Hope

Romans 8:12-25
So then, brothers and sisters, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh— for if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, “Abba! Father!” it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God,

and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ—if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him. 18I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God; for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.


Lets not kid ourselves here. Lets be honest with each other Wayside. We live in difficult times. We live in a world that is begging deliverance from its current situation. And its hard. It’s hard because we see what the world is going through and we also see what we’re going through. Where I live in Buckingham VA, you don’t have to look far to see that things are bad.

Groaning...That’s the word Paul uses. Groaning. What do you think when I say that? Groaning. Can you hear it? Can you hear the groaning? I drive to the dump to take my trash and at the corner gas station stands a man and his young daughter. She’s ringing her hands and he’s holding a sign heading to Louisville looking for work. Another car drives by and he groans.

Can you hear it? One member of my congregation has been a cattle farmer his whole life with skin like leather and he can barely stand up straight or use his left arm anymore because of his back. He’s 45 and looks like he’s 65. He drinks for the pain that he can’t afford to have because cattle prices have plummeted while feed and gas prices skyrocket. So, the health insurance he needs to have the operation is out of reach. He works 14 hour days and calls me drunk at night to handle his pain both physically and spiritually and he groans.

Do you hear it? She shows up some Sundays looking vacant and lost and you can tell throughout the whole service she’s somewhere else. She’s left lost and conflicted. She loves him so much and yet has no idea where he’s gone or when he’ll come back. And she sits at home watching the news and sees what is horribly called collateral damage. She sees the bombs in the market places and the faces of another mother’s son who is training to kill hers. She loves him so much. She knows every hair on his head and yet she is left with vague phone calls and no details. And she hangs up the phone, looks at her husband, and she groans.

Can you picture it? A straight “A” student and dedicated church goer. A heart that bleeds compassion and a mind of a pastor. And he feels his call so deeply its as though God whispers it in his ear every night. He’s sat with people as they die. He’s comforted those that are left behind. He holds their hands and wipes their tears. He knows the Bible so well its almost as though he’s written it himself. Everyone at seminary thinks highly of him and respects him. And yet after he’s given of himself so completely to the will of God and what God is calling him to do there won’t be and ordination service because he’s told that who he loves is sinful, wrong, and even an abomination. He walks away from the meeting with the committee and, wiping the tears he can no longer control, he groans.

Can you see it? He looks out his window from his desk as he pauses while writing a letter to a church he hopes to visit. He’s struggles to find just the right word and just the right image that will fit into his point. He sees the suffering and the persecution. He understands what they are up against. How can he testify to the utter amazingness that he experiences of of God? What can he say of the hope that he sees in all of the world around him in times so precarious as these? When people are scared to say who they are and what they believe? When those he calls beloved are being beaten and tortured and killed? How does he show them a God of grace amidst the sufferings of this life? And then it comes to him. The groans they are experiencing now, give way. They are labor pains. The suffering that they endure is made all worthwhile if they endure and expect the Kingdom - if they hang in there and keep working toward. It’s like childbirth. There is pain and suffering but they are birthing pains that give way to hope. And so Paul pens it down, “All of creation groans in Labor pains.”

Groaning... That’s what Paul calls it. And there’s enough of it to go around these days Wayside. And I wish it were the kind of groaning we do after my dad tells us a joke, but the truth is, its a groaning that comes from suffering. So, actually it may be the kind of groaning you do when My dad tells a joke... And it seems there’s an overabundance of suffering these days. You know, if we look around we can see it and if we listen we can hear it. Its hard not to if we view the world in human terms. And Paul was painfully aware of the groanings around him too.

And while Paul suffers and sees the church suffering - and while I suffer and you suffer - and the cause of it all is always something different - Paul reminds us that we don’t suffer alone. We are never alone. All of creation groans with us. Our sufferings aren’t quantified or qualified. There aren’t different gradations of suffering, as it were. It’s all linked together. The painful part of the whole thing is when it seems like it isn’t going to end. That it just won’t stop - that our suffering will go on and on. And yet, Paul reminds us that this too shall pass. The pain comes and it subsides. We groan but it gives way. What is crucial and where the English is misleading is where Paul tells us to Wait with patience. The greek isn’t as passive. It tells us to expect and endure. Expect God’s Kingdom and endure the work to be done or even endure our present situation. Expect what comes next and endure through the moment. And I don’t know about you, but to me that sounds exactly like childbirth to me.

