Kamau’s Burial

Today we spoke to over a hundred people at Kamau’s burial. We had only expected about fifteen to twenty, but because Kenyans love of burials, there was well over a hundred. We wondered how many of those attending had chosen to ‘visit’ Kamau during his lifetime of struggles. Yet, it seems most people choose to show their concern after the person has died. It is no wonder that Christ spoke to his disciples and said …”let the dead bury the dead you go preach the gospel.” Luke 9:60

Kamau had struggled with alcoholism and sickness most of his life. When we met him he was alone and feeling totally worthless.

Because our chief business is with the living, we spoke the Kingdom message to all present. We told them that Kamau’s life was very much like the biblical picture of ‘the good thief’ that was crucified next to Christ.

That thief wasn’t a good man. He wasn’t a church-going, godly man and it is doubtful that he knew much about Christ. Up until the last hours of his life, he continued being a bad man. He reviled the God-Man hanging next to him while he was dying. See Mark 15:32 and Matthew 27:44. Notice it states that both criminals had mocked and reviled Christ.

It was not the life of Jesus that changed him … it was His death. As the criminal watched Jesus suffer and die, he became a candidate for Paradise. He must have asked himself … who is this man that doesn’t revile his executioners, doesn’t condemn, doesn’t return evil for evil but pleads for those unrighteous people who mocked and reviled Him to be spared. (“Father forgive them for they do not know what the do”)

As the Holy Spirit dealt with this bad man’s heart, he was completely and irrefutably … saved. Seeing Jesus’s righteousness and his and his criminal comrade’s unrighteousness … he did the things only saved men can do.

He repented and acknowledged his sinful condition… Luke 23:40
He confessed Jesus as Lord and asked to be remembered by Christ… Luke 23:42
And he received, by faith, the promise of continued fellowship with Christ in heaven… Luke 23:43

Kamau did the same … his brothers in the little ‘church under the tree’ were there and their amens testified of the incredible change in Kamau’s life. They rejoiced that Kamau struggled no more. As the ‘good thief’ during the short time Kamau was with us … Kamau had ‘seen’ Christ… and in the last few months of his life … he believed.

Blessings from StoneHouse.