Robert George Studt
Born November 6th,
Year of Our + Lord 1946, in Presho, South Dakota
Baptized
into Christ December 29th, Year of Our + Lord 1947
at Zion Lutheran Church, Presho, South Dakota
Confirmed
in Christ April 24th, Year of Our + Lord 1960
at Zion Lutheran Church, Presho, South Dakota
Died in Christ June
25th, Year of Our + Lord 2022, in Sturgis, South Dakota
Soli Deo Gloria – To God Alone Be Glory
Elaine, Amy, Clay, Jess, to all
the family and friends of Bob Studt:
Grace, mercy and peace to you,
from God our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ!
We do not grieve as those who have no hope. But we do grieve. We gather today to remember, to celebrate the
work of Jesus Christ in Bob’s life, and to celebrate the many blessings you received
from God through Bob, a beloved husband, father, grandfather, and friend. We gather to proclaim the victory of Jesus
over all our enemies, especially those enemies that lie in wait for us today,
like doubt, despair, or even unbelief. The
Holy Spirit is pleased to meet us here today to drive these enemies away.
We gather to give thanks, to remember, and to celebrate. But we also grieve. As Christians, we know the solution to death
that Jesus has won for us. But death is
still an enemy, even when death is in part a relief, because it is the end of
suffering. But this relief is only real
because we trust in a bright future. So
we are blessed again today through Bob Studt, because his life and his death
provide us with the opportunity to understand the reason we do not grieve
without hope, to hear why we can face death with confidence, as we learn from a
man with disability.
I’m not talking about Bob. I’m
pretty sure he never called himself disabled.
And yet it is true that Bob faced physical problems far beyond what most
of us have ever faced: living his 7th grade year away from home in
the Shriner Children’s Hospital, as the doctors did radical surgeries to make
his legs work better. And while the
surgeries worked, improving his ability to walk, Bob still ended up getting by only
because he developed exceptional upper body strength to compensate for the
weakness in his legs.
As his children informed me the other evening, he even ended up being called
“Popeye,” all muscles up top, and skinny on the bottom. It seems that young Bob came out of that
frightful year in Minneapolis with a patient determination to overcome
obstacles, and also a peace of mind and generous spirit, which helped make him
the wonderful husband, father, grandfather and friend that so many of you are
missing today.
Bob, with the help of doctors and lot of determination, made himself able-bodied. But the paralytic in our Gospel reading had a
different experience with physical problems.
No Shriner’s Hospital to go to in Jerusalem, this man was paralyzed. Hearing of and believing in the healing power
of Jesus of Nazareth, his friends carry him to the village of Capernaum,
seeking a miraculous cure. Jesus, seeing
their collective faith, gives the paralyzed man His very best gift, but it was
not what anyone expected. Jesus saw
their faith, demonstrated through their extraordinary effort, opening a hole in
the roof to lower their friend to Jesus.
When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the
paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”
The scribes, those Jewish religious leaders who were present to keep an
eye on Jesus, were offended by Jesus presuming to do what only God can do:
forgive sins. But don’t you imagine that
the paralytic and his friends might have had a very different reaction? Perhaps in their hearts they said: Come on Jesus, we came for a healing. What good is forgiveness to a man who cannot
get up off his stretcher?
If this was their reaction, their error was corrected at the same time
that Jesus put the scribes in their place. Jesus, God in human flesh, knew all their
thoughts. And so He asked the religious
elite: “Why do you question these things in your hearts? 9 Which
is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise,
take up your bed and walk’? 10 But that you may
know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said
to the paralytic— 11 “I say to you, rise, pick up
your bed, and go home.” 12 And [the paralyzed man] rose
and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they
were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like
this!”
How do you think this miracle changed the formerly paralyzed man? It seems likely that he left Jesus’ presence
with his heart full of gratitude, and so also at peace and ready to be generous
and caring towards others. If the gift
of partial healing that Bob received at Shriner’s Hospital led him to lead a
life of quiet determination and generosity, how much more if the Son of God
heals you completely, in an instant?
We can’t say for certain. The
Lord in His Bible does not tell us these details. But the whole book, from Genesis to
Revelation, affirms the point that Jesus makes by forgiving sins first, and
healing later. The greatest gift that
the paralyzed man received from Jesus, and also the greatest gift that Bob ever
received from Jesus, was forgiveness. Free
and full forgiveness, paid for by the bodily suffering and death of the miracle
worker, Jesus. Faith in Jesus, trusting
in Him as God and Savior, receives this forgiveness of sins, free and
full. And with forgiveness comes
fellowship with God, today, and forever and ever.
Christians face death with hope, not because we persevere in life,
overcome obstacles, or do lots of good things for others. These are all wonderful things to do, and we
thank God for those who do them. But
Christian hope is not based on what we do, but rather on the fact that Jesus,
God’s only begotten Son, persevered unto death, even death on a cross. And then He rose again, to open God’s eternal
heaven to us. Jesus’ healing miracles
were wonderful, and hint at our future.
But His greatest gift to us is His apparent defeat on the Cross. For in His suffering and death, we receive
victory and eternal life. And more.
Forgiveness is the best gift we can receive right now. But that doesn’t mean healing isn’t on God’s
mind. Yes, physical healing is important
to God, and will come, in His timing. Someday,
hopefully soon, when the Father sends Jesus to gather His Church to Himself
forever, all who believe in Jesus for salvation will also receive perfect
physical healing, to go with spiritual healing.
Then Bob’s legs will match his arms, and all our imperfections will be gone
forever. Forever and ever the blind will
see, the lame will walk, and the broken-hearted will be glad.
In the meantime, we have these treasures, all the promises of Christ, in
jars of clay. The paralyzed man’s body,
which Jesus healed, no doubt failed him again, eventually. And Bobs’ body broke down again, in these
last years. But God’s abundant
forgiveness does not fail.
If we love our sin, if we pursue it and do not acknowledge our sin for
what it is, rebellion against God, then we cut ourselves off from Jesus. But if we confess our sins, God is faithful
and just to forgive our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
I had the privilege of walking alongside Bob in his last one and a half
years of earthly life, ironically when he could no longer walk. It was a privilege to come and deliver God’s
forgiveness to Bob, through the Word of Christ, especially in, with and under
the Bread and the Wine of the Lord’s Supper.
Sometimes it was difficult, because Bob’s health and strength were
failing. When we could arrange it,
Elaine would meet me, and she would help me serve Christ’s gifts to Bob. And he received the Gospel with gladness,
right up to the end. Now Bob’s soul
rests with Jesus, awaiting the final trumpet.
God’s great forgiveness has achieved its goal with Bob. The Lord would do the same for you. This indeed is the day the Lord has made, let
us rejoice, and be glad in it. Rejoice, because
your sins, like Bob’s, are forgiven, for Jesus’ sake. Believe it, rejoice, and come to receive this
best gift, today, and again and again, until that day when all the faithful
will fly away, to be together, around the throne of grace, basking in the light
of God’s glory, forever and ever, Amen.
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