Hebrews 12:4-12
This passage strikes me as funny and profound. The author has just listed an inspiring group of people who lived by faith and endured incredible hardships and received incredible blessing because of their conviction that God would keep his promise. Then the author encouraged the readers to run their race with perseverance. Now, the author's encouragement? The hardship you are facing is God's discipline and God only disciplines those he loves, therefore, be encouraged because God loves you and you are his children. The key words in the passage are discipline, love and children.
The author also offers some perspective: while the trials the readers are facing are extreme and very real, they have not yet died for their faith. Others have suffered much more and persevered through it. So, the readers should continue to persevere.
Both of these are great reminders. First, that God loves me but his love is not the passive love that just lets me do whatever I want. As my Father, he will discipline me for his glory and for my ultimate joy. I must learn to see the hardships that I face as an act of love on God's part. Second, the hardships I face are absolutely nothing compared to the hardships others face. The hardships I face are not even directly related to my faith but are just part of regular life: getting cut off in traffic, running late, not having things go as smoothly as I want. I don't think I've ever been persecuted for my faith. Sometimes my faith could be seen to have inconvenienced me in that it would have been easier in the immediate to make an immoral choice. But I have never been thrown in jail, beat up, had my property taken or felt threatened because of my faith. Because of this, I think I have a responsibility to do what the readers of Hebrews did: stand side by side with those who are being publicly exposed to ridicule, insult and persecution.
Showing posts with label perseverance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label perseverance. Show all posts
Friday, January 29, 2010
Thursday, January 28, 2010
run!
Hebrews 12:1-3
There are three exhortations in this section: let us throw off whatever hinders, let us run the race with perseverance and consider Jesus. All three flow out of the fact that there is a great cloud of witnesses who have a vested interest in our success. The author has indicated that the promise they were pursuing all their lives is only attained together with us. After talking about the faith of all these spiritual ancestors, the author return the focus of the book squarely back on Christ: fix your eyes on Jesus... consider him.
Chapter 11 does not take the focus off of Christ but backs up and takes the longer view: remember Abel? He was looking forward to the Seed. Remember Abraham? He was looking forward to the Blessing. Everything that the people of faith were building their lives on was anchored in Christ, the Seed promised to Eve and the Blessing promised to Abraham. So, even though the author is celebrating the faith of these people, everything is still centered on Christ.
The author calls the reader to have the same focus. In this case because Jesus provides an example and hope for those who are going through persecution. He endured the cross because he was focused on the joy set before him. The author calls the reader to consider his example so the reader won't grow weary and lose heart.
It's amazing to me how, right in the middle of trials and difficulties, my focus turns inward to myself. This is a good challenge to me. First, get rid of anything in my life that doesn't help me be the person that Christ has called me to be. This is easy to say but hard to do: do the tv shows I watch need to go? Is the music I listen to helping or hindering? Secondly, focus on Jesus. Consider his trials, his persecution, his death and his joy. I need to raise my eyes above the circumstances and see Jesus.
There are three exhortations in this section: let us throw off whatever hinders, let us run the race with perseverance and consider Jesus. All three flow out of the fact that there is a great cloud of witnesses who have a vested interest in our success. The author has indicated that the promise they were pursuing all their lives is only attained together with us. After talking about the faith of all these spiritual ancestors, the author return the focus of the book squarely back on Christ: fix your eyes on Jesus... consider him.
Chapter 11 does not take the focus off of Christ but backs up and takes the longer view: remember Abel? He was looking forward to the Seed. Remember Abraham? He was looking forward to the Blessing. Everything that the people of faith were building their lives on was anchored in Christ, the Seed promised to Eve and the Blessing promised to Abraham. So, even though the author is celebrating the faith of these people, everything is still centered on Christ.
The author calls the reader to have the same focus. In this case because Jesus provides an example and hope for those who are going through persecution. He endured the cross because he was focused on the joy set before him. The author calls the reader to consider his example so the reader won't grow weary and lose heart.
