Hope Sermon, Part 3

The ancient Greeks saw hope as an evil. When Pandora opened Pandora’s Box, she let out all evils except one. She slammed the lid shut before it escaped. The world was filled with these evils that tormented it. She finally opened the box and the last evil - hope was released. This gave humanity something to combat despair. When hope was released, it weakly left the box, but its potency was great enough to combat every other evil.

Nietzsche interpreted the story this way: Zeus did not want man to throw his life away, no matter how much the other evils might torment him, but rather to go on letting himself be tormented anew. To that end, he gives man hope. In truth, it is the most evil of evils because it prolongs man's torment.

Hope is ours to combat despair. Paul tells us in Hebrews 6:18-19 that “God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.”

Hope is an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.

For many of us, hopelessness and despair were epitomized on April 20, 1999 when two young men began shooting their classmates at Columbine High School. As information came out about their lives and the torment that was happening inside their minds, it became clear that they knew nothing of hope.

The story could have ended at that point. But, this is where something amazing happens. That last little evil that Pandora released from her box shows up, even after the trauma and tragedy of that day. We began to hear stories of people like Rachel Green and Cassie Bernall, who believed in the hope of everlasting life. Families of other children have come forward throughout the years telling stories of hope through the tragedy.

While Job is in the middle of all his trauma, he offers these words, “Keep silent and let me speak; then let come to me what may. Why do I put myself in jeopardy and take my life in my hands? Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him; I will surely defend my ways to his face. Indeed, this might turn out for my deliverance, for no godless man would dare come before him.” (Job 13:13-16)

Listen to the words of the Psalmist.

Psalm 130
“Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord; O Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy. If you, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness; therefore you are feared.

“I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning.

“O Israel, put your hope in the Lord, for with the Lord is unfailing love and with him is full redemption, He himself will redeem Israel from all their sins.”

The words of the Psalms are filled with despair and hope. At the moment that David gets to the bottom-most point, he remembers the God who created him and is flooded with hope.