Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Hebrews 12:1-3

12 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
 
 
Dig Deeper
Running a long endurance race, like a marathon is no easy task.  In fact, the Greek word used in this passage for race is the root word from which we get our word “agony.”  No matter how well trained you are, a long distance race is going to be painful and require endurance.  Anything that helps to keep one focused on the race and motivated through the course of an event that has many emotional ups and downs is greatly appreciated and, dare I say, necessary.  This past month I decided to compete in another marathon event and even though I have completed many before, each one is difficult and there were several times throughout the race where my mind toyed with the idea of quitting.  One of the things that is encouraging and keeps the runners motivated and going throughout the race is the great crowd of spectators that line the streets all through the course of the race.  As encouraging as that can be, however, that begins to lost its motivation after a time.  What really begins to motivate me, though, as I start to tread through the last mile or two of the race are those that have finished ahead of me.  There’s usually not a lot of them yet at that point, but peppered throughout the last mile or so are those that have already finished the race.  They could go off and enjoy their accomplishment but instead they come back down the course and cheer on those that are still running.  Just seeing those that have already completed the course and knowing that, yes it can be done and soon I will be joining them, is a powerful motivator.
 
It is that type of motivation upon which Paul draws for an effective analogy of the rigors of the Christian life.  The author drew on imagery that would have been quite familiar in the Roman world to which he was writing.  These people took their athletics seriously.  Physical training was a vitally important aspect of life in the Empire of Rome.  Biblical historian, Everett Ferguson, in his work Backgrounds of Early Christianity, says that:
 
“Foot races were held in the stadium.  Several of these stadia still survive with their starting and finish lines (cf. The mark or goal in Phil. 3:14).  The Greek stadia accommodated spectators on the grassy slopes on each side of the flat running surfaces.
 
The major sports were running, boxing, the pankration (an all-out combination of boxing, wrestling, and kicking in which no holds were barred except for biting and gouging), and the pentathlon (which included running, long-jumping, throwing the discus, throwing the javelin, and wrestling.” 
 
The author of Hebrews was signaling to his audience that this was walk day in the park.  The Christian life was like one of those agonizing endurance races.  In order for them to finish they needed to prepare properly, run correctly, endure, and finish strong.  Otherwise they would grow weary and not finish the race.
 
The first thing that they would need is the proper motivation.  This could be done.  To live a life of faith without quitting and throwing in the towel had already been done.  The stadium was filled with those that had already run and completed the race.  They are there, figuratively cheering us on and motivating us to not only start our lives of faith but to finish.  This will help at those times when we start to wonder if the path is too difficult and we begin to contemplate giving up.
 
The next thing that we need is to warm-up properly.  Before a long-distance race now days runners drop all of their gear off in little bags before they even start the race.  You don’t want anything you don’t need.  I once had a friend who insisted on starting a long race with a camel-back water holder on his back.  We tried to tell him that there would be plenty of liquid stations along the way and that he should drop it off at the gear check table but he brought it anyway.  Soon, he found it to be cumbersome and heavy and wished that he had not brought it.  As Christians we are to throw off the things that hinder us.  These are often things that weigh us down like past hurts, anxieties, worry,  laziness, procrastination, and the like.    We really need to throw those things off before we start but if we haven’t then we need to emulate runners who start out a race wearing warm clothing because of chilly temperatures, only to start shedding those clothes along the route as the temperatures rise.
 
But we are also to throw off the sin that so easily entangles us.  These are often mind-sets like selfishness, greed, the desire to do my own will, pride, the unwillingness to give up my hyper-individualism, unchecked lust, and many, many other things.  Trying to run the race of faith without casting away those things that can pull at our hearts is like trying to run a marathon through a cavalcade of fishing nets.  One of them will eventually trip you up.  The reality of these two “warm-up instructions” is that there are certain things in life that will have to be rejected and discarded if we are to run effectively.
 
As we continue on the race, we have to have an attitude of endurance.  Let me ask an important question.  What determines when you stop running a race?  As simple as that sounds, it is vital to know and understand the answer.  Being tired does not determines when we stop running.  A little temporary pain does not determine when we stop running.  For the truly committed, even an injury does not determine when we stop running.  And certainly, growing mentally weary cannot determine when we stop running.  For the true runner, the finish line is the only thing that determines when we stop.  So it is for those that have entered into the race of a faithful life.  Obstacles cannot deter us and we cannot allow discouragements to diminish our hope.  We must have the conviction that absolutely nothing will stop us until we reach that finish line.  It is only then that we can let our feet stop moving.
 
But it takes more than just endurance.  Proper technique is vital as well.  Even great runners, will severely hurt themselves, if not completely ruin their race, without safe techniques.  Hebrews tells us that the proper technique for the faith runner is to keep our heads up and focused on Jesus.  He, after all, is not only the perfect motivator, but he is also the author and perfecter of the race.  He already ran the perfect endurance race.  He showed us how to go through the most trying of circumstances, even shameful death on a cross, and to do so because he kept focused on the joy of completing his race.  In so doing he made the life of the New Creation available to us, and then sat down at the right hand of God.  If we take our eyes off of him we will veer off course.  He is the pioneer or trailblazer of our faith (Heb. 2:10).  Not only did he finish the race and beckon us to follow him but he cut the only path that will lead us to the finish line.  Believe me, there are few things worse in a long-distance race than to realize that you have taken a wrong turn and gone off of the proper path.  We must keep our concentration and gaze fixed upon Jesus.
 
Many runners in long-distance races will put on headphones and listen to music to keep their minds off of the agony of the race.  As faith runners we are urged to set our minds on what Jesus endured for us.  In so doing, we will take our minds off of our own aches and pains and realize, in the course of events, that we have probably not endured anything even close to what Jesus endured for us.  He kept his eye on the joy of the Father and as we focus on that it will keep us focused on the joy of our Lord and Savior.
 
As you run the course marked out before us in faith, always get ready properly by throwing off all that could hinder or entangle you.  Keep running with perseverance, knowing that at some point it is going to get painful.   There’s no way around that.  It just simply is that way and knowing it and accepting it now is invaluable.  The pain will come but we can endure.  If you keep your eyes focused on Jesus and not on yourself you will finish the race.  After all, there is a stadium full of those who have already done it, and they are cheering you on.
 
 
Devotional Thought
Are you trying to run this endurance race of faith with things that hinder and entangle you?  What mindsets or unnecessary attitudes are you caring with you that you need to drop or change?  What sin have you been dragging along that you need to throw to the side?  How can you stay focused on Jesus through this race and how will that help you to finish strong?

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