Hebrews 11:29—12:2
By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as if it were dry land, but when the Egyptians attempted to do so they were drowned. By faith the walls of Jericho fell after they had been encircled for seven days. By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had received the spies in peace.
And what more should I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets— who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, quenched raging fire, escaped the edge of the sword, won strength out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. Women received their dead by resurrection. Others were tortured, refusing to accept release, in order to obtain a better resurrection. Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned to death, they were sawn in two, they were killed by the sword; they went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, persecuted, tormented— of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground. Yet all these, though they were commended for their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better so that they would not, apart from us, be made perfect.
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, 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.
Reflection
Wow! What a pep talk! This passage gives you the strength to go on. This passage encourages when you are down and out, when you hurt and are in pain. This passage is a grand display of our God, our Father, our Brother and the Holy Spirit with the people of God throughout all time. God is with his people through all of it. God is with us in the times of blessing and in the times of pain and suffering and crying. God is with us and in this we can be sure. Yes, we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses. Witnesses that not only include those mentioned above, but witnesses that include the faithful people in my life as well as yours.
As we walk up to our own Red Sea in life, that seemingly impassable place; we can have faith that God will lead us through. When we see the battle ahead in our own Jericho; we can have faith that God will make those walls fall down with a shout. God moving in our lives in unseen ways through a shout of faith. And as we are all the Rahabs of God's people, Gentiles and sinners, we can rest assured of God's promise to new life in obedience to God in faith; that we will be rescued and saved while in the midst of that city Jericho.
God was with Daniel in the lions den. With the three in the midst of the fire. God was with all those in the Maccabean times who endured persecution for the faith.
And God came in flesh to give to us the victory of faith in the resurrection from death in Jesus, God himself in flesh and blood. Even some have experienced a small taste of this great victory in the dead being raised to new life. Yet for some the resurrection is to come. The world is not deserving of their resurrection, they will be resurrected to that city that God has prepared for all of his people.
We move towards a goal we will never reach in the resurrection. We can never reach this goal on our own. For the resurrection is a gift from God. A gift given to us not because of anything we have or can do but a gift given to us out of God's deep love and compassion for each of his people.
Therefore we live in this realm of faith in God. Christian believers live in a different realm. A realm of trust and hope that God will bring us through it all, to be one with each other and one in God. Jesus is the perfecter of our faith.
So, we face into the contest of this life with faith. We face into all the realms of earthly living with faith. We face the pain, the illness, the suffering, the crying, the dying, the laughter, the blessing, the joy in the faith that God has already taken care of it all and saved us through Jesus Christ that we may live as One in him and with him. Our future is secure and safe in God.
By faith we can look around us in that great Cloud. Look around and see God in flesh and in Spirit all around us and all in us. We can see God's witnesses in the faithful friends and relatives, past, present and even future. Such a great cloud of witnesses, to a God that begins and finishes in Love, in Jesus.
Thanks be to God!
Prayer
God, you are great and are to be praised eternally. Thank you for living with and in and all around me in life and in death that I may see your Love in flesh and blood and Spirit and Life... today... tomorrow... and forever. --- Amen
No comments:
Post a Comment