An acacia tree watches over the entrance to one of the classrooms at the Lutheran School of Theology in Kenya. A rectangular sign nests in the four limbs that branch out of the trunk.
Written in black ink are five Swahili words, a period, then “Jesus” and “Amen”.
The Swahili words read,
Dawa ya dhambi ni kuokoka.
Which roughly translated means … “the medicine/or the remedy for sin is salvation in Jesus.”
To the left of the words, in a blank space, is a red check mark as if to say,
Because of the shed blood of Jesus, this is most certainly true! Amen!
A couple of times a year I teach at the school and help Lutherans In Africa, “form African Lutherans to be teachers of the faith.” Another way you could describe it is … I help men become “soul doctors”, pastors who:
- rightly diagnose the spiritual sickness of sin
- faithfully deliver and administer the medicine of the Gospel
- and help encourage and exhort their people in the daily exercise of their faith.
The Doctor Becomes the Patient
This February, while teaching at the Lutheran School of Theology, the teacher became the student.
And the students became the soul doctors.
It was the early hours of a Saturday when we received news of my father’s death. Like most things we dread, the news came in the dark. I think physical distance numbed the initial stab of death’s dagger. We were half a world away and weren’t gathered with family at the bedside. We didn’t have a chance to see him one last time before the procedure, or, the “last time” before the family left the hospital, forever now without him.
For awhile, it didn’t seem real.
When the sun rose, we went to morning chapel.
News had quickly spread through the school. Rev. May and his family, volunteers, students, and staff in a very simple, humble, and yet profound and soul-deep way, brought the healing Words of Life.
Like most of us in the sanitized and bubble wrapped West, they weren’t shocked at what happened, nor taken aback. They are all too familiar with the everyday realities of sickness and death and tragedy. Suffering is not a stranger in their world. He makes frequent visits.
They didn’t stumble over their words trying to figure out what to say. They didn’t offer up any answers to questions unasked. They simply reached out their hands, bowed their heads in respect, and said in a gentle, but matter of fact manner …
We are sorry for the loss of your father. You will miss him. He is with Jesus. One day he will rise again. As you grieve, we will pray for you. It’s good for you to be with your family. The Lord be with you and keep you safe as you travel.
We made the long, sad journey home, an obituary was written, visitation held, funeral sermon preached, and the adulting that goes with the arranging of my father’s affairs has begun. The numb created by distance has all but worn off.
And just to make denial impossible, I have a dozen death certificates that show proof that my father is no longer living. Each email, phone call, or meeting to transfer ownership, apply for benefits, close accounts, change names on utilities, inform credit bureaus, twists and drives death’s stinger a bit deeper.
It’s been about a month now and the days have passed at the speed of grief.
It’s all very real.
The Death Certificate Says …
The date and time of death typed on my father’s death certificate is …
5:08 pm, February 7th, 2025
The chain of events and the immediate cause of death …
“paroxysmal atrial fibrillation”
and
“pulmonary embolism”.
Which, to me, just means, he had a procedure on February 7th to remove some clotting in his lung and during the procedure his heart failed.
The “manner of death” is listed as …
“natural”.
“Natural?”
The word just seems to convey that this is just the way things happen. No protest. No shaking of the fist. Not even a lament or “shout of no” to it all. You know, something like … “his death is just part of the great big circle of life”, or “it just was his time”, or “that’s what happens when you get old”, or “he lived a good life”.
But soul doctors know better.
In the end, my father didn’t die of a “paroxysmal atrial fibrillation” and “pulmonary embolism”. He died because of the corruption of sin in his body.
The Scriptures do say …
The day you eat of it you shall surely die. Genesis 2:17
Therefore, just as sin entered into the world through one man, and death through sin, so death passed to all men because all sinned. Romans 5:12
The wages of sin is death … Romans 6:23
After reading those verses, I suppose, “natural” is the right word.
Since the Fall, death now naturally follows sin. It is the consequential course and the inevitable end. Paradise is lost, we live our lives “east of Eden”, and now it is …
Ashes to ashes. Dust to dust. And so remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return. (Ecclesiastes 3:20 and Genesis 3:19)
But Death Never Has the Last Word
But skilled soul doctors also know, that though the wage of sin is death, death never has the last word on the matter. The last word is always the Lord’s Word and promise!
The entire verse from Romans reads …
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23)
There is more to the economy of salvation than a debt that we owe. There is …
- a vicarious taking on of the debt in the innocent suffering of Jesus – what is ours becomes His!
- a full atonement and payment in His death for us – what is His becomes ours!
- and on the third day there is a resurrection receipt – a victorious proof of payment that sin’s debt and death’s wage has been paid in full.
The words spoken to thief on the cross in the 11th hour and 59th minute of his life, are also the words spoken to my father at 5:08 pm, February 7th, 2025.
Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom. ” Jesus answered him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:42-43)
In sin, Paradise lost.
In Jesus, Paradise restored.
In death, Paradise promised.
Jesus, the “Word of God made flesh” – crucified, hanging from a tree, posted for all to see – that’s the remedy for sin and the medicine of the Gospel.
Dawa ya dhambi ni kuokoka.
The medicine for sin is salvation in Jesus.
Check mark. This is most certainly true! Amen!
Pastors as Soul Doctors
The day my father died I was about to post a video describing the work of forming “soul doctors” through Lutherans In Africa at the Lutheran School of Theology. It got buried in the rubble of this month’s avalanche. But after digging our way out, the message of the video has regained the high ground.
I am ever more convinced that … the world is sick and dying with sin and the only medicine is the Gospel.
I am ever more certain that … the Great Day of the Lord is fast approaching and that the only reason that it tarries is because the Lord is patient, not wanting anyone to perish, but all to come to eternal life. The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.
I am ever more committed to … helping the Church form “soul doctors” who:
- rightly diagnose the spiritual illness
- faithfully deliver and administer the medicine of the Gospel
- and help encourage and exhort their people in the daily exercise of their faith
To this end may the Father of all grace help us.
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3:20-21)
You can access the video about forming “soul doctors” below.
The PDF of Martin Luther’s Preface to the Small and Large Catechisms that is referenced in the video can be found here.
You can access the full video library for our work with Lutherans In Africa here.
Paul
To learn more about our work in Africa, sign up for email updates, access all of our teaching resources, and financially support the Missionary at Large position through East Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Detroit, you can go to the all links and resources page (here).