1Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such hostility against himself from sinners, so that you may not grow weary or lose heart. 4 In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5 And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as children—
‘My child, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,
or lose heart when you are punished by him;
6 for the Lord disciplines those whom he loves,
and chastises every child whom he accepts.’
7 Endure trials for the sake of discipline. God is treating you as children; for what child is there whom a parent does not discipline? 8 If you do not have that discipline in which all children share, then you are illegitimate and not his children. 9 Moreover, we had human parents to discipline us, and we respected them. Should we not be even more willing to be subject to the Father of spirits and live? 10 For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share his holiness. 11 Now, discipline always seems painful rather than pleasant at the time, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. 12 Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, 13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed. Hebrews 12:1-13
Running long distance races is quite popular these days. Whether a marathon or a 5k (5 Kilometer), crowds of people gather to run the races, not to win, but to finish. Each race will always have the professional runners out front and in the race to win, but each race also will have folk running for the joy of running. These people will run together for causes and charities, or for fun, or for each other. A spectator can see a herd of folk running together at times in the back, and at the same pace to just finish the race, not to win it.
If you can understand a group of runners at the back of the race, then you can understand the Author to the Hebrews describing the church as a group of runners surrounded by other participants, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us. The journey of discipleship is compared to a long-distance race, which God sets before God’s people, and the church as the peloton or bunching together of runners. No Christian is in a vacuum or alone in their journey, they are surrounded by fellow runners or fellow Christians and the great heroes of the faith. To be surrounded by fellow runners is to find encouragement in mutual journeys: to run together, to carry each other, to be carried and to share in each other’s triumphs. No runner runs alone, no Christian follows Jesus alone either.
But if you are going to run a long-distance race, you don’t run in heavy garments or in combat boots. You take off your warmup clothes and you don running shoes. So too is it with following Christ, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely. If you are going to run, you take off your warmup clothes, if you are going to follow Jesus you take off every burden and barrier that hampers your discipleship. If you are going to run, you take off the work boots, if you are going to follow Jesus you take off the sins that snare your feet. What do you need to lay aside and/or what do you need uncling from your feet to run? No runner runs in winter coats, no Christian follows Jesus with burdens and snaring sins.
But no runner just decides one day to enter a marathon without first training the body and mind to run one. If you want to run a race you must train. You manage your diet; you start running one mile and then increase to more. But you must train to be able to run a 5k. So too is with following Jesus. If you want to follow Christ, you must train, but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share his holiness. God permits trials and tribulations to train and form us to run the race. Moments of doubt are opportunities for greater faith. Moments of sadness are possibilities for greater hope. Moments of tragedy are potentials for greater love. No runner runs without first training, no Christian follows without being trained by God through our experiences in holiness.
Having run my fair share of miles in training, I understand that muscles will start to ache, joints will hurt, and you start to limp, lungs will run out of air, and you slow down, and you contemplate quitting. So too does it happen for Christians in their training. The sorrow starts to make our souls ache. The continued struggle against sin makes our bodies and souls hurt and we begin to limp. The antagonism from an unconverted world weighs heavy on minds and emotions and we run out of passion and commitment. From all this and more we slow down, and we contemplate quitting. But the Author says, lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet so that what is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed. He doesn’t care if you must limp your way through life with drooping hands and weak knees, and which of us doesn’t have them? He cares most assuredly that we finish the race, even if we must limp our way through it. The great problem is not the difficult running, the great problem is choosing to stop running because it is too hard or painful. No runner runs without sore muscles and tired lungs, no Christian follows Christ without pains and sorrows in body and soul.
My friends, the Author knows all too well, about struggles and difficulties that weigh heavy and snare our souls, but he encourages his congregation and us, to run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. Jesus’ journey was filled with struggles and difficulties and yet he ran with perseverance. Now he lives to help us on our journeys, during our struggles and difficulties. Since we are surrounded by heroes past and present, let us keep running. Let us take off the burdens and sins that snare our feet, let us keep running. Let us be trained by God through our experiences, let us keep running. Even if we must limp and crawl at times, let us keep running. Looking to Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our journey, let us keep running. But most importantly friends, even when it’s hard and you want to quit, don’t stop running. Let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us. The finish line is in sight, keep running toward it. Amen.
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