THE DANGER OF HOPE

Hope is a funny thing. It can lead to excitement, joy, and peace. But hope can also lead to despair, discouragement, and defeat.

Hope fulfilled is the best thing in the world.

Hope disappointed is the worst thing in the world. 
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DANGER AHEAD

When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi,
he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”
They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah;
and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?
Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
-Matthew 16:13-15
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​In Matthew 16 we observe an exchange between Jesus and the disciples in which Peter recognizes that Jesus is the Messiah. But just a few short verses later we learn that while Peter was right that Jesus was the Messiah, he did not fully understand the implications of this truth. 
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From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples
that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands
of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law,
and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.
 Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.
“Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!”
Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan!
You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind
the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”
-Matthew 16:20-23

​Peter was a Jew. The Jewish people had long awaited a messiah to rescue them from their captivity. The problem was that they expected a physical king to relieve their physical circumstances and deliver them from their physical problems, rather than a spiritual King who would relieve their spiritual condition and deliver them from their spiritual destruction. 
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THE RISK OF FALSE HOPE

​Because he was seeking a physical king with physical deliverance, Peter’s hope was inevitably disappointed, and his disillusionment quickly led to fear, despair, and destructive behavior to deal with his discouragement. 
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“You will all fall away,” Jesus told them, “for it is written:
“‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.
But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.”
Peter declared, “Even if all fall away, I will not.”
“Truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “today—yes, tonight--
before the rooster crows twice you yourself will disown me three times.”
But Peter insisted emphatically, “Even if I have to die with you,
I will never disown you.” And all the others said the same.

Then everyone deserted him and fled.
-Mark 14:27-31, 50
 
 While Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls
of the high priest came by. When she saw Peter warming himself,
she looked closely at him. “You also were with that
Nazarene, Jesus,” she said. But he denied it.
“I don’t know or understand what you’re talking about,” he said,
and went out into the entryway. When the servant girl saw him there,
she said again to those standing  around, “This fellow is one of them.”
Again he denied it. After a little while, those standing near
said to Peter, “Surely you are one of them, for you are a Galilean.”
He began to call down curses, and he swore to them,
“I don’t know this man you’re talking about.”
Immediately the rooster crowed the second time.
hen Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken to him:
“Before the rooster crows twice you will disown me three times.”
And he broke down and wept.
Mark 14:66-72

Overwhelmed by the reality of Judas’ betrayal and Jesus being held captive and beaten, Peter acted out of fear and found himself saying and doing things he never would have imagined, and in fact, had adamantly asserted he would never do.

But then things changed.

And it didn’t make sense.

Jesus was the Messiah. How could this happening? Why wasn’t He stopping it? Why wasn’t He fighting? Why wasn’t He delivering them?

Though Jesus had told Peter that His Kingdom was not of this world, Peter didn’t believe Him.

Though Jesus had warned Peter that this would happen, Peter didn’t believe Him.

Though Jesus had cautioned Peter that he would fail, Peter didn’t believe Him.

Peter’s hope was based on what He wanted to believe Jesus would do rather than on what Jesus himself promised to do.

THE MORNING AFTER

Many would agree that Good Friday was a very bad day for Peter. But I would suggest that the next day was even worse, as he awoke to discover that it was not just a bad dream.

Jesus was still dead.

Peter had still denied Him.

And there were still no answers.

Except there were. 
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From that time Jesus began to show his disciples
that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things
from the elders and chief priests and scribes,
and be killed, and on the third day be raised.
-Matthew 16:21

Just as Jesus had warned Peter of His death and Peter’s denial, Jesus had also told the disciples of His resurrection. And yet, just like the other warnings, Peter didn’t believe it. And he may not have consciously chosen not to believe it, but at the very least he forgot.

In the midst of his fear, in the midst of his disappointment and confusion, Peter forgot that Jesus told him that this was a temporary problem to bring about a permanent solution to the greatest need we all possess: peace with God.

Saturday was gut-wrenching. But Sunday was coming. 
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YOU, ME, AND PETER

If we’re honest, you and I have a lot in common with Peter when it comes to hope.