It's amazing to me how, right in the middle of trials and difficulties, my focus turns inward to myself. This is a good challenge to me. First, get rid of anything in my life that doesn't help me be the person that Christ has called me to be. This is easy to say but hard to do: do the tv shows I watch need to go? Is the music I listen to helping or hindering? Secondly, focus on Jesus. Consider his trials, his persecution, his death and his joy. I need to raise my eyes above the circumstances and see Jesus.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
the world is not worthy of them
Hebrews 11:32-38
The author speeds up the list at this point. He mentions a few names but talks more generally about all those who lived by faith through out Israel's history. At first the characteristics of these people who live by faith are epic: conquering kingdoms, administering justice, shutting the mouths of lions, quenching the fury of the flames, etc. Then the author looks behind the epic moments to reveal the cost of living by faith: torture, imprisonment, beatings, persecution, martyrdom, poverty, shunning, homelessness.
All of this was through faith in that they acted on belief in God and his promises which sometimes meant glorious victory in battle but also meant continuing in their faith in the face of opposition. We tend to think of the results of having faith as beautiful and good, and that will be the case at some point in the future, but we don't necessarily see the results of faith as being jail and torture. Here's an example of what I am trying to say: I have heard it said that some people are not healed of their diseases or injuries because they did not have enough faith. What this passage is saying is that faith is necessary to go through the disease. The person who is not healed looks forward to that day when there will be no more disease. They trust God to sustain them in the midst of their disease, knowing he could heal them if he chose but trusting him to do what is good and will bring him the most glory. That's the kind of faith that these people had in Hebrews 11.
This is the kind of faith that the author is telling me that I should have. I think that we too often see obstacles and opposition as evidence that God does not want us to go down that road. If we believe the destination and the route are from God, then we need to have faith that God will sustain us through whatever obstacles and opposition we might face. Even if I die, God will raise up someone behind me to carry on the task for the good of the kingdom of God and the glory of the King.
The author speeds up the list at this point. He mentions a few names but talks more generally about all those who lived by faith through out Israel's history. At first the characteristics of these people who live by faith are epic: conquering kingdoms, administering justice, shutting the mouths of lions, quenching the fury of the flames, etc. Then the author looks behind the epic moments to reveal the cost of living by faith: torture, imprisonment, beatings, persecution, martyrdom, poverty, shunning, homelessness.
All of this was through faith in that they acted on belief in God and his promises which sometimes meant glorious victory in battle but also meant continuing in their faith in the face of opposition. We tend to think of the results of having faith as beautiful and good, and that will be the case at some point in the future, but we don't necessarily see the results of faith as being jail and torture. Here's an example of what I am trying to say: I have heard it said that some people are not healed of their diseases or injuries because they did not have enough faith. What this passage is saying is that faith is necessary to go through the disease. The person who is not healed looks forward to that day when there will be no more disease. They trust God to sustain them in the midst of their disease, knowing he could heal them if he chose but trusting him to do what is good and will bring him the most glory. That's the kind of faith that these people had in Hebrews 11.
This is the kind of faith that the author is telling me that I should have. I think that we too often see obstacles and opposition as evidence that God does not want us to go down that road. If we believe the destination and the route are from God, then we need to have faith that God will sustain us through whatever obstacles and opposition we might face. Even if I die, God will raise up someone behind me to carry on the task for the good of the kingdom of God and the glory of the King.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
The Supreme High Priest
Hebrews 4:14-16
The word "therefore" threw me for a loop. I was looking back at the previous flow of thought from the rest of chapter four and I just couldn't figure out how the author could, in my understanding, jump from a discussion on obeying God's Word in order to enter God's Sabbath rest to Jesus being the great high priest. Turns out I wasn't looking back far enough to catch the author's train of thought. Thankfully Pastor Steve pointed me in the right direction: I had to back to the end of chapter two and the beginning of chapter three: Jesus, in becoming like us, became our merciful and faithful high priest who is able to enter into our temptations and suffering(2:17-18) therefore, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess (4:14).
There are multiple interwoven arguments and themes because holding on to the faith we profess is the theme of the previous section but the motivation for holding on to faith is the rest we can achieve when we do. Now the author turns back to his previous motivation: that Jesus empathizes with our weakness and enters into our suffering but did it without falling into sin. This gives us confidence to approach the throne of God, knowing that he hears our prayers and empathizes with our needs.
Again the author's main point is the supremacy of Christ. Jesus is the supreme high priest because he allows us direct access to the throne of God. There is no longer a veil. Also, he empathizes with and enters into our pain.
