Hebrews 12:1-11
Readings for this week October 9 - 13
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Day 1 – The Cloud of Witnesses
Silence, Stillness and Centering before God (2 minutes)
Scripture Reading – Hebrews 12:1a
“Therefore” is the clue that, moving forward into Hebrews 12 and 13, we need to hold in our minds the scripture we have just read, specifically and most immediately, the stories of the faithful in Hebrews 11, but also the entire letter itself. The important, deeply theological content of the earlier parts of the letter now, as all good theology does, moves into the practicalities of how to live a faithful and righteous life as God’s people. All that the writer has reminded us of God’s faithfulness, his calling of a people, the sacrificial incarnation of Jesus, and his empowerment of his people – what does this look like when lived? How do we live it out?
Not alone, that is for certain. The cloud of witnesses contains all the famous and the faithful of God’s people throughout the ages, from the examples we have recently looked at to others mentioned elsewhere in scripture, in the New Testament, as well as others from throughout the history of the church. But it also includes others around us, the people in our lives and in our personal histories who have nurtured us, guided us, admonished us, inspired us and urged us on in God’s kingdom work. People in our families, our workplaces, our communities, and our churches who have cheered us on and supported us. It is the presence of these God-given witnesses that helps us push beyond the obstacles and limitations that get in our way and enables us to achieve the work that God has given us to. We cannot do it alone; we are in this together.
Questions to Consider
Who are the people who make up your cloud of witnesses? How have they supported you and cheered you on in your faith?
Prayer
Lord God, thank you for the people you have placed in my life to encourage me and inspire me. Thank you for their faithfulness to you and for the love and support they have faithfully shown to me. Amen.
Conclude with Silence (2 minutes)
Day 2 – Running the Race
Silence, Stillness and Centering before God (2 minutes)
Scripture Reading – Hebrews 12:1b
What does running the race require of us? That we prepare. That we train. That we live a life conducive to the preparation needed to be ready to run. Athletes need to train, and although the life of a disciple might not require the same type of high intensity physical training that runners employ (although staying fit and healthy is never a bad thing), we still need to engage in practices that prepare us for the daily, but lifelong, challenges of being a disciple. In 1 Corinthians 9:25-27 Paul states, “Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training… Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly….I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave...”
The writer mentions three things that we must do to run the race well and successfully (the third of which we will save until tomorrow’s reading). The first thing is to get rid of anything that holds us back, that is weighing us down: the baggage of our fears, anxieties, ambitions, appetites…and sin. These distractions can slow us down and trip us up. The second is to have patience. The race is long, and bursting into an all-out sprint the moment the starter’s pistol sounds is not a good idea. The race is long and requires wise patience to always run the entire race well. We need a faith that lasts, a faith that is humble, a faith that doesn’t adhere to the latest fad, a faith that, while remaining fresh and vital, still allows itself to mature and age, not trying to remain stuck in adolescence.
Questions to Consider
What does training as a disciple look like for you? What are the important practices and rhythms that are non-negotiable for you? Why?
Prayer
Heavenly Father, discipline me and disciple me. Give me the strength I lack so I can train and prepare and perform as your follower in the work you have prepared for me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Conclude with Silence (2 minutes)
Day 3 – Author and Perfector
Silence, Stillness and Centering before God (2 minutes)
Scripture Reading – Hebrews 12:2-3
The third thing that disciples must do to run the race well is to keep our eyes – our hearts, our imaginations – on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith. We need to keep our eyes on the one who knows the course better than anyone. Because (more racing analogy) Jesus isn’t just the official with the pistol who started the race (Creator) or the official who records the results at the end (Judge). He also ran the race himself. He pioneered the way for us, showing us the nature of the course and showing us how to run it well. He even made it possible for us to actually complete the race! He led the way; we follow. And the moment he crossed the finish line, he turned back to face the course and began encouraging us, supporting us and cheering us on. He is there waiting for us.
