HOPE AGAINST HOPE June 8, 2008
Scripture: Romans 4:13-25; Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26
What an amazing number of possibilities to preach on from today’s lectionary! After much reflection I feel called to focus on the readings as being filled with people faced with great challenges, in situations where many people would be overwhelmed and probably very discouraged. In spite of this, they continued to hope against hope that things could change.
In Paul’s letter to the Romans, he reviews the Genesis story about Abraham: this man is called by God to leave his home, his country and go to an unknown land that God was to show him. As most of you remember, Abraham did not have any children by his wife Sarah, and yet God promised him that he would have many descendants, and this was when they were already in their old age. Yet God told Abraham to look toward heaven and count the stars—if he could—and that would be how many descendants he would have. Abraham had faith in God and kept journeying on with hope against hope.
In the Gospel of Matthew we are first introduced to a low level tax collector. Tax collectors were scorned because they worked for the Roman government and cheated their own people by taking more taxes then required in order to line their own pockets. So we find this tax collector, also named Matthew, sitting at the tax booth. He was financially better off than most but because of his job he was a social outcast. Jesus approaches him and said “Follow me”. With a sudden spark of “hope against hope” in his heart, Matthew drops everything and got up and followed Jesus.
Continuing on in our scripture, we are introduced to a leader of the synagogue whose beloved daughter has just died. This man would have been part of the group that criticized Jesus for eating and drinking with the outcasts—the tax collectors, the prostitutes and other sinners. Yet he loved his daughter soo much that he risked his reputation to ask for help from Jesus. He was hoping against hope that Jesus could help him and Jesus responded and started to follow him.
Suddenly there was an interruption. In the other gospels we are told that Jesus felt a power going out of him and asks who touched him; however in Matthew we are simply told that there was a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years. She said to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be made well.” Jesus responds by saying “Take heart, daughter, your faith has made you well.” And instantly the woman was made well. (9:21-22) She hoped against hope that Jesus would pay attention to her, but why would he—she was an outcast, a woman seen as ‘unclean’ for all those years. Can you imagine how she must have felt when Jesus spoke to her and the bleeding immediately stopped
Jesus then continues following the synagogue leader; he is laughed at by the mourners when he tells them that the daughter is not dead but sleeping. He takes the girl by the hand and the girl gets up. Amazing things happen when we follow our hope against hope.
Let’s look at some examples from the recent primary campaigns. John McCain, several months ago was at a very low ebb in terms of supporters, especially low in the money needed to wage a successful campaign. He had to dismiss most of his primary workers and take regular airplanes as opposed to chartered jets. Now McCain had experienced hope against hope before as a prisoner of war so it was nothing new to him, to hope against hope and be determined to go on fighting for the nomination of the Republican Party. Although others thought it was hopeless, he persevered and became the presumptive nominee. On the Democratic side we have Barack Obama, who by the very fact of his African blood had two and a half strikes against him. Even many of my black friends didn’t dare support him at first as they didn’t want to waste their vote. Obama and those who believed in his candidacy from the beginning had to hope against hope that he could be the nominee. Obama, like McCain, had earlier times in his life that he had to hope against hope, even writing a book called the Audacity of Hope. Whatever happens next November, we will have a president that knows what hope against hope is all about, and I believe that will be positive for his leadership.
What about the gays and lesbians that have been discriminated against in so many ways? Here’s a group of people, like African Americans, who can relate to Abraham’s journey of leaving his home and family to go on an unknown journey. Even though they may not travel a long way physically, the alienation and hostility, the differences of life style, make them feel as removed from their families as those who have traveled a long way. Many of them give up and succumb to depression and addictions; however, many more hope against hope and continue to journey to better times, some even to reconciliation with their families.
Another example of hope against hope are the illegal immigrants that cross the border at great risk to their lives in order to have opportunity to earn a living, to be able to take care of their families. Now some of you may think, why be concerned about them, they are breaking the law. I only ask you to remember that Jesus says very clearly in our gospel that he desires mercy not sacrifice, that he has come to call not the righteous but sinners. We, also, only have to look into our own lives to see the many things we have done or left undone to know we also are in need of God’s steadfast, unconditional love.
In my own life as your pastor, I sometimes get discouraged, sometimes my faith is challenged. For over 50 years I have been praying, “Lord, I believe, help thou my unbelief.” I wonder why the membership and attendance of this congregation remains so low. What am I suppose to be doing? I am so thankful for the Holy Spirit praying for me when my own words seem inadequate. I will continue to hope against hope that I can lead this church to be faithful to Jesus’ teachings whether we have 20 or 80 participating in worship.
What can each of us do this week to follow Jesus and bring some healing to our hurting world? Those of you that are in the work world see many people each week, people that need to be touched, to be listened to. Those who do not go to a job, go other places—the grocery store, the doctor’s office, the drug store, the gas station. We see others that are in need of a smile, in need of some attention. There may be someone, like the hemorrhaging woman, that is searching for someone to relate to, to share her pain with. A few days ago I had a phone call from my, and she was really down; I asked a few of you to pray about the situation. When I called her the next day, she was feeling so much better. Not one, but two, friends had visited her. I believe those friends were God’s angels. I believe each of you is also God’s angel, meaning you have the Holy Spirit inside of you, and you are being called to do God’s work in this lonely, stressful world. Jesus has asked us to follow him, to provide for others that gentle healing presence. There are so many people who are in need of acceptance, recognition, forgiveness and love. Will you go from this holy place this Sunday and compassionately reach out and touch the lives, the hearts, the souls of others? You can do it even if you feel that you are inadequate, even if you feel too shy, even if you feel unworthy. You can go forward with hope against hope, and Jesus will be with you. Thanks be to God! Amen and amen!
