Sermon Audio

We...rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.

Hope was a very evil thing in the ancient Greek world, according to a multitude of mythological interpretations. We all may recall the story of Pandora's Jar, though you may know it better by it's English reinterpretation: Pandora's Box. Pandora, the first woman according to Greek myth, opened a jar which contained all of the evils of mankind. Hesiod, who tells of the myth, did not write any details of the evils released, spare plagues and diseases. By all accounts, the story of Pandora's Jar and Prometheus stealing the secret of fire from the gods, is Greek mythology's fall into sin and the resulting curse. As the story goes, however, Pandora was curious to see what was in this jar and opened it to see inside, releasing every evil known to mankind, spare one: she closed the jar leaving only hope inside.

In ancient Greek thinking, the world was full of evil, and the story of Pandora's Jar helped to explain why that was the case. Their experience taught them not to hope for better days or better moments, because hope was fleeting and almost always failed. To them, it was the greatest evil, more than they could bear, so the myth goes that hope remained in the jar, because hope was more than mankind could bear.

It makes sense when one understands this one facet of Greek mythology, as told by Homer in his Iliad: "The immortals know no care, yet the lot they spin for man is full of sorrow..." The Greek epic poems and tragedies are filled with examples of the gods seeking new and many ways to torment mankind; why would they want man to hope for better times. Of course, it could go to their completely sadistic nature to allow hope only to have it dashed. On the other hand, to have man know that suffering is ever present and unrelenting is equally sadistic.

In any event, hope was an evil thing in ancient Greek thinking, having been contained in a jar with other evils according to their mythology.

So, it is with a bit of irony that Paul writes to a Greek-speaking audience (although in Rome, but Roman mythology is about the same as Greek) about the hope that we have in the only true God. "We...rejoice in the hope of the glory of God." He had once before spoken to the pagans in Athens, telling them that the god unknown to them is very much different from every god in their pantheon. (cf. Acts 17:19-34) In fact, he even spoke then of the beauty and good that is hope. When it comes to YHWH, the only true God, hope is a very good thing, because it is He that gives hope, backing it up with promises in which is found hope; and God always keeps His promises. Therefore, "we...rejoice in the hope of the glory of God."

In the midst of this evil and fallen world, there is hope—hope in a God who promises good and mercy, and always keeps His promises. Then, why is there evil in the world? Why do bad things happen to good, or in tonight's case, hopeful, people? Why does God allow evil and atrocities? Does God cause them?

The simple answer is that this is a fallen world. Similar to the Prometheus myth, but different, a man disobeyed God and brought destruction and ruin upon himself and his seed. Prometheus stole fire from the gods; in retaliation, the gods formed Pandora that man might lust after her, and she brought forth the myriad evils that man always experiences. Similarly, though different, Adam disobeyed God, not stopping his wife from eating of the forbidden fruit; as punishment, man was barred from Paradise to a land of hard work and sweat and decay and death. In both cases, man brought a curse upon himself, and every man, woman, and child born since participates in it and lives in it.

Through Adam, all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. And now, all suffer all sorts of evil as over all the curse impends. This is all as we heard from the sermon text from two weeks ago: "[T]hrough one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned... [B]y the one man's offense death reigned through the one... [T]hrough one man's offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation... [B]y one man's disobedience many were made sinners..." (Romans 5:12, 17a, 18a, 19a)

That's why bad things happen to everyone, why bad things happen to you, dear hearers. Because through Adam's offense judgment came to all men, even to you. By Adam's disobedience many were made sinners, even you, dear hearers. God cursed the earth and man because of Adam's sin (cf. Genesis 3:17-19), and so even from this planet we have been placed on, which God called good, come all sorts of disasters, decay, and death. No God is not the cause of evil, as if He is the author, but He does send evil our way because of Adam's first sin and our participation in it, much as He told Satan to torment Job. (Job 1:12; 2:6)

So, we suffer; such is our lot in life. However, it is not because of any vindictive or sadistic nature of God. No, we suffer with hope, because, unlike in Greek mythology, hope does not disappoint and teaches us that the suffering is only temporal and temporary! As St. Paul wrote:

And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

Hope does not disappoint, because it is backed by the promise of God, especially this promise of God: "So the LORD God said to the serpent: ...I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall [crush] your head, And you shall bruise His heel." (Genesis 3:15, edited) Yes, God did curse the man, the woman, and the world, but He did not leave them hopeless. And, as soon as He banished them from paradise, He made a sacrifice to cover their sins, fashioning for them clothes from animal hides. (cf. Genesis 3:21)

However, that was only a foreshadowing of the sacrifice to be made, a sacrifice that would once for all time cover the multitude of sins ever committed. This, also, demonstrates the difference between the one true God and the gods of Greek mythology. For not once is there an account in any epic poem or tragedy of a god sacrificing himself for the sake of man; sure, there are accounts of a god giving of himself to further his or her cause among man, but not once does a god take on human flesh and suffer and die as a man. The only true God did, fulfilling the promise made as Adam and Eve were expelled from paradise.

For, as the true story goes, Gabriel appeared to a young virgin and announced to her that she would bear the Son of God. He would be called Jesus, Y'shua—YHWH saves. He would be called Emmanuel—God with us. He is God in the flesh—real, human flesh—not merely a manifestation that some false, Greek god supposedly took. He would go on to lead a sinless life, without a hint of an evil, vindictive, or sadistic desire. And, some 33 years after the Annunciation, He would take upon Himself all sin, all evil, vindictive, and sadistic desires and die with them on the cross, shedding His blood as a covering for sins, winning for all men forgiveness and justification and life.

This is what we heard from the pen of St. Paul this evening:

For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Contrary to the Greek idea of god and hope, the only true God loves us, and demonstrated that love toward us, "in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." No Greek god has ever, in mythology, done that, nor would they have. "Believe this," God says, and He gives faith in order to believe it (yet there are some who refuse this grace).

Therefore, those who receive faith have hope, a hope that does not disappoint. For God is faithful to His promises, as He has demonstrated in the sacrifice of His only-begotten Son, among the many other promises He has made and kept. Now, hear this promise of God: "In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also." (John 14:2-3)

That, dear hearers, is where your hope lies, and this hope will not disappoint. For "the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us;" that is to say, you have been made faithful. You have been given faith to believe and trust in the promises of God, because you know God to be faithful to His promises by the gift of the Holy Spirit, who was abundantly poured out upon you in the waters of Holy Baptism. And so, you rejoice! You rejoice in the faith we have been given. You rejoice in the promises of God. You rejoice to know that by grace through faith a mansion is prepared for you in the Father's house. You "rejoice in the hope of the glory of God." All of this because of the promise fulfilled in the death of the Son of God, Jesus, Emmanuel, by which you are forgiven for all of your sins.