I’ve never physically had a baby, but I’ve seen it. And I’ve seen it done the hard way. My wife Beverly, for those of you who don’t know her, is... well, she’s just not normal. She decided to have natural childbirth. Which incidentally, looks to me like the most unnatural thing to do. “Natural childbirth” I found out means no pain medication... For either of us. And even though they both had this in common, the births of my children that I witnessed were two entirely different things. Olivia, the one year old, came out no problem. In fact, Beverly my wife was so calm about it that she insisted on doing some laundry before we left. I was in a panic.

Isaac, our 2 year old, was induced. So, that morning we took our time packing our bags and arranging babysitters. We had time to get settled once we got to the hospital and the whole thing was pretty laid back. I was worried. I’d been watching the Discovery Channel and their birthing shows. So I had some idea of what to expect. I knew that babies looked like eggplants smothered in butter when they first come out. And although God has blessed me with many things, a stomach of steal was not one of them. I can get kind of queezy at gross things. So, I was worried.

My plan was to be there for Isaac’s birth, but I just kind of figured I would hover around Beverly’s head and maybe wipe her brow and not really pay attention to what was... uh... going on at the other end. It was a good plan. But the time came pretty quickly. The doctor asked for a test push and then quickly told the nurse to grab everything. That baby was coming. The first hint to me that this wasn’t going to be quite what I expected was when they started to set up like they were going to paint the room. They put tarps over everything. But, I moved myself into my planned position at the head of the bed looking at my wife. But that nurse... Maybe they were short handed, maybe she hated me, I don’t know, but you can imagine my shock when she turned to me and said those awful words, “Would you mind helping hold up her leg?” All the way up here? I thought. No she wanted me to do it all the way down there. Front row seat. I began groaning.

Now, Beverly “politely” urged me to do what the nurse was asking. Then she started screaming. Not groaning, but screaming. I was groaning. My hand was being crushed. But she was screaming. If you can picture it, I had one hand holding her leg and the other hand I believe my wife was trying to liquify. And she was screaming. I’ll spare you all the details of what happened next but... uh.. the people who want to tell you about the beauty of childbirth or even the groans of labor pains are wrong. It was by far the scariest thing I have ever seen in my entire life.

I was supposed to cut Isaac’s umbilical cord. But when he came out, there was a little bit of chaos and rushing around. Now, like I said I had been watching the Discovery Channel and the birth shows. So, I was ready for what a new-born baby looked like. And I also knew they cry right away. But Isaac didn’t cry. They hurriedly cut the cord because it was wrapped around his neck and rushed him over to the incubator thingy. And time stopped.

I stood there as they grabbed the paddles from the crash cart. I stood there as they pulled out the mask and bag to pump air into him. I stood there in eternity as galaxies rose and fell. Nothing existing outside of this moment. They were were trying to tell me everything was okay. But nothing else exists in a world where time stops. It was just me and that baby. I though we were stuck in this moment of anguish forever and I began to groan.

Then one of the nurses slapped his foot. He started to wail. Only a moment had passed. Just a moment. And that’s when I almost passed out. Time sped forward trying to catch up and it nearly blew me over. It was a moment of pure panic that scared me to the depths of my soul, and yet it gave way to total relief. Then it was peaceful, calm, serene. And I looked into my son’s eyes and saw past the dirty diapers, and the chocolate syrup on the kitchen wall, and the coloring on himself and his little sister and the terrible 2s and the scraped knees that have already come. And I saw past the bad report cards, and crashed cars and sleepless nights worrying, and all the stresses and frustrations that will inevitably come with being a parent. I looked into his new eyes and saw all the hopes and dreams of a new world and a new life. I thought of how truly remarkable our God is. I thought about what an amazing privilege and responsibility it is to help guide and direct this new hope into fruition. To make this world better for him. And to build him up to make it even better. And then I thought, “Oh Crap.” But, I held that little baby boy like I was never going to let go... in some ways I’m not sure I really have.

I’ve never known a peace inwardly and outwardly so serene as those moments after a child is born. All the chaos and screams and pain and suffering give way to this moment where nothing else in the entire world exists or matters - as you stand there staring into these new eyes seeing the world for the first time. I cannot imagine any greater hope or any better definition of the Hebrew word shalom. It is a peace like no other peace I’ve found. I bet is was the same feeling on a morning over 2000 years ago in a very different part of the world. All of creation is groaning in labor pains asking to be delivered. Can you hear it? Can you hear the groans? Creation is groaning in labor pains and we are asked to deliver Christ.