The word "therefore" threw me for a loop. I was looking back at the previous flow of thought from the rest of chapter four and I just couldn't figure out how the author could, in my understanding, jump from a discussion on obeying God's Word in order to enter God's Sabbath rest to Jesus being the great high priest. Turns out I wasn't looking back far enough to catch the author's train of thought. Thankfully Pastor Steve pointed me in the right direction: I had to back to the end of chapter two and the beginning of chapter three: Jesus, in becoming like us, became our merciful and faithful high priest who is able to enter into our temptations and suffering(2:17-18) therefore, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess (4:14).
There are multiple interwoven arguments and themes because holding on to the faith we profess is the theme of the previous section but the motivation for holding on to faith is the rest we can achieve when we do. Now the author turns back to his previous motivation: that Jesus empathizes with our weakness and enters into our suffering but did it without falling into sin. This gives us confidence to approach the throne of God, knowing that he hears our prayers and empathizes with our needs.
Again the author's main point is the supremacy of Christ. Jesus is the supreme high priest because he allows us direct access to the throne of God. There is no longer a veil. Also, he empathizes with and enters into our pain.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
tale of two kings
Matthew 2:1-12
I think the idea of Jesus as King of the Jews or Messiah is going to be a theme through this book. My understanding is that Matthew wrote the book to prove to a Jewish audience that Jesus was the Messiah or the King. This is why Matthew is the only writer to include the visit from the Magi - visiting foreign dignitaries coming to pay their respects to the baby "crown prince".
The contrast between the two kings is pretty huge: King Herod jealously and madly trying to hang on to his power at any cost and King Jesus, innocent and hardly able to hold on to anything. I think that Matthew may also be trying to portray Jesus as a legitimate threat to Herod's reign, proving again that he really is the Messiah and King of the Jews.
The journey of the Magi is interesting to me. We have no idea where they came from (lots of speculation but the Bible doesn't make it clear) or how long they travelled (again, lots of speculation - Herod ends up killing the baby boys two years and younger therefore the star must have been visible for two years) or even how many of them travelled together (just because three gifts were presented we assume that there were three magi). I imagine it must have been easy to give up the journey at times. I imagine that they probably faced some ridicule along the way - I mean they were chasing a star! I imagine that they must have questioned their own sanity at times. But they never gave up. The knowledge I have of the King and the kingdom is much more than what the magi had to go on and yet I do not think that I seek the King and the kingdom with the same determination and focus. "Where is the King?... I have come to worship him."
I think the idea of Jesus as King of the Jews or Messiah is going to be a theme through this book. My understanding is that Matthew wrote the book to prove to a Jewish audience that Jesus was the Messiah or the King. This is why Matthew is the only writer to include the visit from the Magi - visiting foreign dignitaries coming to pay their respects to the baby "crown prince".
The contrast between the two kings is pretty huge: King Herod jealously and madly trying to hang on to his power at any cost and King Jesus, innocent and hardly able to hold on to anything. I think that Matthew may also be trying to portray Jesus as a legitimate threat to Herod's reign, proving again that he really is the Messiah and King of the Jews.
The journey of the Magi is interesting to me. We have no idea where they came from (lots of speculation but the Bible doesn't make it clear) or how long they travelled (again, lots of speculation - Herod ends up killing the baby boys two years and younger therefore the star must have been visible for two years) or even how many of them travelled together (just because three gifts were presented we assume that there were three magi). I imagine it must have been easy to give up the journey at times. I imagine that they probably faced some ridicule along the way - I mean they were chasing a star! I imagine that they must have questioned their own sanity at times. But they never gave up. The knowledge I have of the King and the kingdom is much more than what the magi had to go on and yet I do not think that I seek the King and the kingdom with the same determination and focus. "Where is the King?... I have come to worship him."
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
really living
1 Thessalonians 3:6-10
Paul's concerns about the Thessalonians have been put to rest by the great report that Timothy has brought back. There is a strong theme of joy and encouragement in this section of the letter. There is also a theme of endurance or standing firm in the face of persecution. Paul is encouraged to stand firm in his persecution because of the report he has received that the Thessalonians are also standing firm in the face of persectuion. The concern that he had for them was constricting him but now that he has heard that they are persevering in their faith, he can "really live."
