Hope When There Is No Hope

He had suffered ridicule, scorn, banishment, beatings, trial, and imprisonment. People from his own faith background wanted him dead, and government officials stood ready to do anything to get him to stop stirring up people. His prospects of living much longer grew weaker by the day. He had given his life to a cause that stood virtually no chance of survival. Supporters of the cause had no political power or influence, little financial resources, and no prestige in society.

No evidence of hope surrounded the tent maker from Tarsus, once known as Saul, now called Paul, as Jesus follower. And yet, with no indicators of hope on the horizon, Paul had the audacity to say the following: "I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is about to be revealed to us." (Romans 8:18 - New Revised Standard Version.) Paul embraced hope in Jesus Christ so passionately that he saw hope when there was no hope.

Yet we who are comfortable Christians so often let ourselves be derailed by the littlest of things by comparisons...the color of the carpet in the new sanctuary, worship style disputes, budget debates, the amount of money the youth ministry spends, etc. And we wonder why people aren't beating down the doors to get into our buildings.

When survival is on the line, yet people still hold resolutely to Jesus - that has always garnered the attention of human history. And, ironically, that's when the Jesus following movement always thrives.

In whom do we really hope, when there is no hope? That will tell the tale. I'll see you around the next bend in the river.