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. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
(Heb. 12:1-3, NIV)
Greg: I hate long-distance running. Actually I just hate running. One of my least favorite running exercises was running while pulling sleds in high school athletics. We had 60-pound, 80-pound, and 120-pound sleds, which we attached to ourselves with a harness and ran 30 yards, turned around, and ran 30 yards back. Apart from the normal sleds, there was also a log, weighing in excess of 150 pounds, which one might pull. Unfortunately youthful pride and excessive vigor often lead to foolish choices (can I hear an amen from the house parents!), and someone always ends up trying to pull the log. Sometimes it can create quite a stir, so that all the other guys are watching and cheering on the guy pulling the log.
Often, after pulling the sleds, we would run some wind sprints without the sleds. The difference was dramatic! I felt so light and fast. Unstrapping the harness made all the difference in the world.
The author of Hebrews paints us a similar picture. Surrounding by a packed stadium of witnesses, we are to cast off our harnesses and run with perseverance. How do we do that, though? How do we throw off the sin that entangles us? We fix our eyes on Jesus. Throughout the week we have been talking about what we can see and what we cannot see. Here we are told what to focus our vision on.
Tiffany: I think we have a similar situation here. In our community there are so many brothers and sisters around us, supporting us like a stadium-full of fans. Along with that support, though, comes the weight that we are called to lay off. The enemy works against us, increasing fear and doubt even as we struggle to run the race set before us.
Sometimes we feel like our feet are stuck in the mud, and that is why these passages about endurance speak to us. They tell us how to go on when we can't go on. When Jesus was on the cross he called out to his Father, and we must do the same when we are at the end of our ropes. Though it is hardest to depend on God when we have heavy burdens, it is really when we have those burdens that we most need to depend on God.
Greg: Definitely. The reason we can throw off our burden and run is that we see Jesus, the founder and forerunner of our faith, who hung on as he was nailed to the cross. Like the heroes of the faith, Jesus looked ahead (and above), fixing his eyes on the joy set before him. Things didn't really turn out that great for Jesus, but he put up with the shame of the cross because he was a pilgrim and an exile here.
The founder of faith, Jesus, held on and endured, even when death stared him right in the eye. That endurance, as we have seen before in Hebrews, led him to the right hand of God. The author urges us to consider this Christ, who endured death and opposition. Christ is our example in endurance, the goal on which we must fix our eyes. As we sojourn here, we know that we are headed for the heavenly city when we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus.
Tiffany: I agree that we have to focus on Jesus. So much of our thought about endurance has to do with pulling ourselves up by our own bootstraps. When we try to endure on our own power, though, we aren't running a race. We're just running on a treadmill. We may be getting faster, but we're not going anywhere. At the heart of the matter is this - enduring tough times makes us better, not because we make ourselves stronger but because we learn to follow in the footsteps of Jesus.
A toddler doesn't stroll around leisurely, taking in the scenery. A toddler looks straight ahead, focusing completely and totally on where he or she has to step in order to walk. This is the kind of endurance we need. Toddlers are not cross-country champions, but they do know how to channel all their energy in one direction. The point of endurance is not necessarily simply to bear up and take it. Endurance is about locking on to Christ, our forerunner.
Greg: The author presents Jesus as an example, primarily so that the audience will not give up. The readers are very close to "grow(ing) weary and los(ing) heart," but the word of exhortation urges them to hang on and bend their vision toward Jesus, who also hung on when he was tired and burned out.
Grace and peace,
Greg and Tiffany
