GROANING

Romans 8:18-25; PS 126 The Lord has done marvels for us; Luke 13:18-21


Ponder these words from St. Paul this morning, "we also groan within ourselves as we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies…"

How many groans have we experienced within ourselves as we long for redemption, especially redemption of our bodies?

We drag these bodies around that gain weight, lose weight, get sick, get better, grow wrinkles, get flabby, lose hair only to grow hair in other places not known for it, get broken, and get bruised.

We drag these bodies around that get emotional, depressed, hyper, manic, confused, elated, disturbed, scared, over joyed, overwhelmed, shocked just to name a few.

When it seems too much then we sigh or groan and we unite ourselves to that longing for redemption.

Perhaps we feel what we feel and experience what we experience just for the purpose of reminding us that we aren't there yet; we have been redeemed but we are in need of redemption still.

Even our groans are not wasted!

They too point us to Christ!

As St. Paul continues, "For in hope we are saved. Now hope that sees for itself is not hope.  For who hopes for what one sees?  But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait with endurance."

We groan and we hope and we wait with endurance.

Sometimes the Kingdom is in the process of rising like dough as Jesus reminds us.  Or perhaps it is being kneaded or again maybe baked or at least finally eaten.  But somewhere in that process we find ourselves groaning, waiting, enduring and we know we are on our way and that makes all the difference.