I resonate with the joy that Paul has for this church. There is nothing that I enjoy more than hearing of my students continuing on in their faith, even in the face of hardship. Maybe what I enjoy even more than that is seeing them living out their faith. Just over the course of a couple of weeks I have been so encouraged and filled with joy by a conversation I had on the bus up to Edmonton, by seeing a desire for some of my students to be baptized (and hearing a bit of their faith story as I met with them), by a lunch meeting I had with another student who is wondering what it is that God wants to do through him to make a difference in his world and by observing some of my leaders at our DV8 year end really invest their time into students. When I see this stuff, I feel like not even gravity can hold me down!
Paul's concerns about the Thessalonians have been put to rest by the great report that Timothy has brought back. There is a strong theme of joy and encouragement in this section of the letter. There is also a theme of endurance or standing firm in the face of persecution. Paul is encouraged to stand firm in his persecution because of the report he has received that the Thessalonians are also standing firm in the face of persectuion. The concern that he had for them was constricting him but now that he has heard that they are persevering in their faith, he can "really live."
I resonate with the joy that Paul has for this church. There is nothing that I enjoy more than hearing of my students continuing on in their faith, even in the face of hardship. Maybe what I enjoy even more than that is seeing them living out their faith. Just over the course of a couple of weeks I have been so encouraged and filled with joy by a conversation I had on the bus up to Edmonton, by seeing a desire for some of my students to be baptized (and hearing a bit of their faith story as I met with them), by a lunch meeting I had with another student who is wondering what it is that God wants to do through him to make a difference in his world and by observing some of my leaders at our DV8 year end really invest their time into students. When I see this stuff, I feel like not even gravity can hold me down!
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
what did the rich ever do to you?
James 1:9-15
I wonder what the rich did to deserve these scathing words from James. They must have been the driving force behind the persecution or something. James certainly pulls no punches: "Hey rich people! Take pride in your humiliation - you're going to fade away like a wild flower." That doesn't sound very nice at all. At first I'm kind of cheering James on but when I stop and think about it, I realize that I am one of the rich. I don't remember the specific numbers but it goes something like this: if you have a car, a telephone and equipment for a hobby (game system, hockey equipment, etc.) you are in the top 10% of rich people. Now James is talking to me! I must make sure that I have my security in something besides my possessions and money.
James' letter reads like a bunch of strung together sayings - sort of like Proverbs for the New Testament Church. This saying is telling those who are facing persecution to persevere because the pain of this life is nothing compared to the rewards waiting in heaven. I think our tendency is to apply this to our petty, wimpy temptations (ok, I don't want to downplay the power of temptations and the awful way our failures make us feel. But compared to the pastor in North Korea who is being executed, my "trial" of being tempted to watch something I shouldn't on tv in the comfort of my living room while eating popcorn, completely sheltered from the cold wind, is pretty wimpy!) but James is talking specifically about persecution, not temptations. It makes me wonder if we're going to miss out on the crown of life because we are not willing to pay any price to follow Jesus. I don't think ducking our head and hiding our faith is equal to persevering under trial.
James does talk about temptations next - he tells us that we shouldn't blame God for our temptations. We are tempted because we have sinful desire for that thing. If I didn't like Zesty Cheese Doritoes, then I wouldn't be tempted to eat them. The same goes for pornography - it wouldn't be a temptation if I didn't like it. James is telling us to stop making excuses and stop blaming others for our sin and for our temptations - face the truth that it is your fault that you are tempted in the first place because you have cultivated a desire for that thing. He doesn't really offer any solutions but perhaps the implied solution is that we need our desires changed and the only one who can do that is God.
I wonder what the rich did to deserve these scathing words from James. They must have been the driving force behind the persecution or something. James certainly pulls no punches: "Hey rich people! Take pride in your humiliation - you're going to fade away like a wild flower." That doesn't sound very nice at all. At first I'm kind of cheering James on but when I stop and think about it, I realize that I am one of the rich. I don't remember the specific numbers but it goes something like this: if you have a car, a telephone and equipment for a hobby (game system, hockey equipment, etc.) you are in the top 10% of rich people. Now James is talking to me! I must make sure that I have my security in something besides my possessions and money.
