“Be prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you.” And so we are reminded that our hope is not unreasonable, our hope is rooted in the works of God. As Peter says, “Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God.”  The works of Christ are the reason for your hope. Not your effort, not your wisdom, not your great deeds, but the suffering, death, and resurrection of Christ give hope.

St. Peter knows about the realities of human life, about suffering and failure, about the difficulty of standing firm in your faith when opposition arises around you. He could never forget his own betrayal, his denial of Jesus. I’m sure the sound of a rooster crowing regularly gave him nightmares. But he also knew of the life-changing compassion and forgiveness our Lord poured out upon him after the resurrection, when he called him to feed his sheep. And so his word to us this morning speaks to the reality of living as the people of God, about living with hope. He says, “Always be prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil.”

We can press on, we can be slandered, reviled, and even suffer, yet endure because of the hope that we have. Hope. Hope is a powerful reality in our lives. To have hope is to live with the assurance and expectation of something beyond your current reality. Hope moves you forward, hope gives courage in the face of opposition. Over the years, I’ve had conversations with couples who are really struggling in their relationship. Now, if they’re in my office and not speaking with attorneys, there remains a desire to keep their union together. I’m not a licensed counselor or a therapist in any way, but they come to me as their pastor seeking some guidance. And one thing I’ve learned over the years is that even if there has been a great betrayal and deep hurt, it can be overcome, but not without hope. What I mean by that is that the hope for a better future together, the hope of forgiveness, the hope of reconciliation, is what is needed to do the work necessary in the moment. Without that hope, it seems to be over before any work is done.

When I was thinking through all this, I began to see more clearly how big a role hope plays in my own life. I can think of countless examples, both professionally and personally, where I might have given up if it were not for hope. I’m sure you are probably the same way, that there are many times where the difference between complete despair and the courage and strength to press on was hope. I’ve witnessed it many times in the people of God. Like a grieving wife holding the hand of her dying husband.

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