Well done, good and faithful servant!
—Matthew 25:23
Perusing the thirty-two obituaries in last Sunday’s Houston Chronicle, I noticed that every one of the deceased was a saint—not a bad apple in the bunch.
I have no quarrel with praising the dear departed’s good points and ignoring their flaws. We of the cloth aren’t known for revealing the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth at a memorial service. If we did, it would be our last interment. That’s not the place for telling all we know. Our proper role is to comfort the living, not condemn the dead.
However, it does occur to me that there will be a time when we shall hear the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth about ourselves. The Lord will deliver that final verdict, and it will be scrupulously accurate.
If we have done well,
we will hear the welcome “Well done.”