Day by Day with Martin Luther

Read: Daniel 8:21-27 1st John 2:1-17 Proverbs 28:25-26

“Death is Not Death”

“The girl is not dead, but sleeping.”
[Matthew 9:24]

Ah, she is sleeping! Death, where are you? Among Christians, death is not death, but a sleep. Indeed, the burial place of a Christian is many times called a “dormitory”. Only a child of Christ can say: “my grave is my bed, my dormitory, I am not dying, but I am falling asleep.” John 11:25 says: “Whoever believes in Me, even in he dies, yet shall he live.” And in 11:11 we hear: “Lazarus has fallen asleep.” And yet, there are still hindrances in this life to this truth of eternal life in Christ. There is despair that we won’t live eternally … our flesh tells us that death is final [this is what our conscience feels]. And so, we must constantly direct our attention to the Word of Christ: “she is sleeping”, though at times it is drowned out by crowds, pain, and scandal. Oh, if only the power of Christ, the Restorer of life would flow into all the lands.
And so, God’s children may joyfully scorn death, certain that He does not lie, but shall awaken us, for though to ourselves we may seem dead, to Him we are only sleeping.