Fist Lesson: Isaiah 1: 1, 10-20 Responsive Reading: Psalm 50: 1-8, 22-23 Second Lesson: Hebrews 11: 1-3, 8-16 Gospel Lesson: Luke 12: 32-40 Grace and Peace from Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
The year was 1967. My Dad was a freshman at the University of Minnesota (Twin Cities campus). He played in the marching band during Golden Gopher football games. The Gophers were good in 1967; the Gophers were so good in fact that after beating Wisconsin in the last game of the season, they were set-up to play in College Football’s grand showcase, the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California on New Year’s Day. All that had to happen is heavily-favored Purdue needed to beat Indiana. Rose Bowl plans seemed so inevitable that My Dad was given an itinerary for the upcoming trip to California. Well, Dad has never seen the Rose Bowl in person. Indiana upset Purdue to go the Rose Bowl instead. The Gophers wouldn’t get close to going to the Rose Bowl again in Dad’s four years of college. Now Dad has always talked about going to the Rose Bowl when the Gophers perhaps eventually play. In the year 2000, the Gophers upset perennial powerhouse Ohio State, my Dad started looking into January travel plans midway through the season, only to see the Gophers lose the next week to lowly Indiana so that the dream died once again. So the wait has been fifty-two years for Gopher fans like my Dad who have longed to spend New Year’s Day in Pasadena, California. My Dad is a realist about the Gopher football team. He knows the Gophers have numerous disadvantages both in terms of financial resources and local talent to compete with Big Ten powers like Michigan, Ohio State, or even recently Wisconsin that always play in the Rose Bowl. Sid Hartman is the most famous sportswriter in all of Minnesota. Sid began his career writing about the Gophers and other teams in 1945. Sid is still writing and will turn 100 next spring[1]. Here’s the thing that I love about Sid, every spring or early fall is going to be the year the Gopher Football team is going to breakthrough. It doesn’t matter if the Gophers were 1-11 the previous year. The Gophers small, but dedicated fan base is about to travel to Pasadena to see the Rose Bowl in droves. Sid when it comes to the Gophers is the eternal optimist. When Sid was growing up in Minneapolis, the Gopher Football team was winning National Championships. Sid remembers the Gophers trips to Pasadena in 1961, 1962 fondly. Sid believes that somehow, someway the Minnesota farm kids will triumph against bigger, faster, and stronger kids from Ohio. My Dad, Sid, and the Gophers lead us into our New Testament Lesson for Today from Hebrews 11[2]. Now before we begin, let me ask the following question: “What is the difference between Sid-Hartman like optimism and hope?” Optimism and Hope might seem to be the same thing until you come to our lesson[3]. Our lesson begins with the following verse: “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see[4]?” Hebrews 11 then proceeds to give a history of those who in the earliest days of the Old Testament clung to both faith and hope regardless of their present circumstances: Abel, Enoch, Noah, and finally Abraham. Abraham’s life begins in the land of Ur[5], which lies in modern-day Iraq. Abraham had been doing well in Ur, living a comfortable day to day existence have accumulated all sorts of land and possessions. One day, God proceeds to interrupt Abraham’s life by declaring: “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.“I will make you into a great nation.[6]” Here’s the problem, Abraham is already “75” at this point[7], his wife Sarah is long considered to be barren. No ordinary thinking person would have thought Abraham’s move in the midst of both wealth and comfort to be a good idea. So what did the years ahead bring Abraham? Abraham as soon as leaving the land of Ur experiences great famine in the land of Canaan, so he is forced to journey to Egypt[8]. While in Egypt, the Pharaoh tries to steal his wife, putting Abraham’s own life at risk[9]. Abraham separates from his closest family member Lot[10]. His wife Sarah remained long-barren, so she gives Abraham permission to conceive a child with her handmaiden Hagar instead[11]. The child would be called Ishmael[12]. When Abraham is 99 years old[13], God declares that Abraham, through Sarah, will (still) be “a father of many nations[14].” Sarah finally gets pregnant with her son named Isaac. Only Abraham, Hagar, Ishamel Isaac, and Sarah have so much conflict that they’re forced to separate[15]. Then at the end of all this, Abraham is asked to sacrifice his beloved Isaac upon the Mount of the Lord, only for the Lord to intervene as Abraham held a knife to Isaac’s throat[16]. Abraham becomes a widow after his beloved Sarah dies[17]. Abraham eventually dies “100” years after being asked to leave his life of comfort behind in Ur[18]. So Abraham’s story nearly has it all: uncertain living arrangements, famine, infertility, family separation, and grief. God might have chosen Abraham with the most unique of callings, but this didn’t mean that Abraham didn’t have many dark days where he longed to see a clear sign of God’s promise someday coming true[19]. In the midst of all this, Abraham never abandoned either faith or Hope. For it was nearly two thousand years later that the fulfillment of Abraham leaving