Slices
Prepare
Invite the Holy Spirit to pinpoint habits or attitudes that hinder your faith journey.
Bible passage
12 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, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy that was set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
God disciplines his children
4 In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5 And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says,
‘My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline,
and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,
6 because the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.’
7 Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? 8 If you are not disciplined – and everyone undergoes discipline – then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. 9 Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! 10 They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. 11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.
12 Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. 13 ‘Make level paths for your feet,’ so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.
Explore
The metaphor of a race is applied to our faith journey. This is no 100-metre sprint, an explosive spurt that’s soon over. Rather, we run a gruelling marathon that calls for great endurance (v 1b; Hebrews 10:32–36). It is exhausting, but also exhilarating, for we are running a race whose goal is not a finish line but a person – Jesus, ‘the pioneer and perfecter of faith’ (v 2b). The writer of Hebrews coaches us on how to run right.
First, run light. Sportswear companies vie with one another to produce the lightest possible clothing and shoes for athletes. To run right requires us to be ruthless about ridding our lives of ‘everything that hinders’ or ‘entangles’ (v 1b) – not only sin, which trips us up in our faith-walk, but even good things that may hold us back from a single-minded pursuit of what is best. Second, eyes on the prize – we run ‘fixing our eyes on Jesus’ (v 2a). Third, be encouraged by the innumerable trailblazers who have gone before us (v 1a), and above all, by Jesus, who is not only our end, but our finest example (vs 2b,3). Finally, endure the rigorous training necessary to ready us for a tough race (vs 5–11).
Respond
Be encouraged! It is Christ who shows you the way, spurs you on, equips and empowers you to endure – and stands at the finish line to embrace you at the journey’s end.
Deeper Bible study
‘Jesus! my Shepherd, Husband, Friend; / my Prophet, Priest and King; / my Lord, my Life, my Way, my End, / accept the praise I bring.’1
Today’s passage is framed by sentences beginning ‘Therefore’ (vs 1,12). Verses 1–3 add two more ‘Let us’ sentences to the three I have already encountered in chapter 10 (NIV). I begin today’s meditation by memorising these wonderful phrases, especially noticing that ‘us’ means that I am in a relay (with other team members), not just an individual marathon. I cast my eyes back to Proverbs 4:20–27, to which verse 13 alludes, observing the ‘body’ words in this passage: ear, sight, heart, body, mouth, lips, eyes, gaze, feet, swerve (ESV).
Turning back to today’s passage, I have two tasks. First, looking at verses 1–4, I focus on the words which describe who Jesus was and what he did, and then on the words which describe what I must do. Here, as everywhere else in this letter, the writer directs our attention towards – JESUS. (It would be a profitable exercise to note throughout Hebrews when the author uses just the name ‘Jesus’ rather than ‘Christ’). I am not to look at other saints (with regret) or at falterers (with pride or self-satisfaction) but I am to look away and keep my eyes fixed on Jesus – for it is on him that faith depends from start to finish. Fortitude is not a swaggering, bombastic gesture. It is not fearlessness or resignation. It is the refusal to be inordinately sorrowful. It is vulnerable – what is martyrdom but a fatal victory? – and this is the path our Saviour took. My second task is to attend to the ten (!) occurrences of the word ‘discipline’ (noun and verb) in vs 5–11. Remembering the Proverbs passage I have already consulted, what aspect of God’s discipline at the present time do I need to be most attentive towards?
‘’Tis Jesus the first and the last, / whose Spirit shall guide us safe home: / we’ll praise him for all that is past, / and trust him for all that’s to come.’2
1 John Newton, 1725–1807, ‘How sweet the name of Jesus sounds’ 2 Joseph Hart, 1712–68, ‘How good is the God we adore’
Bible in a year
Read the Bible in a year: 1 Kings 20,21; Nahum 1–3
Pray for Scripture Union
Pray that the South East regional team will be able to create new opportunities for the 95 to explore faith in a way that is fun and relevant, getting alongside churches to encourage fresh ways of sharing the good news of Jesus through clubs, events, sports and crafts, in schools, at church and in community spaces.
