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.
This is where the conversation gets a little hard to figure out. Jesus reply to this Greek lady from Syrian Phoenicia was “First let the children eat all they want for it is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to their dogs.” Commentators are of the opinion here that Jesus was in a parable[ish] kind of a way saying that he was there firstly for the Jews, the children and not the dogs, the gentiles. In other words, his ministry was to firstly the Jews and the gentiles would in time receive his ministry.
Every time I read this, I think that’s really rude. Here’s Jesus basically telling this lady rudely to get inline. Or is he? This would be a brave thing to say in a gentile city…Jesus is outside of his own backyard in a strange place.
It appears Jesus was making a point about his ministry to the Jews, yes he had a message to deliver to them, but were they listening? We know that many rejected his message, his Good News. As the Jews rejected his message, his message became an opportunity for the Gentiles.
In regards to the wording of Jesus reply, he takes the words that were an insult, that was often aimed at gentiles by Jews calling them dogs, as in dirty street dogs, stray mangy dogs and talks about the children’s dogs, pups and lap dogs, dogs that are held in affection, the insult is broken down to a term of affection. How the word dog is said would also have made a difference, would the woman have replied the way she did if she felt insulted? Her reply “Yes, Lord but even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.”
But even! Now there’s a reply. You can’t do that you’re not qualified, old enough, young enough, smart enough, silly enough, fast enough, tall enough, small enough…How do you destroy an argument? … But even so, it has happened in a certain situation.
“But even,” this was a clever lady, “Then he told her, “For such a reply you may go; the demon has left your daughter.” Here’s a point, it appears Jesus was open to push back. Here’s a point of thought in regards to hope in God, in getting a response form God: How persistent are you in your prayers? Just a question about asking questions of God. How persistent are you in your prayers? Remember Jeremiah 29:11, and Jesus is the hope of all mankind, born into a world that struggled to find, that struggles to find hope. 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.”
The power of Jesus is also seen in a different way here, not just in healing the girl, remember this is no small thing, the mothers request is granted, Mum’s hope was fulfilled. A bit more history. Tyre had been allotted to the people of Israel, if we read Joshua 19:28-29 we read that the boundary for the tribe of Asher was inclusive of the city of Tyre. It seems that this city was never taken by Israel; Jesus enters this city and is supreme, over sickness and spiritual darkness. Often in life we see the only hope, the only true intervention that makes a difference is the good news of Jesus. Jesus is successful in taking the Good News of the gospel to Tyre, to the city that Israel didn’t conquer, a Jewish Rabbi comes and conquers. He conquers in the physical-sickness and in the spiritual–the demon, one of many he overthrew and has overthrown. Hope enters into Tyre and drives out the evil that has taken over life of a young girl, as we approach Christmas we remember the hope that has entered the whole world as a baby forecast as the hope of a nation as their Messiah who we now know is the Hope of the whole world.
The kingdom of God is now open to the gentiles, if we look at the scriptures we see that it always was, but here Jesus shows he is not exclusive, no one needs to be excluded from God’s kingdom. Hope has come to all, through Jesus. Hope was available when Jesus came as a baby, it was responded to, freedom was given to the girl and many others during Jesus earthly lifetime and continues to be given today.
Hope transcends and transforms community boundaries; it creates new communities. Hope heals and restores. We have an opportunity this Christmas to accept the hope Jesus brought and brings into the world, or not. We have an opportunity to share that hope, the good news, some of the plenty we have with the wider world. William Booth, speaking about the poor and destitute in one of his few recorded speeches, said, ‘Brought it on themselves you say? Quite likely, But that does not excuse our assisting them.’”
Prepare your people for Advent
Over my life I’ve looked at the situations of some and thought to myself, Andrew in his shoes, her shoes how would you have reacted, what would your result have been, how would your life have ended up, having encountered the same abuse, war, hunger, neglect, devastation, indifference, sickness, situation in life. I tell you what that is a time of self-humbling when I ask that question. Because I have had a life while it’s had its up’s and down’s, it’s been a life of privilege and plenty, I live in Godzone country, I have a family who while being a bit dysfunctional love me, I’ve worked in paid employment my whole adult life, I’ve owned property, a car, had meals as and when I wanted them, have goodish health, I’m in the richest 10.4 percent with an income of 11.6 times the global average, of income earners in the world which is saying something on an officer’s stipend, I’m warm and dry. Incidentally if you want to find out where you sit in the wealthy of the world check out this web site, https://www.givingwhatwecan.org/get-involved/how-rich-am-i. When I ask that question, “how would I have ended up in the same situation?” it surprises me as to what the result is, because I find my result being less gracious and forgiving than the person whose situation I am asking the question of myself about. In fact, in most cases my reaction would have been extremely harsh, self-seeking, volatile likely resulting in a really bad outcome. I come to realise that without Jesus in my life I’m not a particularly nice person.
There would have been no ‘but even’ comment made; question asked. If I had been in the Syro-Phoenician woman’s shoes, I think I would have exploded. This woman’s reaction and reply to Jesus were gracious and sensible, thought through and wise. She wanted healing for her daughter. This man, this stranger she had heard about could supply it. She didn’t go off in a huff; she had hope in this man. She didn’t explode; she had hope for her daughters healing. She didn’t yell asking how dare he insult her, calling her a dog, she had hope that he was up to his reputation, that his gentile words and demeanour where all she hoped they would be.
In our journey through life and it is a journey through life, we encounter opportunities every day, the opportunity to reach in or reach out, the opportunity to be kind or unkind, to give hope or be hopeless. To reflect the light of hope that Jesus brought and continues to bring into the world. We have a choice.
As believers we have a choice, to extend the hope we hold in Jesus to others, to live lives that reflect his life, in Peter first letter to the Church we read, “Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy." Since you call on a Father who judges each man's work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear. (1 Peter 1:13-17). This comes with its challenges, we follow Jesus and he’s challenging.
C. S. Lewis The Chronicles of Narnia, finds Susan one of the children asking about Aslan the Christ figure in these stories her question is this, “Aslan is a lion- the Lion, the great Lion." "Ooh" said Susan. "I'd thought he was a man. Is he-quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion"..."Safe?" said Mr Beaver ..."Who said anything about safe? 'Course he isn't safe. But he's good. He's the King, I tell you.”
(http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/344456-aslan-is-a-lion--the-lion-the-great-lion-ooh)
Do we live out our existence here on earth grasping and holding all that we have ‘safe’, or are our lives given to speaking and serving so that others might know the hope we have in Jesus? This is as much a question for me as it is for you. Let’s live lives that take the hope we hold so dearly and place it in the hands of others! The hope that was long prophesied for a nation, but is for all humankind, born to a young couple 2000 years ago, hope that lived, grew in stature and wisdom, bringing healing and freedom from sin and death as he died and rose again. Eternal Hope that lives in us and through us as we share, living lives that see the kingdom come and God’s will done on Earth as it is in heaven.
Be A Messenge Hope!
Mark 7:24-30
Like this woman you may be here today, struggling over something in your life, you may be wondering what the way forward is? Peter also says this about hope, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade--kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.” (1Peter 1:3-5)
So not matter if we are giving hope in Jesus name or receiving the living hope that has come through Jesus let us respond to that hope, to Jesus. If you would like to come forward for prayer that your hope may be answered we have this place of prayer here etc.
If you have been challenged today to give of the hope given to you by Christ as you journey through this week , through life do so be a messenger and giver of hope.