There was much opposition and hardship that Jesus had to face while he ran the race: hatred, misunderstanding, abuse, torture, crucifixion and death. The race is not easy. But he faced it more than just stoically or heroically. He kept his eyes on the joy that awaited him at the end: the joy of doing his Father’s will, the joy of bringing freedom and salvation to people and restoration to creation. And now, as the early parts of the letter proclaimed, he is at the Father’s right hand, interceding (cheering) for us. We might be weary and tired, as the Hebrews were weary with all that they were facing, but we have One beckoning us on, motivating us to continue the race patiently, faithfully, and hopefully.
Questions to Consider
How can we fix our eyes on Jesus? What does that look like? How does considering the persecution Jesus faced help us not grow weary?
Prayer
Almighty Father, thank you for your son, and for his example for us and encouragement to us. Give me strength to run and run well and to encourage others on the way towards the end. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Conclude with Silence (2 minutes)
Day 4 – Disciplined Disciples
Silence, Stillness and Centering before God (2 minutes)
Scripture Reading – Hebrews 12:4-6
Nobody likes being told off. The lengths to which we go to avoid correction – especially when we are kids – are often quite extraordinary, and all because we don’t see how such correction is necessary and for our own good. We don’t like being disciplined. Which, for disciples of Jesus, is slightly ironic as the words ‘disciple’ and ‘discipline’ both have the same linguistic root. But while this idea of punishment or correction is perhaps the one most of us think of when we think of being disciplined, the meaning is wider than that. At its core is the idea of being trained, of learning, and of being corrected when we fail to do so. Being disciplined helps shape and transform us into our true selves – selves that are more and more in likeness of Jesus. We are being trained to be like Jesus, to do as he did, live as he lived.
And such a life occasionally requires correction and it requires discipline. We are disciplined so that we will become disciplined. The Christian life is one of discipline and of disciplines – the habits and practices that transform our thoughts, our actions, our behaviours; that mould our character and our attitudes; that shape us into individuals that reflect Christ and communities that embody his sacrificial love and compassion for the world. God corrects us because he loves us. We are his beloved children and he wants us to be more like Jesus. He disciplines us so that we will learn to discipline ourselves and become better disciples of Jesus.
Questions to Consider
How has God disciplined you? How did it feel at the time? What was the end result for your growth as a disciple?
Prayer
Gracious Father, give me the grace to accept your correction and discipline when I need it. Help me be disciplined in my habits and routines; transform me more into your likeness. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Conclude with Silence (2 minutes)
Day 5 – The Purpose of Discipline
Silence, Stillness and Centering before God (2 minutes)
Scripture Reading – Hebrews 12:7-11
God’s ultimate delight is in the flowering and prospering of his creation; of its transformation into the work of art and beauty and life that is his eternal intention for it. And that includes the growth and development and flourishing of human beings too. He is guiding creation towards its ultimate completion in him and moulding us into the Christ-like co-stewards of his love for all people and for the world that will help achieve this goal. But of course, in our role as his co-workers in creation, we don’t always get things right. We aren’t always the compassionate, other-centred viceregents of God’s love that we should be. So he corrects us, disciplines us, moves us back towards the right path.
God disciplines us for our good. God wants us to develop and grow and he is willing to do anything – with the cross as the ultimate example of this – in order to make this happen. And that includes disciplining us when we need it. Sometimes we think it harsh. Sometimes we attribute things to God’s judgement and correction (particularly of others) that are not his work. We do not see the full picture, the true extent, the wider effects of everything. But we can trust him to see the whole picture; we can trust in his faithfulness to us and to his world that the good end he has planned and promised will come to pass. The discipline we experience on the way is an aspect of his love for us and his desire for us to change and become who we are meant to be in him.
Questions to Consider
How has God’s discipline and your own disciplines combined to transform you? How has this change helped you aid in transforming the world?
Prayer
Holy Lord, thank you for working with us. Thank you for inviting – and empowering – us to be co-workers in your kingdom. I trust in your faithfulness, for the good work begun that will be finished. Amen.
Conclude with Silence (2 minutes)