Deserve has nothing to do with it

Matthew 25:31-46 31 "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, 33 and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. 34 Then the king will say to those at his right hand, 'Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; 35 for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.'

37 Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? 38 And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? 39 And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?' 40 And the king will answer them, 'Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.' 41 Then he will say to those at his left hand, 'You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; 42 for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.' 44 Then they also will answer, 'Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?' 45 Then he will answer them, 'Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.' 46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

I just want to give you a little background on the Job reading for this morning. Many of us probably know the story of Job. It’s interesting, the Hebrew Bible, our old testament, is organized differently. In the Jewish faith it has three sections. It has Torah or the Law which are the first five books, then the Prophets, and at the end is a section called the Wisdom Literature. That includes books like Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and interestingly enough the book Job. It’s considered wisdom literature in the Jewish faith.

Job was considered a righteous and wealthy man and he loved the lord. And God and the holy counsel were together talking one day when the Adversary- not the devil or satan as some translations suggest, but what in Hebrew is better understood as the Adversary- suggests that if God took away everything from Job, Job would curse God- that the only reason Job loved God was because of God’s blessing. So, God and the adversary make a bet essentially and The Adversary basically takes everything and everyone away from Job. Job’s friends try to comfort him by telling him that he must have done something to deserve this, Job’s wife tell him to curse God and die, but Job has none of it.

Where this reading picks up, Job has asked God why this has happened to him. A young man Elihu tries to answer Job, but then God enters the scene in a whirl wind. And God gives a long long answer that goes on for chapters. I’m just going to read this chapter which is where God first answers. I’m going to read the whole chapter. Its beautiful. You can read along but just try to listen to it:

38Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind: 2“Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? 3Gird up your loins like a man, I will question you, and you shall declare to me.
4“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. 5Who determined its measurements—surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? 6On what were its bases sunk, or who laid its cornerstone 7when the morning stars sang together and all the heavenly beings shouted for joy? 8“Or who shut in the sea with doors when it burst out from the womb?— 9when I made the clouds its garment, and thick darkness its swaddling band, 10and prescribed bounds for it, and set bars and doors, 11and said, ‘Thus far shall you come, and no farther, and here shall your proud waves be stopped’?
12“Have you commanded the morning since your days began, and caused the dawn to know its place, 13so that it might take hold of the skirts of the earth, and the wicked be shaken out of it? 14It is changed like clay under the seal, and it is dyed like a garment. 15Light is withheld from the wicked, and their uplifted arm is broken. 16“Have you entered into the springs of the sea, or walked in the recesses of the deep? 17Have the gates of death been revealed to you, or have you seen the gates of deep darkness? 18Have you comprehended the expanse of the earth? Declare, if you know all this. 19“Where is the way to the dwelling of light, and where is the place of darkness, 20that you may take it to its territory and that you may discern the paths to its home? 21Surely you know, for you were born then, and the number of your days is great! 22“Have you entered the storehouses of the snow, or have you seen the storehouses of the hail, 23which I have reserved for the time of trouble, for the day of battle and war? 24What is the way to the place where the light is distributed, or where the east wind is scattered upon the earth?
25“Who has cut a channel for the torrents of rain, and a way for the thunderbolt, 26to bring rain on a land where no one lives, on the desert, which is empty of human life, 27to satisfy the waste and desolate land, and to make the ground put forth grass? 28“Has the rain a father, or who has begotten the drops of dew? 29From whose womb did the ice come forth, and who has given birth to the hoarfrost of heaven? 30The waters become hard like stone, and the face of the deep is frozen. 31“Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades, or loose the cords of Orion? 32Can you lead forth the Mazzaroth in their season, or can you guide the Bear with its children? 33Do you know the ordinances of the heavens? Can you establish their rule on the earth? 34“Can you lift up your voice to the clouds, so that a flood of waters may cover you? 35Can you send forth lightnings, so that they may go and say to you, ‘Here we are’? 36Who has put wisdom in the inward parts, or given understanding to the mind? 37Who has the wisdom to number the clouds? Or who can tilt the waterskins of the heavens, 38when the dust runs into a mass and the clods cling together? 39“Can you hunt the prey for the lion, or satisfy the appetite of the young lions, 40when they crouch in their dens, or lie in wait in their covert? 41Who provides for the raven its prey, when its young ones cry to God, and wander about for lack of food?

