“Therefore we
also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay
aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run
with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author
and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the
cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of
God.” (Hebrews 12:1-2 NKJ)
also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay
aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run
with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author
and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the
cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of
God.” (Hebrews 12:1-2 NKJ)
In post-modern
society, it is a popular media trick to create sound bites which spin the
so-called news into a media-influencing message. A few years ago, our daughter
April worked for a local TV station’s news department where she edited the news
videos that accompanied each evening’s news stories.
society, it is a popular media trick to create sound bites which spin the
so-called news into a media-influencing message. A few years ago, our daughter
April worked for a local TV station’s news department where she edited the news
videos that accompanied each evening’s news stories.
During her
employment there, I had a conversation with her in which she said,
“Listen, dad, you only hear and see what we want you to hear and
see.” It was a casual conversation but it grabbed my attention and
impacted me dramatically. That is how the post-modern Christianity seems to
approach Scripture — in sound bite fashion.
employment there, I had a conversation with her in which she said,
“Listen, dad, you only hear and see what we want you to hear and
see.” It was a casual conversation but it grabbed my attention and
impacted me dramatically. That is how the post-modern Christianity seems to
approach Scripture — in sound bite fashion.
We take pieces of
Scripture, often disconnected from the context and authorial intent, and apply
them to our lives, in self-influencing ways, for a momentary solution to our
emotional, psychological, social and theological problems. We excuse our
private editing by claiming our piece of the Scripture “jumped off the
pages” at us so it must have been the Holy Spirit sending us a message.
Scripture, often disconnected from the context and authorial intent, and apply
them to our lives, in self-influencing ways, for a momentary solution to our
emotional, psychological, social and theological problems. We excuse our
private editing by claiming our piece of the Scripture “jumped off the
pages” at us so it must have been the Holy Spirit sending us a message.
The passage above
has suffered this “sound-bite” spinning an untold number of times. We
could cut this passage into many pieces: lay aside; great cloud of witnesses;
the sin that so easily ensnares; enduringly run the race; and so forth on and on.
Many great, accurately interpreted sermons could be preached from these various
elements, yet they are only elements of the whole and cannot be accurately
applied or understood if separated from the context of the whole.
has suffered this “sound-bite” spinning an untold number of times. We
could cut this passage into many pieces: lay aside; great cloud of witnesses;
the sin that so easily ensnares; enduringly run the race; and so forth on and on.
Many great, accurately interpreted sermons could be preached from these various
elements, yet they are only elements of the whole and cannot be accurately
applied or understood if separated from the context of the whole.
For instance, it is
inaccurate to emphasize the laying aside of weights and ensnaring sin apart
from the context of the previous chapter and the great cloud of witnesses who
have finished the race of faith and testify to the fact that it can be finished
successfully.
inaccurate to emphasize the laying aside of weights and ensnaring sin apart
from the context of the previous chapter and the great cloud of witnesses who
have finished the race of faith and testify to the fact that it can be finished
successfully.
Consider this point
carefully! Those faithful-to-the-end men and women gone before us have achieved the
goal provided by Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. Their successful
achievements are glaring examples of personally run, successfully completed races of faith.
carefully! Those faithful-to-the-end men and women gone before us have achieved the
goal provided by Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. Their successful
achievements are glaring examples of personally run, successfully completed races of faith.
The author of
Hebrews is simply telling us how to do what the cloud of witnesses has already
done. Get free from the addictive sins and hindrances of this life. Be patient and endure whatever
confronts you in your race of faith. Keep your eyes on Jesus. He wrote the book on this
race of faith and finished it himself. Do like he did, keep your eyes on the joy
set before you. Endure the burden of your cross and despise the world’s shame.
If you will, one day you’ll join the cloud of witnesses and sit down in his
presence before his throne.
Hebrews is simply telling us how to do what the cloud of witnesses has already
done. Get free from the addictive sins and hindrances of this life. Be patient and endure whatever
confronts you in your race of faith. Keep your eyes on Jesus. He wrote the book on this
race of faith and finished it himself. Do like he did, keep your eyes on the joy
set before you. Endure the burden of your cross and despise the world’s shame.
If you will, one day you’ll join the cloud of witnesses and sit down in his
presence before his throne.
Dear Father, thank
you for this race of faith that you have set before each of us. Empower us to
do whatever it takes to stay in and finish the race successfully. I pray this
prayer in the name of Jesus. AMEN
you for this race of faith that you have set before each of us. Empower us to
do whatever it takes to stay in and finish the race successfully. I pray this
prayer in the name of Jesus. AMEN
Stay in the race
today,
today,