A Sermon for Easter (5 April 2026)
In the Greek myth of
Pandora, Pandora is given a box. She is
told NOT to open the box under any circumstances. Curiosity eventually gets the best of Pandora,
however, and she opens the box to see what is inside. All the ills of the world come flying out: envy,
sickness, hate, disease. Quickly,
Pandora snaps the box shut.
Too late, the only thing
that is left inside the box is hope. Hope,
that fragile thing with feathers.[1] The Pandora myth teaches us about the
persistence of hope. Even in the face of
challenges and obstacles, hope endures and pushes us on. Hope encourages us with the way things should
be as opposed to the way things are.
What brings you hope? What keeps you going in the face of life’s obstacles? Maybe it is the support of family and
friends. Perhaps it is the promise of a
fresh start a new day brings. Maybe it
is the joy of an ocean breeze and the tang of salt in the air. Perhaps it is in seeing renewed promise in a
sunrise or a sunset.
Today we celebrate the
ultimate source of hope: Easter. Today
we celebrate new and unending life. The
tomb is empty! Death is vanquished! Jesus has risen victorious over sin and
death. Nothing, absolutely positively
nothing, can separate us from God’s love, as Paul reminds us (and the Romans):
Not trouble Not hard times
Not hatred Not hunger
Not homelessness Not
bullying threats
Not backstabbing
Not even the worst sins listed in
Scripture
(Romans 8:35; MSG)
“But that's not all!” as Paul tells the Christian
community in Rome. “We gladly suffer,
because we know that suffering helps us to endure. And endurance builds character, which gives
us a hope that will never disappoint us” (Romans 5:3-5a; CEV). The Romans knew a little bit about
persecution. They were suffering for
their faith.
So, Paul writes his words
of hope and encouragement. The Apostle
seeks to uphold the early community in their struggles. Paul wants the Romans, and us, to know we can
trust and hope 100% on God. Sin and death
don’t get the last laughs. Pain and
suffering do not win the day. In the
end, God triumphs!
Good words for you and me
to hold on too as we seek to find hope in the midst of challenging times. We know how the story ends. After the betrayal of Maundy Thursday, after
the suffering of Good Friday, there is Easter.
Easter is here! Easter has come! All hope is now yours and mine for all time.
We are an Easter people
living in a Good Friday world! You and I
are called to bear witness to our hope.
Easter is a great place to start.
Like the Marys, like the disciples, like Pandora, may you and I go forth as beacons of
light and hope to a broken, hurting world.
God triumphs! Love wins! Jesus’ Easter victory is our victory.
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