Greetings in the name of the Word made flesh, Jesus Christ!
We are people of hope. Hope for the here and now; hope for the future. During this Advent season as we wait, watch, and hope for God to appear, what do we hope for? Is our hope limited to ourselves or expanding out into the community God has brought us to and the people we journey with?
This year in the lectionary comes mainly from the Gospel of Luke. In it Jesus brings hope to those on the margins and outside societal norms to prove that God is always with us in all things. Jesus also states multiple times that he has come to bring repentance to all and in repentance we find hope. Hope that God does stay with us. Hope that grace does abound to meet us where we are at. Hope that what we fear will not take place and everything will be alright.
For many, hope comes in new life. There is nothing more that signifies new life than a new born baby. So much is hoped for in that child, often that hope is grounded, however at times that hope is misguided and unrealistic. Trouble often starts there. When unrealized hope gets shattered grace is hard to realize. The life of Jesus is filled with hope. For many hope coming in the way they think it should is appropriate. The shattering of that hope as Jesus speaks and acts in truth and love is what gets people against Him in Luke’s gospel.
Fear is what shatters hope most often in my experience. Fear that life will not end up the way dreamed. Fear that family and friends will leave, and one will be alone. Fear that no one cares. To those fears, and many others, Jesus speaks of being found and rejoicing among many. We may search for hope ourselves but hope found is shared equally among all the people. We are not alone in a life of hope. We rejoice with each other when hope comes to life. We share times of grace in being known by God. We share in the hope that is to come.
“Do not be afraid (fearful); for see I am bringing good news of great joy for all the people: to you (y’all) is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord.” Luke 2:10-11 (Changes mine). These are words of hope amid fear and uncertainty. No one knows then how or when this Savior will grow into or what He will bring. We, as post Easter Christians do know. We know because we have heard the stories and experienced hope ourselves. In that hope we go forward in life and in faith with grace and hope leading us on.
Pastor Chris