Hope Series

Advent Hope.

This week we are addressing the second point of advent; we light the candle of Hope. Even saying that brings a smile to my face. We light the candle of Hope, we see a glimmer of Hope, the glimmer becomes a flame of hope, that if and when spread, can ignite the world into a new light a blaze of understanding that takes lives that are lost in darkness and illuminates new ways, changing old lives into new life stories, takes those with no path and firmly sets their feet on a narrow path to eternity, releases those chained by their pasts, their sins, their shame, their fear to run onwards into a life of abundant joy, as it says in the wall unspeakable joy!

2025 for me has been a year of hope and a year so far of a few hopes fulfilled, I have my new shoulder and it is operating as per my hopes so far maybe even better, there have been answers to prayer, the hopes I have for the family and the Corps family are within Cowee of what I was hoping, Janaki is getting good results at school. My needs are being met and I trust God to continue to meet them because he is faithful to his promises. I sometimes need to remind myself that he meets my needs not my wants. He promises this in Jeremiah 29:11 and I know for a few of you, your favourite verse: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Have you ever been it a situation where you have a great need? A need that leaves you hoping.

Knowing that the need can be met, you seek out those who can help the one who can address your concerns, solve the problem, not just temporarily but permanently. This will be no mean feat, this is something way beyond your own capabilities, this will take a genius, an expert, perhaps even a miracle if it’s ever to be resolved. The weight of this has been on your shoulders for a long time, the pain has been so hard to bear, to see that suffering with no viable solution.

In Marks gospel Chapter 7:24-30 we have a situation like this, a situation that has people on both sides of the story wondering if there can be a positive outcome. Mark talks of how Jesus is in a place that is not his usual neighborhood, this is a place of strangers, however he is known, his reputation as a healer, as a godly man, has gone before him. In this story Jesus is the HOPE of a positive outcome, he carries a reputation of possibility of good over bad, of an exciting change of the story of a young life, a better outcome a life that can be lived abundantly, He is the HOPE and his reputation goes before him, young people “he is the man.” A stranger approaches him; culturally this interaction is one that will leave him at odds with his people’s law, specifically in relation to ceremonial cleanliness. For Jesus is now in a discussion with a woman, a gentile woman, Mark calls her a Greek woman, born in Syrian Phoenicia. Remember at this time most Jewish men would not speak to a woman in public unless she was his wife or mother, let alone a gentile woman.

Little bit about Phoenician cities like Tyre: according to William Barclay Phoenician cities were part of Syria, but they were independent, and they were rivals, with their own kings, gods and coinage. This city Tyre is today part of modern Lebanon.

In Mark’s depiction of the scene, we see Jesus agreeing to enter into a conversation with this woman. This was a serious choice; this was a situation that would show his mission to all peoples, not just the Jews. This is in itself a fairly strange story of a stranger encounter with an even stranger couple of outcomes.

Here is Jesus, Mark says “He entered a house and did not want anyone to know it; yet he could not keep his presence a secret. In fact, as soon as she heard about him, a woman whose little daughter was possessed by an evil spirit came and fell at his feet…She begged Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter.” (Mark 7:24b – 26ish). Jesus is this woman’s hope, he is in her eyes his little daughters hope, of healing, of release, of an ordinary, normal life. Jesus has come with his reputation proceeding him. There’s an interesting parallel here we have seen Jesus’ reputation building through the Old Testament throughout the year and it proceeded him as Messiah in a similar way to how he had a reputation for driving out demons when he walked the earth and still does. In both cases there are those who just don’t see his power or don’t want to see his power.