Aron began his descent into the narrow slot canyon. As he repelled downward, he dislodged a large boulder pinning his right forearm to the canyon wall. He couldn’t free himself and remained trapped in the canyon. After four uneasy days, he resigned himself to death. He carved an epitaph on the canyon wall with a small multi-tool he had with him. By the fifth day, visions of his friends, loved ones, and future family gave him the hope to persist and courage to make a harrowing decision. To break free from the boulder’s grip, Aron made the excruciating choice to amputate his own arm with the dull muti-tool knife. Through it all, hope sustained Aron. Visions of the future gave him courage to free himself from the grip of the massive chockstone.
We don’t find ourselves facing the grueling choice of amputating our arm like Aron, but there are places in our lives where we are trapped between a rock and a hard place; times when we are faced with difficult choices. Decisions about restoring severed family relationships, seeking whether to leave behind addiction, choosing how to approach a rocky financial situation, or the narrow pathways after a loss of healthcare. It can be the fast-paced decisions that come along with the holiday season- preparing for family, budgeting precious time, and keeping faith at the center of it all. The weight and choices of life can pin us in between a rock and a hard place. And it is not uncommon to find our faith tested and challenged in those moments, especially when we wonder where and how God is working.
We can find our faith tested and challenged in difficult moments, especially when we wonder where and how God is working.
The scriptures readings for this week’s lectionary provide two different examples of being stuck in between a rock and a hard place. They are a reminder that we are not the only generation of people to find ourselves facing difficult decisions in the face of uncertainty, societal pressure, and challenge to faith. And in the midst of difficult decisions, these scriptures assure us of God’s covenant love and faithfulness.
Our first reading focuses on an interaction with Isaiah and King Ahaz, who is in a very difficult situation. The Assyrian army was narrowing in on the northern Kingdoms of Israel and Aram, and those two nations were pressing King Ahaz to form an alliance. Ahaz was in between a rock and a hard place- neither the Assyrians nor the northern kingdoms offer a positive outlook for the future. But amid the ongoing turmoil, the prophet Isaiah is imploring Ahaz to trust not in foreign powers and alliances, but in God and in the promise of the covenant. Judah will not fall to the Assyrians, nor will the northern Kingdoms siege his throne. “God will be faithful” is the assurance of the prophet.
Ahaz was facing a difficult decision, but the prophet insisted God would offer a sign for the future. “The Lord will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son and name him Emmanuel.” The promise of a child and a secure and prosperous life amid the imminent threat of death is a sign God is faithful. Certainly Ahaz had a difficult decision to make- and his decision to side with the Assyrians caused chaos for his kingdom’s future. And yet, God’s faithfulness continued even after this. Ahaz’s difficult decision reminds us when we are caught between a rock and a hard place God is faithful to us, even if we don’t make the right choice.
Like King Ahaz, Joseph finds himself in between a rock and a hard place. The gospel writer calls Joseph a righteous man because he was planning to separate from Mary quietly upon hearing the news she was pregnant. But the angel Gabriel comes to him in a dream assuring this child in Mary’s womb is from the Holy Spirit. He is to become the father of this child by naming him Jesus. This is a difficult decision for Joseph to make: does he follow God’s call and take on the role of father, risking judgement and scorn from society, or does he continue with his righteous plan of quietly separating from Mary? It is not an easy decision for Joseph, and yet, like the story of Isiah and King Ahaz, the promise and vision of a son is a sign that God is faithful. God once again promises a son, “she will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save people from their sins.” This promise that God will be with Joseph in the difficult decision gave him the hope to move forward with courage.
Visions of a future son gave Aron the courage to carry on in the later days of his time trapped in the canyon, and they even helped guide him through the process of amputating his own arm. It was almost as if it were a messenger or helper sent from God. The vision of a son and hope for the future gave Aron the courage to endure and make a very difficult choice.
We can face the difficult decisions in life with the knowledge and assurance that God is faithful, regardless of the outcome.
We can face the difficult decisions in life with the knowledge and assurance that God is faithful, regardless of the outcome. God has been faithful to the covenant, and we bear witness to that in our proclaiming and living out the gospel of Christ, even in moments of uncertainty or difficult circumstances. The promise and vision of a Son remind us, even when we are caught between a rock and a hard place, God is present with us- guiding, sustaining, and nurturing us through.
Because we belong to God, we are free to live life following our faith and choosing to follow the ways and calling of God.
The good news of the gospel today is the hope which God provides has the power to liberate us from those times in life when we are pinned between a rock and a hard place. It sustains us in those moments when we feel captured or pinned down by the difficult decisions of this life. It gives us the courage to engage in the difficult, painful, and sometimes messy work of making faithful and life-changing decisions. Our hope continues through the promise and vision of a Son; we celebrate that promise on this fourth Sunday in Advent. Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of the covenant promise which God has made throughout the generations. God has not abandoned the covenant, and through grace and faithfulness, God rolls away the stone and liberates us from the uncertainty and weight of difficult choices. Because we belong to God, we are free to live life following our faith and choosing to follow the ways and calling of God.
May we be filled with hope and courage this day, confident when we find ourselves stuck between a rock and a hard place God remains faithful and is always by our side. “This shall be a sign- the young woman will bear a Son and they shall call him Emmanuel, God with us.”
Preached on Sunday, December 21st, 2025, at Webster Groves Presbyterian Church in St. Louis, MO.
Lectionary Texts: Isaiah 7:10-16 and Matthew 1:18-25
Photo: Matthew Elder Miller @ Ferncliffe Conference Center, 2026
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