Jim:
Romans 8:12-27
I think the one passage in all of the readings that touched me most this morning comes from Romans 8:24-25: "For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience." I don't know how universally true that statement is, considering that we often say "out of sight means out of mind," and so forth. But I know that Paul is returning to a question of trust. Do we trust God to carry out our salvation even when we don't necessarily see the process unfolding? Later in chapter 8 Paul will make the case for God's steadfast love in Jesus Christ, but here he seems to be saying that our trust (or hope) in God is not misplaced and that patience will serve us well.
Jeremiah 22:13-23
Jeremiah was speaking to a King of Judah who needed more patience, and certainly needed more trust or expectation or hope in God. King Jehoiakim had chosen to build a lavish palace instead of concentrating on the care that his people needed and deserved. In verse 15 Jeremiah asks, "Are you a king because you compete in cedar? Did not your father eat and drink and do justice and righteousness? Then it was well with him." Jehoiakim has essentially rejected the practices of his father, has turned away from God, and will suffer the consequences. He has not trusted God to be active in the affairs of state. It would appear that Jehoiakim is not willing to let go of what he sees (the trappings of power and wealth) to embrace what he does not see (God's desire for justice).
John 6:41-51
In John 6 Jesus is inviting his listeners to trust in him as God's Son. In verses 49 and 50 Jesus says, "Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die." The Jews to whom Jesus is speaking are not willing to let go of what they see (the law) in order to embrace the hope they do not see (Jesus as God's Son).
1 comment:
The word that jumped out at me in the Roman's passage was "patience". This is something I struggle with on a daily basis, and patience is something our society seems to have little of. It is intriguing to think of hope or faith in terms of patience. It is comforting to think that my hope in Christ is a sign of my patience...Perhaps when I am struggling with patience throughout my day I can think of the hope I have in the unseen, and draw on that for encouragement.
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