Ted Kennedy and the Blood of Christ

Some people lionized Ted Kennedy. Others demonized him. In the 1980s, I saw plenty of the latter. It landed regularly in my mailbox, with fundraising letters whose message boiled down to "Ted Kennedy will eat your children unless you send us money now." On August 26, 2009, the lionizing tone is dominant once again, for obvious reasons.

We're reminded that powerful men remain just men -- vulnerable to the ravages of an aggressive brain tumor. And men make poor angels or devils. I know something of Ted Kennedy's sins. (I know much more of my own.) And I have my own views of his legacy. But I'll leave it to others to hash over that, at least for now. There's something else to talk about.

The Kennedys have often been likened to the American royal family, a comparison that's come up again on TV today. Which reminds me of how British royal funerals used to be handled -- a tale I heard from my pastor in a sermon some years ago.

As best I recall, it went something like this. A man would portray the deceased king (let's call him Edward) approaching the gates of Heaven, where the guardian would ask him who he was and why he should be admitted. The king would respond with a long list of his regal titles and worldly honors, and he'd be denied entrance. He'd keep replying with more titles, and he'd keep getting denied.

Finally, the king would simply reply "I am Edward, a poor miserable sinner who needs to be saved by the blood of Christ." And then the word came back to him: "Enter, my son."

I hope that, in the end, Edward M. Kennedy was able to reply as that king did. And I hope you and I can do so as well.

Comments

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1. Jaime said the following at 3:14 PM on Aug 26:

Well said.

2. rachel said the following at 3:27 PM on Aug 26:

What a generous and godly post. Thank you.

3. khalil said the following at 3:55 PM on Aug 26:

Thanks for such a well spoken and sincere post.

4. Denise said the following at 4:49 PM on Aug 26:

Wonderful.

5. farmer Tom said the following at 4:54 PM on Aug 26:

So, what exactly does,

"I am Edward, a poor miserable sinner who needs to be saved by the blood of Christ."

mean??

Can you be more specific?

If I go to the proper church, say the proper words, give large amounts of money, pray the proper prayers in front of the proper statue,..............

what exactly does this saved thing mean????

Why is the blood necessary?

Very nice sentiments, I'm sure, but very vague, IMO.

6. Anthony Chase said the following at 6:02 PM on Aug 26:

Thanks for the thoughtful post as we mourn the passing of a true advocate for the people.

7. Brian said the following at 6:19 PM on Aug 26:

Very tasteful post. Good reminder that no matter what our position we are all sinners who need a Savior.

8. Louise from Chicago said the following at 7:53 PM on Aug 26:

I was wondering since morning if there would be a post today about Senator Kennedy.

Thank you, Mr. Kaufman.

This was an exceedingly pleasant read.

9. Adam said the following at 8:53 AM on Aug 27:

farmer Tom,

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

No mention of sin, death, or the resurrection.

Romans 10:9 "That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."

No mention of the blood of Christ, no mention of sin. Saved from what?

Would, "Very nice sentiments, I'm sure, but very vague, IMO." suffice for these verses as well?

10. BDB said the following at 9:52 AM on Aug 27:

For Adam (#9):

1 John 1:7

But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

11. Emily said the following at 10:29 AM on Aug 27:

Wow, very powerful. Thanks for sharing.

12. Tami said the following at 11:27 AM on Aug 27:

I personally detected a slight note of facetiousness in farmer Tom's comment 5, but maybe I'm wrong.

Because "I am Edward, a poor miserable sinner who needs to be saved by the blood of Christ" sounds pretty darn explicit to me.

13. Dan (real name) said the following at 12:48 PM on Aug 27:

Matt - incredibly thoughtful and sensitive post. Good job!

14. Jonathon said the following at 1:56 PM on Aug 27:

I am stealing your line, "Men make poor angels or devils."

Brilliant!

15. Amy Gilford said the following at 5:00 AM on Aug 28:

#5 - The quote means that Sen. Kennedy needs to be saved by the blood of Christ just like the rest of us do. His high-profile lifestyle means his behavior is on display 24/7 so it's easy to see the faults as well as any good he might have accomplished. The ground is level at the foot of the cross.

16. IMO said the following at 7:44 AM on Aug 28:

"His high-profile lifestyle means his behavior is on display 24/7 so it's easy to see the faults as well as any good he might have accomplished."

I think if I did what Kennedy did in the Chappaquiddick 'incident', I would make headlines as well. I think anybody who did that would make headlines. Not just because somebody is high-profile.

17. Zusanne said the following at 1:36 PM on Aug 28:

Appreciated this . . .

18. Anastasia said the following at 11:59 AM on Aug 31:

As much as I had no respect for Mr. Kennedy, the senator, I too hope that he found his way to admit his need for a Savior.