Juddie Kolb McLeod

Welcome to a beautiful, almost spring like day.

What a contrast from just a few days ago, huh?

We’ve come here to lay to rest the earthly remains of our brother, Juddie Kolb McLeod, Jr.

I didn’t know his name was Juddie until he got sick.

I’d always known him as Jake and Margaret as Margie.

But if you want to get in to visit at the hospital, you’d better have the right name.

When I first became the pastor of First Baptist, Jake and Margie could attend.

They sat on my right as I stood in the pulpit.

I memorized their names by associating their hair color with the clouds.

Their hair was white like a cloud - their name was McLeod.

Unfortunately, sometimes my mind wanted to play a trick on me and call them Whitehead.

Mercifully, I never said it out loud - I’d struggle until their name came up.

Over time Jake and Margie became too feeble to come to services.

George Sheffield and I would visit with them.

George would play his guitar and sing.

I would chat with them and share a verse or so from the Bible.

On occasion Margie would send us home with some fig preserves.

Old fashioned style - whole figs - not the current rage of cut up and mixed with something.

No, they were like my great grandmother made years ago.

Tasting those with a buttered home made biscuit was like stepping in a time machine.

Now here is where I want to deviate from the script just a little bit.

One of the hazards of my vocation is I only get to see what people want me to see in their lives.

When the preacher is around, dirty jokes stop.

Language becomes pristine and devoid of cursing.

Jesus is praised often way to many times.

Not saying that Jake and Margie did that - just giving you insight into how I think.

One of the things I have a fear of is preaching someone’s funeral and having everyone listening wondering who I’m talking about.

That the person I knew and the person you knew were obviously two different people.

So saying that, I’m going to dive into the deep end of the pool and tell you something I did see in Jake.

He had a sharp tongue and he wasn’t afraid to use it.

I saw it first hand several times.

I suspect some of you saw it too.

And maybe it was directed at you - and I’m certain it didn’t give you the warm fuzzies.

Now the easy thing for me to do is ignore that and say how much Jake loved Jesus.

And I believe he did.

And I could talk about Jesus’ forgiveness.

But I worry about what that says to you about Jesus.

I’m afraid my brother pastors and I have done that too many times.

And it’s left a bad taste in people’s mouths.

Let is suffice to say that I recognize that Jake was not a perfect man in any sense of the word.

I’m not here today to try to convince you of that or to say that Jesus ignored his imperfections

God willing, I want us to see a gracious God who loved a man who was simply living the best he knew how.

Let’s pray:

Father, our hearts are heavy for a multitude of reasons.

A loving wife has lost her husband of 67 years.

A daughter has lost her dad that she had grown to love.

Family lost a grand dad.

A church lost a member and a friend.

As much as we know death is not the end of life,

We still ache from the parting.

So comfort us Lord through your Holy Spirit.

Give us unexplained peace and forgiveness.

Give us memories of goodness and forgetfulness of hardship.

Let us remember enough turbulence to grow and enough happiness to rejoice.

You know what we need better than we do,

So Lord, do what is best.

Help my feeble words convey your glory as adequately as possible.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Hear the word of the Lord from John 1:9-14

John 1:9–14 ESV

The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

This is the Word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Before we talk about Jake, let me say two things about this passage of scripture.

First, Jesus is the light of the world.

It’s an excellent metaphor - where there is light, nothing can be hidden.

Second, all who trust in Jesus have a right to become children of God, not because they chose God

But because God chose them.

Both of those things are very important to understand.

Juddie Kolb McLeod, Jr was born on Thursday, November 12, 1932 in the big city of Grove Hill, Alabama.

It sounds like Grove Hill is a smaller version of Gray.

2020 population of 1800 - about half the size of Gray.

It’s the county seat of Clarke County and the county website says its in the heart of Alabama’s timberland.

Sounds like nothing much has changed there.

Jake’s dad worked in the logging industry.

My interpretation of what I heard is he probably ran a skidder or something similar.

Jake’s mom was a homemaker.

In High School Jake was in the marching band.

Don’t forget he was a young man - I suspect the only one of us who ever saw Jake young is Margie.

He was no different than we were when he was young.

Full of vim and vinegar - ready to take on the world.

And he did when he joined the Army.

He served 4 years.

According to Margaret, he was scheduled to ship out when I suspect it was the Korean Conflict ended.

He came home and married.

