What do you hope for?

“Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things and no good thing ever dies.  I will hoping that this letter finds you, and finds you well.  Your friend, Andy.”  Those are among my favorite words in any movie script I have ever had the joy of listening to.  They are from the Shawshank Redemption, and in many ways, sum up the movie.  It is a movie about hope when it is all said and done.  How do you keep hope alive in a prison?  How do you keep on going when events conspire against you?  Tim Robbins’ character, Andy Dufrane does just that – and teaches Red how to keep hope alive even when it is difficult.

So, what does that have to do with the gospel today?  If you read the beatitudes in reverse order, - starting with the second phrase rather than the “blessed are those” part, they become a meditation on Christian hope, don’t they?  Listen to the cadence:
            theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
            they will be comforted.
            the will inherit the land.
            they will be satisfied.
            they will be shown mercy.
            they will be called the children of God.
            they will see God

What can we hope for – the list includes the kingdom of heaven, comfort and consolation, sharing in God’s reign; justice and mercy; seeing God, being children of God, and perfect joy and happiness.  In Jesus’ life, death and resurrection, the ‘good things that never die’ – the best of things – become realities that are gifts to us. 

And there is another level to this message of hope contained in the beatitudes.  Let’s look at them again from the perspective of Jesus.  What does Jesus hope for in speaking these?  When Jesus is sitting there, looking out over the crowds that followed him – what is the hope in his heart?  Listen to that cadence”
Blessed are the poor in spirit’
Blessed are they who mourn,.
Blessed are the meek,
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
Blessed are the merciful,.
Blessed are the clean of heart,
Blessed are the peacemakers,
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,
           
What Jesus hopes for is that those who are on the underside of life might come to know God’s love.  The meek, the poor, the mourners, the hungry – those who lack what makes life on this world an experience of joy –  Jesus wants for them to know that they share God’s special closeness, God’s blessing.  Those who can only depend on another for their daily bread, they have to know how much they matter to God and to Jesus.  “For this I have come – to preach the good news.”  That is what Jesus hopes for.  And it spills out not in an ethical plan or a moral set of guideposts – though there is that in the Beatitudes.  Rather, it comes out in an expression of hope – Jesus’ and ours.  And when we live mercy, when we seek God above all things, when we hunger for righteousness, our hopes and Jesus’ hope become one and we know a blessedness that no one can take from us.

This week, re-read these beatitudes twice – backwards first to hear the hope that is ours.  And then forward from the perspective of the heart of Jesus and his hopes for us.  And on this day, when companies will be paying $90,000 a SECOND to tell you what will make your life blessed and happy, what you should hope for – don’t believe them.  Enjoy the super bowl commercials.  But see through the lie.  Jesus wants so much more for us.  The promised hope is so much more.  “Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies.  I hope this gospel finds you, and finds you well.  Your Friend.  Jesus.”