12.8.19 - The Promise of Hope (Kenny Camacho)

SCRIPTURE (from the Revised Common Lectionary): Romans 15:4-13; Isaiah 11:1-10; Psalm 72; Matthew 3:1-12

In his letter to the Romans, Paul writes that hope is the product of steadfast belief. He tells the Gentiles of the city that all of the Law and all of the writings of the Old Testament prophets point forward to the arrival of Jesus, and by believing in him, we are connected to that story and given the gift of real hope. This leads us to two important responsibilities in the Advent season and beyond: first, we need to do the work of getting to know Jesus by exploring just who the Law and the prophets say he should be. By doing this, we are strengthening our beliefs about who Jesus says he is! And second, we need to live out what Jesus teaches us about being human; this is how we do the work of actually believing! Paul’s letter tells us that doing these two things produces hope in us, and as we live more and more like Christ, it allows hope to pour out from us into our world.