James' letter reads like a bunch of strung together sayings - sort of like Proverbs for the New Testament Church. This saying is telling those who are facing persecution to persevere because the pain of this life is nothing compared to the rewards waiting in heaven. I think our tendency is to apply this to our petty, wimpy temptations (ok, I don't want to downplay the power of temptations and the awful way our failures make us feel. But compared to the pastor in North Korea who is being executed, my "trial" of being tempted to watch something I shouldn't on tv in the comfort of my living room while eating popcorn, completely sheltered from the cold wind, is pretty wimpy!) but James is talking specifically about persecution, not temptations. It makes me wonder if we're going to miss out on the crown of life because we are not willing to pay any price to follow Jesus. I don't think ducking our head and hiding our faith is equal to persevering under trial.
James does talk about temptations next - he tells us that we shouldn't blame God for our temptations. We are tempted because we have sinful desire for that thing. If I didn't like Zesty Cheese Doritoes, then I wouldn't be tempted to eat them. The same goes for pornography - it wouldn't be a temptation if I didn't like it. James is telling us to stop making excuses and stop blaming others for our sin and for our temptations - face the truth that it is your fault that you are tempted in the first place because you have cultivated a desire for that thing. He doesn't really offer any solutions but perhaps the implied solution is that we need our desires changed and the only one who can do that is God.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
joy?
James 1:1-8
This letter is written by James, the brother of Jesus, to the Jewish Christians not living in Israel. James does not "pull rank" as the brother of Jesus but identifies himself as the servant of Jesus. I wonder what it would have been like to grow up with Jesus as your older brother. I wonder if his siblings resented him. I wonder what role Mary's faith played in their eventual belief in him as the Messiah and as God.
From these verses, it would seem that the Christians James is writing to have not "been scattered" of their own free will - they have faced trials of many kinds, likely persecution that has forced them to relocate. James uses a progression: trials develop perseverance which brings maturity and completion to the believer. I wonder if the reason that I am seeing such immaturity of belief in North America is because our faith costs us nothing. Because we have not developed much in the way of perseverance, we are rather immature.
It seems strange in the short term that we should have pure joy about the trials we are facing but when we can step back and realize what these trials will do for us, then we can have joy. If my desire is to fall more deeply in love with God, to know him more fully and trust him more completely then I can rejoice in my trials because I know that he is using them to bring me to maturity. It's kind of like growing pains - they hurt a lot but if living without them meant I was going to be a short weak person...
James also uses a word picture to describe a person who asks God for wisdom but does not have faith that God will provide: he is like a wave in a stormy sea - going back and forth depending on which way the wind is blowing.
I know I need wisdom. When I first started as a youth pastor I prayed this prayer a lot but over time I have come to rely on my experience, my "expertise" and my own resources. I believe that God has given me wisdom in the past and that I still have some measure of wisdom today. What I don't want is for that wisdom to make me independent and sure of myself. I need to keep relying on God to provide that wisdom for me.
God, I know I need your wisdom. Without it I am lost. Please give generously to me.
This letter is written by James, the brother of Jesus, to the Jewish Christians not living in Israel. James does not "pull rank" as the brother of Jesus but identifies himself as the servant of Jesus. I wonder what it would have been like to grow up with Jesus as your older brother. I wonder if his siblings resented him. I wonder what role Mary's faith played in their eventual belief in him as the Messiah and as God.
From these verses, it would seem that the Christians James is writing to have not "been scattered" of their own free will - they have faced trials of many kinds, likely persecution that has forced them to relocate. James uses a progression: trials develop perseverance which brings maturity and completion to the believer. I wonder if the reason that I am seeing such immaturity of belief in North America is because our faith costs us nothing. Because we have not developed much in the way of perseverance, we are rather immature.
It seems strange in the short term that we should have pure joy about the trials we are facing but when we can step back and realize what these trials will do for us, then we can have joy. If my desire is to fall more deeply in love with God, to know him more fully and trust him more completely then I can rejoice in my trials because I know that he is using them to bring me to maturity. It's kind of like growing pains - they hurt a lot but if living without them meant I was going to be a short weak person...
James also uses a word picture to describe a person who asks God for wisdom but does not have faith that God will provide: he is like a wave in a stormy sea - going back and forth depending on which way the wind is blowing.
I know I need wisdom. When I first started as a youth pastor I prayed this prayer a lot but over time I have come to rely on my experience, my "expertise" and my own resources. I believe that God has given me wisdom in the past and that I still have some measure of wisdom today. What I don't want is for that wisdom to make me independent and sure of myself. I need to keep relying on God to provide that wisdom for me.
God, I know I need your wisdom. Without it I am lost. Please give generously to me.
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