Hebrews 12:1-3 (RSV)
Therefore lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and protector of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.
Devotion
I am not a runner. Not a serious one at least. I was once an athlete of sorts, but running never interested me as a sport. Nor did I have any knowledge of it. Not until our son took up distance running in his high school and college years. He was both a miler and a cross country runner, and that opened my eyes. He developed a dedication to the routines imposed by his coaches that was almost monastic. Everything from his diet to his sleep was affected, and it was all done in the pursuit of a very particular goal. To be competitive (let alone successful) as a distance runner, he would explain, one had to be dedicated and disciplined.
I do not know if the author of this famous passage in Hebrews was familiar with the disciplines required of serious runners, but it is reasonable to think he did. Distance running was a favorite sport in the ancient Greco-Roman world, and it would have been obvious even to the casual observer that it took dedication to succeed in that realm. In part this meant preparation, as our son learned, but it also involved “perseverance” in the actual running of the race itself, where even trained runners could experience fatigue and sometimes pain.
But why characterize Christian discipleship this way? Part of the answer is provided by the situation in which the intended audience of Hebrews found themselves. They were exiled Jewish converts being subjected to persecution, and the author clearly thought some of them, at least, were growing “weary” and “fainthearted.” He suspected they were having second thoughts about their faith, in other words. He responded to that challenge in the first instance by reminding his readers of the suffering Jesus endured and by commending his “perseverance” in the face of hardship as an example to follow. But by using the race metaphor, he did something else as well. He suggested that Christian discipleship is an ongoing, evolving experience, with ups and downs (not always a bed of roses) that can only be pursued well by steady, ongoing commitment.
This is not the only form Christian discipleship takes, but it has been one of the favorites of people in our tradition. Reformed Protestants have long been known for their steadfastness in the face of difficulties, and that has usually been recognized by outsiders as one of our virtues. As an insider I share that view, but with a caveat. The race metaphor all too easily lends itself to the inference that godliness is something we achieve. But if it turns out that some of us are actually able to “keep the faith,” it will not be because of our own efforts. It will be because God enables us to do so.
Prayer
You know us far better than we know ourselves, Lord. So you know we are easily distracted and can be fainthearted, even with something as serious as our faith. Our prayer is that you would deliver us from that, giving us the strength to persevere when our faith is tested.
Bruce Douglass