Hebrews 12:1-3
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, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he 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 sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
- Hebrews 12:1-3
For a couple years in high school, I ran cross-country. I found it to be a sport unlike any other. It was certainly competitive, but there was also a camaraderie that existed—nothing bonds competitors together like a shared understanding of the physical and mental punishment of running! For parts of the race, you would run through a forest trail, completely alone. Those times were hardest to keep the pace. A steep hill by yourself. Sometimes I would ask myself, “Why am I even doing this?” But you would eventually come to a clearing, where runners who had finished their race earlier in the day (or, in my case, were so far ahead, they’d finished the race I was still running) would gather to cheer for you. Friends and family would cheer for you. That rush was often enough to propel you for the next leg of the race.
In the passage today, the author of Hebrews reflects on the way that a “great cloud of witnesses” might similarly spur us on to continue running our race. This cloud is made up of the many heroes of the faith, described in chapter 11. They endured much, suffered much. Their faithful endurance serves to bolster our own commitment to persevere. They have finished the race, while we are still running. Some sections of your race will be exceptionally difficult and lonely. It will feel like a steep incline all by yourself. But let your faith and resolve be encouraged by those who have gone before and endured so much. Let that re-energize your perseverance.
Certainly there have been and will be times in our lives when we ask, “Why am I even doing this?” Times when the race is really hard. It’s painful. Our commitment to the Christian life and to the church waver. At those times, look to the end. Look to Jesus. We are nearing the cross of Good Friday. May we fix our eyes on Jesus—only on Jesus and not on anything else. He went before us and endured more than any who have run before and more than any would endure after. He is cheering for you. He knows how challenging it is. He knows what pain feels like, because he has finished the race. He also sends his Spirit to empower us to continue, because you and I are still running.
