How are you coping with the current lockdown? Where would you put yourself on a scale of 1-10 where 1 is anxious and 10 is hopeful? I move up and down the scale. At the one o’clock press conference I tend towards anxious, maybe a 4 on the scale, but when I am in prayer I tend towards hopeful, maybe an 8. In Proverbs we read, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.” (Proverbs 13:12) We can easily become “heart sick” in times like these when our longing for a “normal” life is unfulfilled. Today we are thinking about “living hope”. This is part of our current sermon series Living the good life. Hope is an essential ingredient in living a good life.
Peter wrote to people who faced persecution that arose from a mistrust and dislike of Christians. Christians were seen as home breakers, opposed to the authorities and at odds with the norms of life. They were accused of anti-social behaviour and were persecuted for their beliefs. They faced difficult choices. Should a Christian divorce his/her pagan wife/husband? What if the pagan spouse wanted to divorce them? Should Christian slaves refuse to work for their master? Should Christians respect the local government and courts? Christians, on the fringe of society, persecuted and treated as troublemakers were in a difficult position.
Peter indicates they can have hope because of their spiritual status. In the eyes of their neighbours, they may be seen as troublemakers, but in the eyes of God they were “Elect”, “Chosen”, “Sanctified”, to be “Obedient” to God the Son, and “sprinkled with the blood”. These are theologically loaded phrases. Peter reminds them, God “… has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, …” (1 Peter 1:3–4) This is living hope; hope with a heartbeat. This hope is part of our birthright, we are born into a living hope. It is living because its source is our living Lord Jesus. When Paul wrote to Timothy, he called Jesus our hope, and wrote we have put our hope in the living God. This relationship with the living God is quite different from the relationship people had with idols made from wood and stone. “‘Of what value is an idol carved by a craftsman? … Woe to him who says to wood, “Come to life!” Or to lifeless stone, “Wake up!” Can it give guidance? It is covered with gold and silver; there is no breath in it.’” (Habakkuk 2:18–19) The people Peter wrote to would have been familiar with such lifeless man-made idols, seeing them in the local temples, the town square or even in their own homes. By contrast the hope of Christians was alive and found in relationship with the Living God.
Further, our hope is supported and sourced from our spiritual inheritance in Christ, where God has “… given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade.” (1 Peter 1:3–5) Hope is linked to the spiritual inheritance which is kept safe for us in heaven.
What difference does this make to us? Hope, like faith and love, is one of God’s frontline, essential workers at the coalface of life. Living hope is found where our relationship with Jesus intersects with the reality of daily life. When we encounter fear, hope in Christ can sustain us. Worry about a job, a difficult relationship or concerns about exams - from a slight fear, to lasting troubles – hope in Christ gives everything a different perspective for us.
Imagine for a moment the Golden Gate suspension bridge. The road crossing the Bay is suspended from two great towers. Our hope is like the road of life suspended on two strong towers: behind us the tower of Christ’s resurrection, before us the tower of our heavenly inheritance, and underneath us the road of hope. At times fog in San Francisco Bay may hide the towers from the view of those crossing the bridge, but just because they can’t be seen doesn’t mean they aren’t still supporting the road securely. Similarly, the fog of life, fears or concerns may conceal our view of the strong spiritual towers that hold us, but that fog can’t undermine the strength of God to support us and keep our hope secure.
For reflection:
Do you feel your reserves of hope are higher or lower than normal? What causes your hope to rise or fall?
What reasons did Peter give his readers for hope? How might these reasons help strengthen your hope?
How would you explain the idea of living hope to a young Christian?
Rev John Malcolm
Peter indicates they can have hope because of their spiritual status. In the eyes of their neighbours, they may be seen as troublemakers, but in the eyes of God they were “Elect”, “Chosen”, “Sanctified”, to be “Obedient” to God the Son, and “sprinkled with the blood”. These are theologically loaded phrases. Peter reminds them, God “… has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, …” (1 Peter 1:3–4) This is living hope; hope with a heartbeat. This hope is part of our birthright, we are born into a living hope. It is living because its source is our living Lord Jesus. When Paul wrote to Timothy, he called Jesus our hope, and wrote we have put our hope in the living God. This relationship with the living God is quite different from the relationship people had with idols made from wood and stone. “‘Of what value is an idol carved by a craftsman? … Woe to him who says to wood, “Come to life!” Or to lifeless stone, “Wake up!” Can it give guidance? It is covered with gold and silver; there is no breath in it.’” (Habakkuk 2:18–19) The people Peter wrote to would have been familiar with such lifeless man-made idols, seeing them in the local temples, the town square or even in their own homes. By contrast the hope of Christians was alive and found in relationship with the Living God.
Further, our hope is supported and sourced from our spiritual inheritance in Christ, where God has “… given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade.” (1 Peter 1:3–5) Hope is linked to the spiritual inheritance which is kept safe for us in heaven.
What difference does this make to us? Hope, like faith and love, is one of God’s frontline, essential workers at the coalface of life. Living hope is found where our relationship with Jesus intersects with the reality of daily life. When we encounter fear, hope in Christ can sustain us. Worry about a job, a difficult relationship or concerns about exams - from a slight fear, to lasting troubles – hope in Christ gives everything a different perspective for us.
Imagine for a moment the Golden Gate suspension bridge. The road crossing the Bay is suspended from two great towers. Our hope is like the road of life suspended on two strong towers: behind us the tower of Christ’s resurrection, before us the tower of our heavenly inheritance, and underneath us the road of hope. At times fog in San Francisco Bay may hide the towers from the view of those crossing the bridge, but just because they can’t be seen doesn’t mean they aren’t still supporting the road securely. Similarly, the fog of life, fears or concerns may conceal our view of the strong spiritual towers that hold us, but that fog can’t undermine the strength of God to support us and keep our hope secure.
For reflection:
Do you feel your reserves of hope are higher or lower than normal? What causes your hope to rise or fall?
What reasons did Peter give his readers for hope? How might these reasons help strengthen your hope?
How would you explain the idea of living hope to a young Christian?
Rev John Malcolm