Hebrews 12:1-7; The Joyfulness of the Long Distance Runner I

"1 Therefore, 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?"

Introduction

My favorite sports movie is an old one--a 1961 classic entitled "The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Runner." Set in grimy Nottingham, England in the 1950s, it depicts the story of Colin Smith, a young man caught in a burglary who was sent to reform school (a "borstal," in the language of the day) as a result. While there he discovers a great passion and ability in long-distance running. Much of the film shows his training sessions, with frequent flashbacks to his earlier life. The movie's denoument is a scene where Colin runs against the "public school boys" (the British equivalent of our "private school"). He feels the tension between the desire to win and the desire for independence. I don't want to "give away" how he resolves this tension in the race--suffice it to say that running becomes the metaphor for Colin's self-discovery.

The language of Heb. 12 also evokes a race, but it is a race of a different sort. The author has laid out, in the first 10 chapters, the nature of the Christian life and the "sabbath rest" that still awaits the people of God. The "argument" in Hebrews is the most sophisticated non-Pauline statement of Christian faith in the NT. Shaped by the dual biblical concepts of the wilderness wanderings and the role of the Jewish high priest, the author of Hebrews encourages his congregation to stand firm even in the midst of potential persecution. Then, as an encouragement to maintain the faith, he gives a memorable catalogue of the heroes of faith in Heb. 11. He goes through the list, beginning with Abel and ending when he runs out of time (v. 32. We can understand this very "human" dimension to teaching and preaching!). But then, before closing chapter 11, he "personalizes" his message by emphasizing that the heroes of faith he has just described cannot yet be "made perfect" because they are, as it were, waiting for us (v. 40). We, therefore, have a role to play in the drama and gift of salvation. The heroes of old aren't, in the mind of the author, enjoying the unending rest of the saints of God; they are, as it were "waiting for us."

Thus, when chapter 12 opens we feel as if we belong to a great and long-standing community of faith, a community that urges us on in our struggles. The metaphor used by the author of Hebrews to describe our Christian life is a race. It is a race in which these OT worthies are cheering us on, encouraging us to remain faithful, urging us not to lose heart. The rest of the essay will cluster around three verbs that this image suggests: (1) "run" (1-2) ; (2) "consider" (3-4); (3) "discipline" (5-7). A word on each.

I. Run, Christian, Run (vv. 1-2)

Two other biblical images for the Christian life are life as battle and life as journey. Here, however, the author focuses on life as race. Just as Paul used an athletic metaphor (pummeling his body--I Cor 9:24-27) to describe the nature of his motivation, so our author uses the image of a race or a distance run. We need to run the race not as a sprint is run but with "perseverance" (v. 1). The goal is not to reach the 100 meter mark first but to endure the entire race, which is of indeterminate length. How do we do it? Well, we have Jesus as a model and a motivator. Jesus saw the ultimate goal in life--the "joy" (v. 2)--and so he endured the intervening pain, even the ignominious crucifixion. These verses are reminiscent of Phil. 2:5-12, the hymn of Christ's "self-emptying. So, Jesus is our model. He is our "pioneer and perfecter," the one who has gone before us to blaze the trail. But while we have Jesus as our model, we have the crowd of saints as our encouragers. They become the great crowd around us.

One of my favorite places on earth to watch a track meet is fabled Hayward Field in Eugene, OR. Runners outperform themselves there, almost on an annual basis. Several people have run the best races of their lives within its friendly confines. Why? It has to be the crowd. Track crowds in Eugene are not only the most knowledgeable in the sport, but they rhythmically clap and shout in such a way that the runner is always accompanied by shouts of encouragement. It is as if s/he is swathed in cheers, enveloped by the shouts of others. I wrote about this experience in this essay.

The point is simple--we perform better when people are cheering us on. And, from the perspective of the author of Hebrews, we are in a race now, with the OT saints cheering us on. We need it.

The next essay looks at "consider" and "discipline."

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