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Unseen Hope is not Blind Hope: A Sermon for the First Sunday in Advent
Romans 8:24–25 NKJV
For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.
We have now come to the season of Advent, which begins the new Christian year. In our Advent candle lighting litany this morning, we learned that the season of Advent has four Christian themes: hope, peace, joy, and love. We lit the candle of hope this morning. From our theme text of Romans 5:1-8, we realized the importance of hope in living the Christian life. We live our lives in expectation of Christ’s return. I would now like to take a little time to further elaborate on the theme of hope.
In the text we just read, we are saved by hope. Hope and faith are closely related to each other. Hebrews 11:1 tells us that faith has an unseen dimension to it, just like hope. Faith, like hope, has the expectation that what is unseen will become visible reality. 1 Corinthians 13:13 pairs faith and hope along with love. So we are saved by hope as well as by faith. Faith provides the grounds of our hope which is in Jesus Christ.
Soren Kierkegaard once described “faith” as “a leap in the dark.” He felt one needed to deny the ground he stands on and leap into the dark. But this is not faith at all. Faith has content. We do not deny reality and make a desperate leap into the abyss, hoping that there is someone up there to catch us. the text in Hebrews tells us that faith is a “substance.” Something that is s substance is a something. The Greek word uses there, “hypostasis” has the idea of foundation or ground. What we need to do is to build faith upon this foundation. Paul tells us more about this foundation, which is Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 3:11). This foundation became visible to us in the Incarnation. The Word became flesh (John 1:14). What the Jews had hope for had become reality. To those who believe and believed, that hope has become reality. this is no longer a hope. John tells us that the Apostles had seen, beheld, heard and touched this Word of Life (1 John 1:1). This is why Advent is not Christmas. We do not hope for a baby in a manger. We do not prepare for the coming of the Christ child, even if it is understood as making room in our heart for Him. We believe that Christ has come.
We also believe that Jesus lived in Palestine some two thousand years ago, teaching about the Kingdom of God and doing many mighty works. We believe that He was rejected by His own people, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified for our sins, died, and was buried. We believe that Jesus rose from the dead on the third day and was seen by many witnesses over the space of forty days. We believe that He ascended back to the Father on the 40th day to the right hand of God where He now intercedes for us. We also believe that He shall return to judge the living and the dead. Even though we have not personally seen these events, they were seen and witnessed to by those who had walked with Him. But we also believe that the Father sent the Holy Spirit into the believers to testify to the truth of these events. Faith is not blind. It is certain ground.
So when we look at hope, we could perhaps describe it as faith that has not yet been realized. We do not see it with these eyes. It is invisible. there are no human witnesses we can enquire of when the Day He shall return will be or what will be served at the Marriage Feast of the Lamb. Scripture does inform us to some degree, so even here we are not entirely blind like those who are without this hope are. We do admit with Paul that we see through a glass darkly (1 Corinthians 13:12). But hope says that what we now see dimly we shall experience face to face. Hope is a floodlight on a dark night which gives us comfort. But this light also anticipates that the sun shall rise i the morning to dispel the gloom. It is a leap in the dark, but it is not a blind leap.
One could go to New Orleans and say: “I am going to take a leap of faith and jump across the Mississippi river.” a person who made such a statement would be considered a blind fool. Some might make it farther over the river than others, based upon better athletic skills. But no one will ever succeed. Our hope in Christ had better be better than that. How would one be able to cross it? the answer is one would need a lot of help. the one who could leap twenty feet is no better off than the person who jumped six inches. For all practical purposes, the person would need to be completely helped.
What is one now built a tower and put on a hang gliding outfit. Now that person could jump and have some hope of reaching the other side. He has faith in the glider, and the winds as well as his own ability. There is no guarantee that even then he will make it. This would at least by worldly standards be a better hope than simply jumping. One can even say that the Holy Spirit is our wings and support for the task. It is indeed true that we cannot succeed without the help of the Holy Spirit. However, when it comes to our spiritual abilities, we cannot even jump. we have no platform from which to jump either. If we are going to succeed, it will be by the grace and help from beginning to end. Our sins disqualify us from even making the attempt. But Jesus who is sinless has crossed over to the other side. He beckons us to follow Him. Though the waters are deep and this world is spiritually blind, we have a sure hope that we shall arrive on that day. As the song says: “My hope is built on nothing less, than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.”
So we can see that even though hope is unseen, it is not blind. as a matter of fact, it is the only light in the dark world. We remember that the Light has shone in this darkness. (John 1:5) The darkness can not block out this light. Hope will rule our lives until the Day He appears, in the day of His Advent. Then hope will disappear as its purpose will be fulfilled. How dim a floodlight which shines in the darkness appear in the light of day! The unseen side of faith will be seen. Faith shall become faithfulness, and faithfulness the demonstration of our love for Christ. This is why Paul says that love is greater than even faith and hope. In the end all will be love.
so in this Advent season, what are we doing to share what is called “the blessed hope?” All other hope is but sinking sand. The world hopes that somehow the scientists will solve our problems. The trouble is not with science, per se, it is with the scientists who are fallen and therefore spiritually blind. The light of science is pure darkness. Science is true as far as God is the creator of science, but can the scientists really see? Do they realize that all facts are created by God, and that all facts are related to all other facts by the purpose of the creator. Therefore, putting one’s hope in the scientists is a blind hope. And if the scientists cannot bring the promises of Advent, will the politicians do any better? What about the philosophers and wise men of this world? Paul says that God has made foolish the wisdom of this world (1 Corinthians 1:20). Even the religious are blind if their faith is not in Christ. Did not Jesus say in Matthew 6:23 “But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!” Mankind thinks they are on solid ground and can build their Babel to the stars. What they don’t realize is that the human race is already in the murky waters of the river. one cannot leap from water into the darkness at all.
We need to invite people to come to Jesus who is the Light of the World. (John 8:12) Jesus has called His church to join Him in being the Light of the World. (Matthew 5:14) We need to encourage people to let go of blind hope and to embrace the unseen hope. All other hope will lead to darkness, but the unseen hope will one day be superceded by the light of a new reality. This is the hope to which we hold.
Let this hope guide you in this great adventure of life. Amen
Our final hymn in on Page 368 of the United Methodist Hymnal (Our Hope is Built)