How many of us disregard what God has clearly said (warned, encouraged, or directed), only to be disappointed and disillusioned? We expect circumstantial relief when God Is offering us spiritual relief, and much like Peter, in response to our pain, we betray Jesus with our actions that are rooted in fear, despair, and hopelessness.  

We want hope, but far too often our hope is anchored to the wrong things. Instead of being rooted in God’s Word, in His Truth, in His promises, and in His proven track record, we often let our hope be attached to things such as:

• OURSELVES – hoping in what we, ourselves, can accomplish
  “If I can just reach this goal, I’ll be happy.”
  
  
• OUR CIRCUMSTANCES – a better job, more money, nice stuff, good health
  “If I just get this problem fixed, I’ll feel better.”
  
  
• OUR RELATIONSHIPS – more friends, better friends, better marriages, better family dynamics
  “If I just get this relationship straight, I’ll be okay.”
  
  
• OUR LEADERS – politicians, managers, pastors, mentors
  “With the right leader, our problems will be solved.”
  
  
• THE FUTURE – some unknown point where things will magically be better
  “If I can just make it to next week, next month, next year…things are bound to better by then.”
  
  

The sad truth is that none of these things can offer any real hope. We can’t swing it all, our circumstances are beyond our control and always in flux, our relationships will always have ups and downs, there is no perfect leader, and the future is not necessarily going to be bright.

When these realities crash in, where do we turn?

Peter ran. He hid. And eventually, he went back to fishing.

We can be guilty of isolating, too. Sometimes we can find it easier to revert back to our old way of doing things because it’s familiar and comfortable.

Sometimes we respond to discouragement by distracting ourselves with pleasure: food, entertainment, shopping, or even a substance to dull the hurt.

Other times we throw ourselves into destructive relationships, hoping that another person will heal our pain.

False hope is dangerous because it leads to no hope.

And no hope hurts.

But no hope is a good place to start.
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THE REWARD OF TRUE HOPE

Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.
Psalm 43:5

Do any of the worthless idols of the nations bring rain?
Do the skies themselves send down showers? No, it is you, Lord our God.
Therefore our hope is in you, for you are the one who does all this.
Jeremiah 14:22

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him,
so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 15:13

We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith,
your labor prompted by love,
and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ
1 Thessalonians 1:3

Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant
nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain,
but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us
with everything for our enjoyment.
1 Timothy 6:17

Through him you believe in God,
who raised him from the dead and glorified him,
and so your faith and hope are in God.
1 Peter 1:21
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I’ve noticed something about the promises of God in Scripture, and that is that God does not make promises for circumstantial relief. Rather, He promises to heal us spiritually, not always physically. He promises to make us holy, not always happy. He promises to make us whole, to make us new, and to provide us with every spiritual blessing in Christ.

Peter was distracted by the Messiah he wanted – a physical king with a physical blessing. But Jesus was so much more than that. Jesus met our greater need by becoming our Spiritual King to provide reconciliation to God, deliverance from sin, and entrance into a Kingdom that can never perish or fade!  

There is a lot of uncertainty in our world right now. A lot of people are experiencing the disappointment and despair that comes from false hope. But let it not be said of us that we have hoped in our health, hoped in our politicians, hoped in our jobs, or hoped in our personal abilities.

The circumstantial and physical benefits we desire are simply side effects of His spiritual blessings in our lives, and therefore, are not always guaranteed. But they’re also not necessary for peace and joy. Let us not give in to the temptation to let our desire for physical relief to overshadow the spiritual promises of Christ.  

Instead, let us hope in God.

God, who never changes.

God, who is only ever good.

God, who loves us deeply beyond our understanding.

God, who is in control and has a plan and purpose for all that we endure.

God, who is with us in every trial and suffering.

We may not know why God is doing what He is doing in our lives and that’s okay. I’ve discovered that I don’t need to know the why when I know the Who.

It may feel bad, but God is good.

It may hurt, but God loves me.

It may be hard, but God is with me.

It may seem impossible, but God is in control.  

​It may be Saturday, but Sunday’s coming. 
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But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord,
I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 7:7