Ur for a better place was made known as our Hebrews lesson concludes: “they (Abraham’s descendants) were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them[20].” Abraham left Ur amidst the greatest of uncertainties, so that he and his descendants may ultimately inherit heaven upon the Cross of Christ. What is the difference between optimism and Hope, as displayed in the life of Abraham? Optimists like Sid Hartman tend to see the best in situations and best in people. Optimism is, in many cases, is a good thing. Optimism though has its limits. It’s not enough to be optimistic when, like Abraham, you long for one child or many children only for it to seem medically impossible. It’s not enough to be optimistic when the fate of your long-awaited child is hanging in the balance? It’s not enough to be optimistic as we bury our loved ones and seem soon to follow them? Abraham had numerous events take place in his life that should have crushed his optimistic spirit, Abraham instead clung to hope. What is the difference between optimism and Hope? Optimism is based on human potential, whereas Hope is based on God’s eternal promises[21]. Optimism can only take you as far as the grave, whereas Hope can take you beyond the grave. Hope is found in the moments when mere optimism fails. Harold Russell was born in 1914. Russell was struggling in life at the age of 27, thinking himself a failure because he was working in a supermarket. The Japanese attack Pearl Harbor. Russell enlists in the U.S. Army in response hoping to turn the direction of his life. In 1944, while teaching demolition work to his fellow soldiers, a defective fuse went off costing Russell both his hands[22]. Harold Russell as he woke up in a hospital bed seeing nubs where his hands used to be, thought his life to be over. As he lied in his hospital bed, Harold Russell kept entering into deeper and deeper despair, until one day when he received a visit from a fellow soldier who had also lost both his hands[23]. Russell couldn’t make sense of his fellow solider being so joyful, without his hands. The soldier then turns to Russell before declaring: “There's one thing you ought to keep in mind…You are not crippled; you are merely handicapped[24].” The great Christian hope is this, life such as in the story of Harold Russell can hurt and handicap us in many ways, even defeating our optimism, but life cannot cripple us. Hope can turn what appear to be crucifixions into eventual resurrections[25]. Harold Russell would go onto live a remarkable life without any hands. He would marry his childhood sweetheart, act in motion pictures even winning an Academy Award, and become a best-selling author[26]. Reality is the following. We will like Harold Russell or Abraham have our circumstances where we wonder from: “Where in our life can Hope possibly come?” With this in mind, let me close with one final story[27]. Over a century ago when the steamships full of passengers would frequently venture upon Lake Superior. A great fog broke out. The passengers quickly grew concerned as the ship didn’t even slow down. The passengers go track down the captain’s first mate to complain about the ship’s speed. The first mate gave the passengers some wise advice declaring: “Don’t be afraid! The fog lies low and the captain is high above it. He can see where we are going[28]!” We like these passengers, Abraham, or Harold Russell will have our moments when we can’t make sense of the waters behind us or ahead of us. The following is o.k. because Our Savior has gone and seen the darkest of places before us, only to walk out (again) three days later. So we are not merely optimistic about any Rose Bowls that lie ahead, instead, we cling instead to the great hope given upon the Cross of Christ. Amen [1] “Sid Hartman.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. 16.Mar.2019. Web. July.24.2019. [2] Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16. [3] The following sermon idea comes from Micheal Foss ‘ “Wishful Thinking, Optimism and Hope.” Given on August 12, 2007 found on Day 1 linked by Text Week on July 23, 2019. [4] Hebrews 11:1. [5] “Ur of the Chaldees.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. 15.July.2019. Web. July.23.2019. [6] Genesis 12:1. [7] Genesis 12:4. [8] Genesis 12:10. [9] Genesis 12:14-20. [10] Genesis 13:5-12. [11] Genesis 16. [12] Genesis 16:15-16 [13] Genesis 17:1. [14] Genesis 17:4. [15] Genesis 21:8-21. [16] Genesis 22:1-18. [17] Genesis 23:1-2. [18] Genesis 25:1-11. [19] Hoezee, Scott. “Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16.” Center for Excellence in Preaching. Calvin Seminary. Grand Rapids, MI. 31.July.2016. Web. July.24.2019. [20] Hebrews 11:16. [21] Foss, Michael. “Wishful Thinking, Optimism and Hope.” Day 1. 12. August.2007. Web. July.24.2019. [22] “Harold Russell.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. 21.June.2019. Web. July.24.2019. [23] Foss, Michael. “Wishful Thinking, Optimism and Hope.” Day 1. [24] Foss, Michael. “Wishful Thinking, Optimism and Hope.” Day 1. [25] Foss, Michael. “Wishful Thinking, Optimism and Hope.” Day 1. [26] Foss, Michael. “Wishful Thinking, Optimism and Hope.” Day 1. [27] Klaus, Ken. “Fear and Faith.” Lutheran Hour Ministries. 26.Aug.2001. Web. July.24.2019. [28] Klaus, Ken. “Fear and Faith.” Lutheran Hour Ministries. Comments are closed.
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