Greg Hershberger

Romans 15:1-13

December 6, 1998

"The Gift of Hope"

The search for the perfect Christmas gift is on. A few years ago it was a doll called the Cabbage Patch Kid. A couple of years ago it was a giggling toy called the Tickle-Me-Elmo. This year I'm told that the title of perfect Christmas gift goes to a little stuffed toy with a tremendous vocabulary. He goes by the name of Furby, and people have already caused small riots in bigger cities like L.A.--all in search of this toy of the season; all part of the search for the perfect Christmas gift.

I have to say this morning, though, that the Furby is not the greatest gift to be given this year, because you see, the Furby will be left behind next year for yet another toy. It'll be left behind for something else with more gimmicks, more gadgets. It's value will fade away. There is a gift, however, which everyone can receive, a gift which doesn't lose its value. You don't have to fight big mall crowds to find it, you don't have to spend big money to get it. You already have it--you only need to share it. The gift you have to give doesn't come with gimmicks or gadgets. You can't wrap it up in nice paper and put it under the tree. But you can rely on it when all else fades away. You see, the gift you have to share is the gift of hope.

Now, that would sound like a relatively simple thing to say. I mean, everyone this time of year seems to find a new sense of spirit and hope about them. Sure, there are a few Ebenezer Scrooge's here and there, but for the most part there seems to be something in the air that brings a change. People are nicer, forgiveness comes easier, smiles abound. It seems that during this time of year people are more willing to spread a little bit of hope here and there. They call it spreading Christmas cheer. It is in many ways a contagious feeling, because it feels good to be in that Christmas mood. We feel freer with ourselves, as if something has happened to set us free. And you know, we want others to feel that same way, so we try to do nice things for other people. We try to be helpful, as least for this time of Christmas.

As we all know, though, the feeling begins to fade by the time December is over, and people are often left with the sense of being let down. There is often a feeling that something great has just passed us by, as if we only get to hold on to it for a moment, and then it's gone. I guess that's the problem with the Christmas spirit. It's only temporary, sort of like a sugar rush.

Scientists have found in the past that sugar has a certain affect on the body, as many of you know, especially those of you who have spent much time with children. You see, the scientists found that when sugar enters the bloodstream it explodes into this massive surge of energy for the body. It's what is commonly called a sugar rush. And in that moment that you feel that rush, you get this sense of renewed energy, this feeling that you have been recharged. But then the rush fades away, and when it does it ironically brings a feeling of fatigue. Because you see, when you are on that rush, that peak of energy, you are ready for anything, except for the sudden change in energy levels. That sudden change from high to low is more than the body can handle, and it leaves the body feeling fatigued and exhausted.

That, unfortunately is the story for many people during this time of year. For those who are blessed with the Christmas spirit, the ending of the year is a minor let down, but for many people the story is not so easy. I never realized that this was true until a few years ago when I was told that statistically December is the month when the highest number of suicides happen during the year. In December of all months! I remember being staggered by that fact, but over the years I began to realize why it was true. Too many people don't hear the true message behind Christmas, that is to say, the message of hope.

It seems that enough people are disillusioned by the fact that this Christmas euphoria is only temporary. As someone recently put it, during this time when everyone else is telling these people to be happy, they find that request to be the hardest of all. Some people have forgotten how to be happy because they have lost sight of that gift of hope, or worse yet they have never seen or heard of it. That's why Paul's words at the beginning of the 15th chapter of Romans are so important for us today. He says, "Those of us who are strong and able in the faith need to step in and lend a hand to those who falter, and not just do what is more convenient for us. Strength is for service, not status. Each of us needs to look after the good of the people around us, asking ourselves, 'How can I help?'"

Paul says, "That's what Jesus did!" He came down here and walked among us, as if God came to a people who were lost and said, 'How can I help you find the way back? That's often what God calls us to do in the Church today. But it's not just about saying the right thing to people. No, notice what the question asks: "How can I help?" The question itself lends one's entire person into the question. To ask, "How can I help?" is to ask, "How can I be a living sign of God's hope for you and me? How can I help bring you closer to God?" The greatest part of all is that this question, this reaching out, brings a gift of hope that never fades. Even after Christmas is over the hope remains.

Because, you see, we profess a hope that goes beyond mere feeling. We profess a hope that goes beyond mere seasonal highs and lows. I mean, did you hear the words of Isaiah today? He said, (Isa 11:1-10). Those are the words of hope that we live by, a hope that the words "Peace on Earth" aren't just a catchy Christmas slogan. We live by the hope that our lives are rooted in this tree of Jesse, from which the branch of salvation is found. We live by hope in Jesus Christ, and that's what makes us different from everyone else.

And it's because we're different that we live as people who are different. Paul says, "Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God." Even more importantly, welcome those who have yet to be brought to the table of hope. Welcome those who long for the good news of God's word, and yet resist it because they think it is temporary like the rest of the Christmas season which represents it. Become for them the witness as one who lives by a constant hope, because it is in that hope that we are all redeemed. It is in that hope that we are found on this path of salvation. It is in that hope that we meet one another in this place. That's why Paul's words sum it up for us here, as he repeats what was once said before him: "As it is written, 'Therefore I will confess you among the Gentiles, and sing praises to your name'; and again he says, 'Rejoice, O all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples praise him'; and again Isaiah says, 'The root of Jesse shall come, the one who rises to rule the Gentiles; in him the Gentile shall hope."

That's the good news. In him all people, Jews and Gentiles have hope. As you prepare to come to this table today, take a moment to thank God for the greatest gift you have been given, the gift of hope. And, even more importantly, fill your pockets with the Holy Spirit while here you're in His presence, so that as you leave this place you will be able to give to others the living gift of the Christmas season whose value never fades. That gift, of course, is the gift of hope.