Confession Time: I am not a fan of The Wizard of OZ. Never have been. You know the story I’m sure. Dorothy wants to get back to Kansas (why I ask?). The Tinman wants a heart. The Scarecrow a brain. The Lion his courage. The wizard is supposed to give it to them, but he is nothing more than a balding professor who is great with a sound and light show, but has absolutely no idea how to meet their needs. To make a long story short, he tells each of them to look deep inside themselves for the answer. That sounds like a bunch of junk we hear today. The correct terminology is “Balderdash!”

Someone has said, “A man can live 40 days without food, about 3 days without water, about 8 minutes without air…but only for one second without hope.” I’m not sure how accurate that really is but, in essence, he is saying if we take away hope we have no reason to live.

My sermon Sunday finishes my time in Luke for 2014 with “The Miracle of Hope.” It focuses on the miracle-working power of Jesus to heal and raise the dead in Luke 7:1-17. Jesus gave hope to two who had none. The centurion’s servant, who, according to a parallel account in Matthew 8, was a paralytic and in severe pain. The other story was even deeper pain. It is the story of a widow whose only son had died (the epitome of grief in that day) and was being carried to be buried. Lost the husband, then lose the son. No hope left.

But Jesus steps in and gives hope where none is found. Just as He does today. He still instills hope when all seems hopeless. What a tremendous message we have!

First, Happy Thanksgiving Day if you are reading this Wednesday night or Thursday.

Second, if you can squeeze in a prayer for Sunday I would appreciate it.

I’ll be back Sunday night/Monday morning with a new post!