If you’ve watched any old western movies lately, you notice that the “bad guys” seem to dominate the action, getting away with crime after crime, and intimidating the towns people. Early in the movie a mild-mannered “hero” appears on the scene, and though outnumbered by the bad forces, he remains a figure of hope for the people. It is not until the end of the movie that the tide turns, and the hero begins to get the upper hand.
Are not our times similar to what we see in the movies? The forces of darkness seem to be winning, and beacons of light that we once depended on have been reduced to a flicker. We need a “figure of hope” to look to during times such as these– hero confident that in time the “bad guys” will be done away with.
Our reading from the Book of Hebrews today is all about hope (Hebrews 6:10-20).
“God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love you have demonstrated for his name by having served and continuing to serve the holy ones.”
Our past fidelities are not forgotten by God. He knows our histories. He will not let us down when the going gets tough.
“We earnestly desire each of you to demonstrate the same eagerness for the fulfillment of hope until the end, so that you may not become sluggish, but imitators of those who, through faith and patience, are inheriting the promises.”
Hope grows in us every time we make an act of trust in God. A breakthrough will come; we just don’t know when. So we do more than just “hang in there;” we are told to exercise our gift of hope with “eagerness,” and in spite of the difficulties we face, not to become spiritually sluggish. When we look to the saints, we see models of persistent faith and patient endurance. The same grace that sustained them, is available to us right now.
“…we who have taken refuge might be strongly encouraged to hold fast to the hope that lies before us. This we have as an anchor of the soul, sure and firm, which reaches into the interior behind the veil, where Jesus has entered on our behalf as forerunner, becoming high priest forever…”
The word we are given is “encouragement”—receive a new dose of courage from God by the Holy Spirit so we can “hold fast to the hope” that lies ahead of us. Just as an anchor digs into the bed of a sea and holds a boat in place even when storms are tossing it around violently, so our hope reaches “behind the veil,” into the bed of heaven where Jesus already awaits us and intercedes for us. Since the boats of our lives are anchored in heaven, no storm can shake our inmost calm, as the hymn states.
Even if the “movie” of our lives seems to be taking a turn for the worst and the “bad guys” seem to be taking over the town, our hero, quiet and strong, stands in our midst assuring us that he has everything in control.
We have the option of looking at the terrible factors that make up the storm or keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus. He has already made it through the worst possible storm and is now safely home. In him, our hope.
“May the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ enlighten the eyes of our hearts, that we may know what is the hope that belongs to our call” (Ephesians 1:17-18)