What an amazing number of possibilities to preach on from today’s lectionary! After much reflection I feel called to focus on the readings as being filled with people faced with great challenges, in situations where many people would be overwhelmed and probably very discouraged. In spite of this, they continued to hope against hope that things could change.
In Paul’s letter to the Romans, he reviews the Genesis story about Abraham: this man is called by God to leave his home, his country and go to an unknown land that God was to show him. As most of you remember, Abraham did not have any children by his wife Sarah, and yet God promised him that he would have many descendants, and this was when they were already in their old age. Yet God told Abraham to look toward heaven and count the stars—if he could—and that would be how many descendants he would have. Abraham had faith in God and kept journeying on with hope against hope.
In the Gospel of Matthew we are first introduced to a low level tax collector. Tax collectors were scorned because they worked for the Roman government and cheated their own people by taking more taxes then required in order to line their own pockets. So we find this tax collector, also named Matthew, sitting at the tax booth. He was financially better off than most but because of his job he was a social outcast. Jesus approaches him and said “Follow me”. With a sudden spark of “hope against hope” in his heart, Matthew drops everything and got up and followed Jesus.
Continuing on in our scripture, we are introduced to a leader of the synagogue whose beloved daughter has just died. This man would have been part of the group that criticized Jesus for eating and drinking with the outcasts—the tax collectors, the prostitutes and other sinners. Yet he loved his daughter soo much that he risked his reputation to ask for help from Jesus. He was hoping against hope that Jesus could help him and Jesus responded and started to follow him.
Suddenly there was an interruption. In the other gospels we are told that Jesus felt a power going out of him and asks who touched him; however in Matthew we are simply told that there was a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years. She said to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be made well.” Jesus responds by saying “Take heart, daughter, your faith has made you well.” And instantly the woman was made well. (9:21-22) She hoped against hope that Jesus would pay attention to her, but why would he—she was an outcast, a woman seen as ‘unclean’ for all those years. Can you imagine how she must have felt when Jesus spoke to her and the bleeding immediately stopped
Jesus then continues following the synagogue leader; he is laughed at by the mourners when he tells them that the daughter is not dead but sleeping. He takes the girl by the hand and the girl gets up. Amazing things happen when we follow our hope against hope.
Let’s look at some examples from the recent primary campaigns. John McCain, several months ago was at a very low ebb in terms of supporters, especially low in the money needed to wage a successful campaign. He had to dismiss most of his primary workers and take regular airplanes as opposed to chartered jets. Now McCain had experienced hope against hope before as a prisoner of war so it was nothing new to him, to hope against hope and be determined to go on fighting for the nomination of the Republican Party. Although others thought it was hopeless, he persevered and became the presumptive nominee. On the Democratic side we have Barack Obama, who by the very fact of his African blood had two and a half strikes against him. Even many of my black friends didn’t dare support him at first as they didn’t want to waste their vote. Obama and those who believed in his candidacy from the beginning had to hope against hope that he could be the nominee. Obama, like McCain, had earlier times in his life that he had to hope against hope, even writing a book called the Audacity of Hope. Whatever happens next November, we will have a president that knows what hope against hope is all about, and I believe that will be positive for his leadership.
What about the gays and lesbians that have been discriminated against in so many ways? Here’s a group of people, like African Americans, who can relate to Abraham’s journey of leaving his home and family to go on an unknown journey. Even though they may not travel a long way physically, the alienation and hostility, the differences of life style, make them feel as removed from their families as those who have traveled a long way. Many of them give up and succumb to depression and addictions; however, many more hope against hope and continue to journey to better times, some even to reconciliation with their families.
Another example of hope against hope are the illegal immigrants that cross the border at great risk to their lives in order to have opportunity to earn a living, to be able to take care of their families. Now some of you may think, why be concerned about them, they are breaking the law. I only ask you to remember that Jesus says very clearly in our gospel that he desires mercy not sacrifice, that he has come to call not the righteous but sinners. We, also, only have to look into our own lives to see the many things we have done or left undone to know we also are in need of God’s steadfast, unconditional love.
In my own life as your pastor, I sometimes get discouraged, sometimes my faith is challenged. For over 50 years I have been praying, “Lord, I believe, help thou my unbelief.” I wonder why the membership and attendance of this congregation remains so low. What am I suppose to be doing? I am so thankful for the Holy Spirit praying for me when my own words seem inadequate. I will continue to hope against hope that I can lead this church to be faithful to Jesus’ teachings whether we have 20 or 80 participating in worship.
What can each of us do this week to follow Jesus and bring some healing to our hurting world? Those of you that are in the work world see many people each week, people that need to be touched, to be listened to. Those who do not go to a job, go other places—the grocery store, the doctor’s office, the drug store, the gas station. We see others that are in need of a smile, in need of some attention. There may be someone, like the hemorrhaging woman, that is searching for someone to relate to, to share her pain with. A few days ago I had a phone call from my, and she was really down; I asked a few of you to pray about the situation. When I called her the next day, she was feeling so much better. Not one, but two, friends had visited her. I believe those friends were God’s angels. I believe each of you is also God’s angel, meaning you have the Holy Spirit inside of you, and you are being called to do God’s work in this lonely, stressful world. Jesus has asked us to follow him, to provide for others that gentle healing presence. There are so many people who are in need of acceptance, recognition, forgiveness and love. Will you go from this holy place this Sunday and compassionately reach out and touch the lives, the hearts, the souls of others? You can do it even if you feel that you are inadequate, even if you feel too shy, even if you feel unworthy. You can go forward with hope against hope, and Jesus will be with you. Thanks be to God! Amen and amen!
posted by Sermons given at Deering Community Church @ 7:05 AM
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