The Word is Hope

THE STORY IN MATTHEW

Matthew 2:21 "And (Joseph) arose and took the Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel."

For a very brief time in the beginning of the Gospels' story of Jesus, the focus of attention falls on Joseph. It is easy to pass over the importance of the part Joseph had in the life of the Lord Jesus Christ. For Joseph was the guardian of hope.

Everything that we know about Joseph is good. But in his lifetime, so far as we know, Joseph never saw the full fruition of his faith and obedience. Still, his obedience kept HOPE alive for us all, and is still bearing fruit to this day.

Joseph is the guardian of hope. Before he ever SAW any of God's promises fulfilled Joseph was willing to obey and believe. First Joseph was confronted with misunderstanding and shame. He chose to take Mary into his home. Then Joseph had the privilege of naming the Holy Child "JESUS" in accordance with what the angel had told him.

His faith was rewarded, and there were visitors who came and confirmed what he already knew; there were shepherds that very first day; there were devout people in the Temple in Jerusalem, Anna and Simeon, who confirmed and assured his heart that the Child truly was Messiah.

Then came even greater surprises; kings, strange Gentile wise men from distant lands came paying homage to the Child, and bearing costly gifts, but at the same time speaking, perhaps in surprise, that the local authorities were unaware and probably hostile to this great HOPE of all the earth. Then that very evening Joseph had a vision of the angel again warning him: "Take the young child and his mother and go to Egypt. He is in danger!"

We see this story from the perspective of centuries; we read it like a drama. How could anything ever harm the Lord's Anointed One, even as a Baby? Would not the angels keep watch over Him? If Jesus was truly God and the Son of God, why shouldn't he, Joseph, simply take the Baby to Jerusalem and proclaim Him before all the world?

But Joseph was living out his relationship with Jesus in the harsh reality of life. God's TIMING is impossible for us to figure. All Joseph knew was that precious LIFE must be protected at every and any cost! Whatever it took to keep the Baby alive and well Joseph would do! That very night, before dawn, Joseph was on the way to Egypt.

Where he stayed, what he saw— so pleasant for our speculation— the pyramids were already nearly 3,000 years old— did Joseph and Mary see them? What happened— the Bible is silent. Joseph stayed in Egypt until the angel sounded the "all clear." And then, with human fear and trembling, the Holy Family made its way back to the home town of Mary, to Nazareth, where Jesus spent the rest of his life until He began His ministry.

Joseph had the discernment of humility and obedience. He kept HOPE alive!

THE PRAYER IN EPHESIANS

What comes to us in a story in the Gospels Paul often packs into a lesson in the Letters. The connection between Joseph's obedience and this prayer in Ephesians 1 is not immediately apparent, but in both there is underscored the importance of keeping HOPE alive and well. Paul prays first of all for discernment, for enlightenment, so that believers can see what the essence of HOPE really IS.

Paul's world was dark and gullible; it was impressed with soothsayers and Caesars. Even believers were turned on by visible gifts more than they were by love and integrity; they were challenged by the show biz and glitz of their age, as we are by our own. And so Paul prayed: Lord, help my people to be able to see what is the HOPE of their calling, where the true POWER is to be found!

HOPE is not self centered! There is an element of risk involved. Hope is the confidence that God will carry through— in God's own good time.

Hope must be nurtured in obedience and faith.

Hope is related to what God can and will do.

Hope on our part has to do more with BEING than it does with DOING!

It is interesting just here how a best-selling book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, by Stephen R. Covey, interacts with the Christian concept of the importance of discernment and keeping genuine HOPE alive. In his book Covey says that:

For the first 150 years of our existence as a nation we were challenged along the lines of CHARACTER: the qualities that make for quality of life and relationships: integrity, honesty, fairness, congruence between profession and life-style.

For the last 50+ years the literature of practical life has swung to the emphasis on PERSONALITY: those attributes of human nature that make for success and the appearance of completeness. Techniques and short- cuts and seminars that bring about desired results without the outlay of personal development. He says that we have been taught that if we maintain (1) good public relations, and (2) keep a positive mental attitude we can accomplish "success," whatever that is. "Success" can be had by shortcuts, including cheating in school, being insincere in business relationships, and selfish in our own families.

Interestingly, Covey says this is NOT SO. He calls his readers back to the basics of CHARACTER FOUNDATIONS.

And really, that is what Paul is praying for: that we will discern how important it is to keep HOPE alive!

THE PROMISE IN JEREMIAH 31

The third seemingly unrelated passage in this morning's message comes from "the weeping prophet," Jeremiah; a man so burdened with the hardness of his generation and the shallowness of worship that he earned that pseudonym. "Weeping prophet!" But some of the most beautiful and sensitive passages in the Bible come from Jeremiah's heart! For all ages Jeremiah caught something of the extent of HOPE which shall be, through Jesus, for all people.

How important to "nurture the Babe" and let Him grow and become Lord on His terms! How important to seek the noble way, the way of integrity and honesty before God, and leave the timing up to Him! For, according to the promises of God through Jeremiah, HOPE opens up these realities of faith:

CONCLUSION

Hope is what makes life worth the living. All these great stories and promises are nothing if they are cut off from where we live and where we are just now.

But HOPE must be sustained by obedience. HOPE does not follow our agenda, nor does it follow a timetable which we set. We, like Joseph, may have to move to Egypt for a while, whatever that means. We WILL have to listen carefully for God's voice. If we think we hear Him saying exactly what we want Him to say we had better be very, very careful!

For God NEVER asks us to take short, cross-lot, cheap methods into "success." God never compromises His demand that we serve Him with excellence, with the best that we have. God never sacrifices CHARACTER on the altar of PERSONALITY!

If we have the precious LIFE of Jesus within, then that LIFE must be preserved at ALL costs!

CHARACTER OVER PERSONALITY INTEGRITY OVER IMAGE JESUS OVER ALL KINGS AND GIFTS