I believe 2 sons and Kay were born before the marriage ended.

A lot of hurt came from that - hurt always comes from a divorce.

It’s not how God intended things to work.

But, we choose our road.

One day Margie was shopping with her mom for shoes.

They went to a general mercantile store called Bedsole’s and Jake was a manager there.

He was obviously smitten as he did nothing but stare.

So much so that Margie’s mom noticed and commented on it as they left.

A few years later Jake was working for Monsanto making cord for automobile tires.

A new employee worked in the area next to his.

This new employee had to go to the restroom and a co-worker took her on a short cut through Jake’s area.

He saw the new employee and fell crazy in love with her.

It was the same girl from the shoe store.

I asked Ms. Margie what one thing she wanted people to remember about Jake and she said, “That he loved me dearly.”

And he did - they dated and married and stayed married for 67 years.

Their marriage was simple event as many marriages were in those days.

They got up early one morning.

Drove to Mississippi with some friends.

Got married and drove home so they could be at work on the 3 - 11 shift.

They lived in Alabama for a season.

Jake worked for a relative of Margie’s in the construction field.

He went to the Virgin Islands and built houses there.

One day he and Margie were in Ocala and he asked if she would like to live there.

She said she would be ok with that.

So he got a construction job there.

She worked with Sears.

Later Jake went to work for the Silver Springs Resort - it’s now the Silver Springs State Park.

His last job there was maintaining the glass bottom boats.

Which, by the way, the Young at Heart of First Baptist went to visit and ride this last fall.

And they had the same boats that Jake had worked on.

When they retired they moved back to Atmore.

Jake did some gardening.

But, as I joke, once you pass 55 years old, every now and then you hear a noise and look back to see a different body part has fallen off.

Well, as they got older, they realized they were growing more feeble, and it would be a burden for their kids to come so far to help.

So they moved to Gray to live with Margaret’s son and his wife.

Unfortunately, Margaret’s son passed a few years back.

And now, here we are here today.

Jake got very ill a few weeks ago and mercifully, the Lord did not allow him to suffer for too long.

I get the sense, not remember, I wasn’t there so you know better than me, but I get the sense that Mr. Jake grappled with some issues over time.

But I also get the sense, that over time, the Lord helped Jake with those issues.

Jake was saved early on like many people claim they were.

He went his own way like many people do.

But remember, the Lord chooses, so the Lord had a claim on Jake’s life.

Over time, over years, the Lord caused Jake to understand the Lord more and more.

Imperfectly of course.

“Now we see in a mirror dimly,” right?

But then, face to face.

I think if you are honest with yourself, you’ll see that.

I believe when you die an angel of the Lord comes and retrieves you.

The angel escorts you into the presence of Jesus who is the righteous judge.

He can’t be bribed.

He’s way above any kind of favoritism or influence.

He is THE righteous judge.

His one criteria for judgment is, did you trust me?

Did you recognize that I was born of a woman but was fully God?

Did you recognize my authority - that I created all that is and I have a claim on all that is?

Did you recognize that you sinned against me?

And because of that sin, you deserve punishment?

Do you recognize that my death on the cross was to take your punishment?

Do you recognize that my resurrection from the dead is proof I have to power over all things?

He will never ask how well you lived your life.

He knows - all have sinned - it’s in His word.

All he wants to know is - did you trust Him?

Juddie Kolb McLeod, Jr. believed and Jesus welcomed him home.

The old Juddie passed way on Christmas eve.

And the new Juddie?

He immediately was born into eternal life in the very next instant.

John 1:12-13 “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”

You may find all of this Jesus stuff hard to believe but that’s ok.

God is much more than we are - He ought to be someone you wrestle with.

I pray in the long run, He wins.

Let us pray:

We commend into thy hands of mercy the soul of this our brother departed, Juddie.

And his body we commit to the earth, beseeching you in your infinite goodness, to give us grace to live in your fear and love, and to die in your favor

So that when the judgement shall come which you have committed to your well-beloved son,

Both this our brother, and we, may be found acceptable in your sight

and that we receive that blessing, which your well-beloved son shall then pronounce to all that love and fear you, saying

Come you blessed children of my Father: Receive the kingdom prepared for you before the beginning of the world.

Grant this merciful father for the honor of Jesus Christ, our only Savior, Mediator, our Advocate and our Friend.

[Ephesians 3:20-21 NASB] 20 Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen