In the Arena
Twice a month I’m part of a Zoom book study with some friends from college days. These are men who have done life together for decades. We trust each other and know one another well enough to tease, challenge, comfort, and question as only old friends can.
Not so long ago, in the midst of a lively discussion on what we had read, Messy Mikey mentioned the lines in Hebrews 12 that say,
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.
You’ve likely heard messages or are familiar with this text. On the heels of the writer’s recitation of a brief hall of fame of faith-folks through the ages in chapter 11, the text follows up with this challenge and encouragement, all with Jesus, as usual and proper, being our example to follow.
There is a wheelbarrow load of stuff to unpack in these lines, not the least of which is to imagine your day, any day, and all the things you routinely do and the tasks and tedium and conversations and travels you take on. Now, picture all of that taking place at center court in Arthur Ashe stadium during the US Open. On their feet in the stands cheer the saints who have gone before you. They know the joy of completion and the sadness of falling short, and they still call out encouragements to you since it is your turn to live this life.
OK, now that’s only my mental picture crafted for both comfort and encouragement since I have little idea all of what the saints who have gone before see of this world, but the text does say we are surrounded by a whole mess of them. There is no sense of pressure or judgment, only the uplifting knowledge that we are not in this alone, and that may be just enough air in our balloon for one more day.
It’s like the old saying regarding history: We were, now you are.
We take our place in the long line of those who choose to follow God, wherever he leads. Even though I can’t see it, something big is afoot, and you and I have parts to play in these days to bring the kingdom ever closer. We co-labor with God even as we co-suffer with each other as we lean into life’s sometimes hard edges.
The challenge is to avoid setting traps for yourself.
…let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up.
Self-sabotage stops progress. When we carry “weights” like unforgiveness, or false ideas of who we are, or unnecessary worries about stuff that is worth less than what matters, we get bogged down. The illustration is so clear.
And while I might be slowed down by the mundane, I stumble and tumble when I return again and again to the trip hazard of my special, not-so-secret way to leave Jesus. The writer of the letter challenges us to strip it off and set it aside, like a runner before a race dropping extra clothes. Apparently, they will just get in the way, not worth our time.
Once we have gotten rid of excess, the verse goes on.
And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.
Looking this sentence over, there are two key parts to it.
You have a God-given race to run that is not mine nor anyone else’s. The triune God made you, named you, and knows you better than you know yourself, and the race you run fits you just right. And the same is true for me.
None of us can sprint through this race, because it’s a marathon that lasts a lifetime. So, endurance, pacing, feeding, and small goals are all keys to success.
But we don’t run this race, stripped of encumbrances and hearing the crowd, figuring out the way all by ourselves. We have a pacer, Jesus, who has gone ahead and shown us the way.
We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.
Since Jesus lived a life we could never match, he remains today our perfect example to imitate. But that’s not all since he not only knows the way in this race, he is the way. Our part is to take up residence as one of his apprentices with the Master within us. The nature of the gospel, the good news, is, well, really good. John Mark Comer puts it this way:
This is the gospel: God has drawn near to us in Jesus—us, we who are sinful, broken, wounded, mortal, dying, and incapable of self-saving, with many of us completely uninterested in God or even enemies of God —to draw us into his inner life, to heal us by immersing us within the fold of his Trinitarian love, and then to send us out into the world as agents of his love.
Even though we might feel the need to suck it up and trudge forward in our faith life, Jesus says that only leads to spiritual burnout. Instead, abide in him. Pray to understand what it means to rest, as you fix your eyes on the One who initiated the whole thing and perfected how faith looks in life.
We are indeed in the arena. Every day God showers us with his mercy and embraces us with his love, and we enter each day with the power of choice. Do I prepare myself for my race that day, or just float along as though none of it makes any difference?
In my mental picture, the crowd looks on with anticipation. Every day is your turn, again, to run your race with endurance. Trust me, it’s worth it to give it your all.
Music for the week…
Music is good, funnies are gooder
The preacher had just finished his sermon. He sat down with his wife, and she asked him how he thought the church service went.
The preacher shrugged and said, "The music was excellent, and I think the prayer and communion times went quite well, but," he continued, "I just don't think the sermon ever got off the ground."
The wife looked over at him, and before she could stop herself, she said, "Well, it sure did taxi long enough."
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"What's your father's occupation?" asked the school secretary on the first day of the new academic year.
"He's a magician, Ma'am" said Little Johnny.
"How interesting. What's his favorite trick?"
"He saws people in half."
"Wow! Now, next question. Any brothers or sisters?"
"One half brother and two half sisters."