Its probably the most unsatisfactory answer I’ve ever heard to why bad things happen. This one that God gives right here in the Bible. God tells us we can’t always know. That we won’t always know. We’re raised to believe that “I don’t know” is never a good answer. It isn’t satisfactory. And yet after this week. After praying and reading and studying. After about 10 years of religious education. The only answer I could give you if you asked me why this has happened would be I don’t know.

I don’t know why this happened. Some people have sought to answer this question. And they have answered it with dispicable, disgraceful, and unchristian answers. Pat Robertson wants to say that this has happened because Haiti made a pact with the devil? He suggests that these people have done something to deserve this tragedy? I say I’ve had enough. I say that he doesn’t speak for me or my faith. I say that is a disgusting answer.

I wonder if Pat Robertson ever read the book of Job. If he took time to understand what was going on in this story. The people that God is angry with in this story are Job’s friends. Job ends up getting everything back 10 fold, but his friends really get it. They told Job he did something to deserve it.

I wonder if Pat Robertson ever read this passage from Matthew. If he understands the nuance. For instance where Jesus says I was in prison and you visited me. There isn’t any talk of justice or whether the person deserved to be there. What is asked is that our CHRISTIAN presence is there anyways. There isn’t judgment in determine why someone is thirsty or if God afflicted them with the sickness. It’s ironic because Christ came and healed so many people who were afflicted and often times they were thought to be afflicted by God. Yet, Christ dispelled those rumors by bringing healing, not judgment, through God’s grace. Yes, I wonder sometimes if Pat Robertson understands the God of Grace.

It seems to me that perhaps those who purport to speak for Christianity should spend more time with passages like this in Matthew and the book of Job. After all, Job did nothing to deserve what came to him. He was a righteous and God-fearing man. He didn’t make a deal with the devil. He didn’t curse God or do many of the things we think of that would cause God to reign down hellfire. And to be honest, I find that a comfort. I find it a comfort that many times, more often than not, deserve’s got nothing to do with it.

Because if deserving has something to do with it, I’d be in a lot of trouble. It works both ways too. I don’t deserve the family I have. I don’t deserve to be your pastor. I don’t deserve many of the good things that have come to me. Because I’m no angel. I’m not a perfect person. I’m not even sure that someone could call me righteous like they called Job. I’m glad that deserving has nothing to do with.

I’m also glad because it means that when horrible and tragic things happen to me, or to anyone, that they didn’t deserve it either. Can you imagine, can you picture what it would be like to know that you deserved all the horrible things that can happen to you? What kind of God works on that basis? How would that God stand against the grief of a mother who lost her child? How would that God ever be called a God of love by the Jewish community after the Holocaust? How could we even say there is a God of Grace if we believe that the people of Haiti had done something to deserve this horrible tragedy?

I know that its hard to find words that speak to a God of grace in times like these. It doesn’t matter if it is personal or public, familial or societal suffering. It can be hard to see the God of Grace. But I believe that it is the God of Grace that is there. The preacher William Sloane Coffin said just after his son died in a car accident, that God gives us minimum protection but Maximum Support. And I believe that. That even among these tragedies, even among the wreckage of countries, or lives, or health, we have a God who moves among us, who supports us and who strengthens us and this God loves us no matter what we’ve done or what we deserve.

The truth is we don’t know why these things happen. We may never know. It may not be for us to know. Yet somehow we have to trust that God takes these tragedies and uses them so that some good may come if we are open it. What has happened has happened. That’s all there really is to it. The question becomes, then, what is our response to it? How do we go forward from here? To me it seems to cast blame or responsibility or to say that what has happened was deserved is to allow darkness to continue in our world. And as Christians we are asked to be the light amid the darkness. The light that shines in the darkness.

While these things happen in our world we must remain steadfast in our faith that our God is a God of Grace. That, as Paul tells us all things work towards good for those who love God and we are called to be that good. The Christian response to this tragedy, to any tragedy, is to be present. It is to represent the light. We are called by our faith to help in any way we can. And in situations like the one in Haiti help will be needed for quite some time.

For now, we cannot underestimate the power of prayer. We cannot underestimate even the smallest thing we can do. We can not underestimate the change that even our gratitude for our lives here may have. Let this allow us to become more grateful for what we do have. Let this allow us to treasure our loved ones that much more. Let this allow us to draw closer to God. Pray for Haiti. Pray for all those who suffer today even in our own midst. Pray and remember that even though we do not understand why these things happen we have a God of grace who supports us, who loves us, and who strengthens us.
Amen