Run The Race

Hebrews 12:1-3

Do you enjoy running?  Many people do, often taking part in marathons. In Chicago, where I live, there is an annual marathon every October.  Whether one is running in a marathon or a 100 meter dash, the athlete doesn’t want to be loaded down with extra weight.  Imagine running the marathon wearing a backpack loaded with bricks! No one would ever do that! They also need to concentrate and push on with endurance.  The Bible often compares our Christian life to running in a race, and our passage today from Hebrews is an example.

The writer of Hebrews begins our passage by reminding the readers that we are surrounded by a cloud of witnesses (vs. 1).  The witnesses he was referring to included all of the believers that he had just spoken about in the previous chapter, those who had gone on before us, and are now with the Lord. Believers running the Christian race can be inspired by the godly example of saints who have gone before, whose examples of faith encourage us to live godly lives. Others have run the race of faith, and have won.  Their witness and example should inspire us.

The Lord in His Word here compares our Christian life to running a race.  An athlete does not want to be loaded down by extra weight when competing.  As believers we should not be encumbered by sin, habits, legalistic rules, etc.  We need to give up whatever endangers our relationship with Jesus. What is hindering your walk with the Lord?  Some type of entertainment? A pastime that keeps you out of church? Questionable companions? Grumbling and impatience? Whatever it is, like the bricks in the backpack, we need to toss them out. Through the power of the Holy Spirit we can fight sin, and keep running steadily.  He will enable us to run with endurance, with a steady determination to keep going, not slowing down or giving up.

A runner, whether in a marathon or running a short sprint, needs to keep his eyes on the goal, on the finish line.  If he starts gazing up at the sky, or something along the path, he can easily start to slow down, get distracted, and maybe even get off track.  In our Christian life a believer needs to keep his eyes on Jesus (vs. 2). If we keep looking at others or at our circumstances we will stumble or fall. Jesus is the object of our faith and salvation, and our example. He kept His eyes on His goal, which was to be the sacrifice for our sins, and open the gates of heaven for those who accepted Him, and then be crowned King of Glory in heaven.

Even though the cross was horrific, Jesus had joy, knowing He had accomplished the Father’s will.  Running a race is hard, exhausting work, but it is worth it when you cross the finish line. Our race may be a difficult one, but as we keep our eyes on Jesus, we can endure what path the Father has us travel on, for the joy that will await us at the finish.  Jesus is our example of willingness to suffer in obedience to God (vs. 3). He faced hostility and endured the cross. What we go through is nothing compared with Jesus’s suffering.

Keeping our eyes on Jesus and following the instructions He gave us in His Word, the Bible, is vitally important.  A pilot needs to totally trust his instrument panel in the aircraft, and not necessarily in what he sees out the window, especially when visibility has disappeared due to weather.  A pilot can lose sight of the horizon, sky, earth, and experience spatial disorientation. If he relies on his sight, he can end up with a disastrous, fatal crash. In the same way, we need to keep our eyes on Jesus, totally trusting Him and His Word.

In a race it is not important how one starts, but rather how one finishes.  We get the prize for crossing the finish line, not for a great start. We need to run with endurance the race set before us.  The great cloud of witnesses will be waiting for us as we cross the finish line, cheering us on home!