A 24/7/365 Trinity of Hope
Good Morning Friends,
Although various traditions sometimes emphasize different Advent themes almost always one is dedicated to hope because the long-prophesied birth of the Messiah was something that God’s prophets and people had looked forward to for ages. The parable of the widow and the unjust judge shows the kind of persistent hope that Christ desires to find in each of us.
Perhaps you see it in a Dickens Christmas Carol kind of hope echoed in scripture. Reading Old Testament scriptures about the hoped-for Messiah helps recreate the anticipation that people felt before Jesus’ birth even as we look forward to the excitement of Christmas Eve. But reading New Testament scriptures also helps us focus on the hope that we have in Christ in our lives today, as well as causing us to look forward to his Second Coming in A 24/7/365 Trinity of Hope.
Scripture: 18Then Jesus* told them a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart. 2He said, ‘In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor had respect for people. 3In that city there was a widow who kept coming to him and saying, “Grant me justice against my opponent.” 4For a while he refused; but later he said to himself, “Though I have no fear of God and no respect for anyone, 5yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will grant her justice, so that she may not wear me out by continually coming.” ‘*
6And the Lord said, ‘Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7And will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long in helping them? 8I tell you, he will quickly grant justice to them. And yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?’
Luke 18:1-8 (NRSV)
61The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners; 2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn;
Isaiah 61:1–2 (NRSV)
5Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we* have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2through whom we have obtained access* to this grace in which we stand; and we* boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. 3And not only that, but we* also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.
Romans 5:1–5 (NRSV)
Message: In the parable of the widow and the unjust judge, we meet an extraordinary woman who refuses to accept her fate. She voices opposition to injustice without relenting. As a result of her persistence, even the unjust judge is prompted to act. If an unjust judge can be moved to grant justice, then imagine how much God desires to help those who are wronged, oppressed, and in need. God looks upon the foreigner, the orphan, and the widow with deep concern for their plight. With our help, God can respond. This helpful service to God is the active faith that Christ desires to see when he comes to earth. The unjust judge refused to express any sort of faithfulness when he ignored his duty to care for the widow. We don’t want to be like that, we want Christ to find faith in us, and no expression of hoping with God is more deeply rooted in love of God than the duty to love and care for our neighbor in need, just as God loves and cares for us! And we must do so with persistent hope. Here we realize that we can find peace with God when we surrender our will. We can have 24/7/365 access to God when He takes up residence within us. We have something to celebrate because we have the unmerited favor of God…grace. Each day we can rejoice in the hope that we might actually live the life God designed us to live. For when we know in faith that God has our best interests at heart we can persevere day after day. Knowing that this must produce character, our hope is strengthened with confidence and the love of God in the Holy Spirit that can bless us each and every day. At this time of year we can get lost in the season until we realize that the Christ of Christmas can be near us in every season…the best of times and the worst of times change in the timeless reality of God’s love.
Pray we be authentic. Pray we be of good cheer. Pray we have no regrets. Pray we be aware of God each day, seven days a week, and 365 days a year. Pray we eat of the fruit that is never out of season. Pray we take the light out into the world each and every day. Pray we experience the spirit Christmas past, present and future, activating a usefulness and kindness in us that perseveres and promulgates hope throughout the year. Pray we can celebrate the gift of the Christmas season in every season in hope and in faith of Christ’s return. Pray the spirit of Christmas is reinvented and revived in us each day.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 