Now Hebrews shifts gears. Having shown how Jesus summed up and far surpassed the the Mosaic Covenant, becoming “the leader and perfecter of faith,” the preacher now calls himself and his community to refocus, aim higher, and persevere in faith. Perseverance is needed to survive two kinds of challenges: opposition we face from sinners and our own struggles against sin. Read these next verses:
Hebrews 12:1-13
1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us and persevere in running the race that lies before us 2 while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader and perfecter of faith. For the sake of the joy that lay before him he endured the cross, despising its shame, and has taken his seat at the right of the throne of God. 3 Consider how he endured such opposition from sinners, in order that you may not grow weary and lose heart. 4 In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood. 5 You have also forgotten the exhortation addressed to you as sons:
“My son, do not disdain the discipline of the Lord
or lose heart when reproved by him;
6 for whom the Lord loves, he disciplines;
he scourges every son he acknowledges.” Proverbs 3:11-12
7 Endure your trials as “discipline”; God treats you as sons. For what “son” is there whom his father does not discipline? 8 If you are without discipline, in which all have shared, you are not sons but bastards. 9 Besides this, we have had our earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them. Should we not [then] submit all the more to the Father of spirits and live? 10 They disciplined us for a short time as seemed right to them, but he does so for our benefit, in order that we may share his holiness. 11 At the time, all discipline seems a cause not for joy but for pain, yet later it brings the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who are trained by it.
12 So strengthen your drooping hands and your weak knees. 13 Make straight paths for your feet, that what is lame may not be dislocated but healed.
In verse 3 he reminds us that Jesus set the example: sinners opposed him all through his public ministry. The Gospels show us not only arguments and disputes, but gimlet-eyed watching everything he did at mealtime, attempts to trap him in speech (say the wrong thing and get cancelled!), deliberate provocations and challenges to his teachings… . Having become part of our leader’s extended “Body,” we can hardly be surprised when we face the same today.
At the same time, we need to realize that challenges we face include our own weaknesses–sinful tendencies toward selfishness, self-aggrandizement, pride in comparing ourselves with others, and …mercifully, let’s end the list there. God permits all kinds of challenges to these, 1. to help us recognize these kinds of things about ourselves so we can realize the danger they pose for us, and 2. to encourage us to turn to Christ as the key source of strength to overcome them. Of course, this is good training in compassion for others, too. These things, the preacher notes, we should recognize as “discipline” –training and strengthening for becoming more like our Savior Christ. They are simply part of growing up as a faithful person.
We do not follow Christ to make our lives easy in this short time we have on this earth. We follow him to make our lives good. And permanent. Trusting that his Father will vindicate us as he vindicated his Son.
Your thoughts, comments, questions are welcomed.