fathers in the faith in every generation; a cloud of witnesses that profess the truth found in God’s Word. Each Sunday we are surrounded by all the company of Heaven who profess the truth of Jesus. They include all of our loved ones that have died in the faith. They include my father and many of your fathers. Seeing is believing…seeing by faith! Believing by faith!

When that moving time comes for each of us, as it came for many of our fathers and loved ones, we can repeat the words of John Quincy Adams: we are quite well indeed. All because our room in the Father’s house has been built for us by Jesus. His atoning blood has written our name on the door. His Father’s love has signed the deed. Heaven is our Father’s house. Heaven is our home. Amen.

Now may the peace of God which passes all human understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior. Amen.