Hope and Example

Tonight I want to think about 2 things. The first is hope and the second is example. I think it’s around these two things that our readings revolve this evening (Isaiah 65:17-end,Revelation 21:1-7,John 15:1-17). In Isaiah we are painted a picture by the prophet of a new creation – a new heaven and a new earth where, and I quote, ‘the former things shall not be remembered or come to mind’.

In the reading from John’s gospel we hear the story told by Jesus describing himself as the TRUE VINE. The reading from Isaiah along with the reading from the Book of Revelation very much remind us of our Christian hope and the gospel reading considers the example of Jesus.

As you know recently Helen and I visited Krakow in Poland where Pope John Paul II spent 40 years in ministry – some time ago I read a book by him, and in it he wrote about the hopes for and of young people. When he first became Pope he stood out on the balcony and shouted the words, ‘Be not afraid.’ For many people of all ages fear has actually become a routine part of life. It may not manifest itself in terror, but will more often reveal itself in a lack of hope for the future.

Pope John Paul II suggested that it is in our young people, who have great hope for the future, that our future lies. Of course he was right in many ways to place a great emphasis on the young, but more importantly again I think it is also necessary to restore hope in all people, and re-identify hope in the world.

In the reading from Isaiah, as I briefly mentioned, the prophet paints this picture of a new heaven and a new earth. It is very much in line with the picture painted in the Book of Revelation – a new Jerusalem will be built where there will be safety, peace and plenty for all, and where there will be joy unending.

How poignant this is in a world so often containing all too visible conflict, conflict which humanity seems either unable or unwilling to resolve. Perhaps it is a lesson for us all that it is only God that can bring a certain assurance of real and lasting peace.

So why does this intervention from God so often seem to be lacking ? Why does God not stop conflict ? Why does God not stop people from starving ? Why are people allowed to commit crimes ? There are many, many questions and only a fool would try to answer them all, but the primary answer is that God allows us freewill, and he does that because the relationship that he wants us to have with him is based not on force but on love.

Throughout the Bible we read of God’s efforts to reconcile us to him, and many times we see human failure preventing the complete reconciliation… a loving relationship can never be forced – a person only loves if they have the will to do so. God has earned our love and he continues to do so. Most notably we recognise the wonderful gift of Jesus… God allowing his Son to feel human pain, to face human torture, and to die – in order to take the punishment for our sins, but above all to show the lengths he is prepared to go because he loves us.

The readings tonight express the hope we have in Jesus – hope in a world where life may sometimes be hard, in a world where life sometimes seems unfair, in a world where suffering sometimes happens. But even through those things we have hope for the future. Somebody once wrote that Jesus made us look at pain, but also beyond it – the torture, the cross, the death were not the end of the story – there was hope beyond, and there is hope beyond any troubles of this life.

The first letter of Peter (1:3) contains the words, ‘Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. By his great mercy we have been born anew to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.’

Whilst we have the reward of fellowship with God and with other Christians here and now, we have also the much better promise of eternal life in a place where there will be no more suffering, no tears, no pain, but only joy… that means no sickness, no war, no hate, no hunger or disease, no drug or alcohol abuse, no late night fights. The words are real for today – joy means real joy and it is that joy we are called to reflect to other people – it is that hope which we must share with other people for the future of our society, and for the extension of the kingdom of God.

That hope isn’t restricted to young people – certainly they may not have had their hopes dashed as many times as someone older, maybe they have not had as many shaping life experiences, but we can be sure that hopes based on God are hopes that will be met – whether it is in the way we want them to be or expect them to be is another matter, but if we are prepared to put our trust and faith in him we will never be let down.

And that new life that provides our hope comes from the life, the death and the resurrection of Jesus.

And so it is the hope of Christianity and the example of Jesus that we need to be sharing through our lives. It can’t be done in words alone – we need actions as well. If we are to share hope then we need to explain that hope and its availability to all people and if we are to put forward the example of Jesus as a model life for people to follow then we need to show the merits of that example in our own lives.

And in the gospel reading Jesus reminds us of that example, ‘This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down his life for his friends.’

The example of Jesus was one of listening, helping, encouraging and giving – all sacrificially. We may not be called to give up our lives for someone else, but we are called to live out the love, care and compassion of Jesus for people.

Because it seems such an impossible task to do, I think we often just ignore the commandment of Jesus – but even though we will fail at times, as have disciples of Jesus for the past 2000 years, the only way that Christianity will grow is if people see Christians following the example of Jesus in all things.

In the gospel Jesus reminds us we are called to stay close to him in our lives, ‘I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit’, and then the real crux of the matter, ‘apart from me you can do nothing.’ It is only by staying close to Jesus through regular fellowship with Him that we are able to get closer to him, and be like him.

In case that is not clear the reading also offers us a warning of the perils of trying to live without Jesus, ‘Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers.’ If we try to build our lives based on the standards of the world then ultimately with the absence of Jesus, we will have no hope.

And so we return to the message of the last Pope, ‘Be not afraid’. The fears we have are often based unwittingly on a lack of faith- and that’s not something to be ashamed of, but something to be addressed – when Jesus stilled the storm he spoke to his disciples ‘Why are you afraid, you of little faith.’

The fact is that we have become so separated from God that it is natural to fear and natural for us to fail to put 100% trust in someone else, even Jesus himself… Natural perhaps but without that trust in our Saviour then we are missing out on a huge part of his glory and his plan for us.

It is only by rediscovering the hope in Christ and never forgetting that hope that we can begin to share that hope with those around us. There is no age restriction on a youthful hope, centred on adventure, excitement and joy – our Christian journey must be centred on these things because Christ is a Saviour of adventure, constantly calling us to new challenges. He is a Saviour of excitement, seeing these challenges met in our lives, and joy – Christ is a Saviour of joy, the joy for us in knowing that we have accepted the gift of life that has been offered and won for us, assuring us of the hope of a new heaven and a new earth, where there will be no more pain, no more tears, no more conflict, but only joy…. AMEN