"Run with perseverance"
Hebrews 11:29-12:2
Proper 15C, August 19, 2007
A Sermon by Fr. James Haney V
Good Shepherd’s website has a place for prayer requests. Because it’s on the worldwide web, we occasionally get requests from folks outside of our parish. This week we were asked by a young man to pray for both his grandmother who was in great pain, and for himself, as he tried to grapple with how a loving God could allow the grandmother to suffer.
These past few months, I’ve had a couple of other people in my office asking similar questions. And they’re tough question for Christians.
If God is really loving, why is there so much pain and suffering in the world? That’s a tough question. And it’s a classic question, so much so that there’s an technical term for it. It’s called theodicy, which literally means “God-justice.” How can a just and loving God allow evil and pain and suffering? That’s a big, tough question.
And I don’t want to try to give you a simplistic, easy answer. Such answers usually end up minimizing people’s very real pain. And we know that there is much pain in the world. Disease. Estrangement. Violence. Death. Many of you in this room have had to deal with such agonies in your lives. So I don’t want to minimize the great mystery of pain and suffering by trying to explain it away simplistically.
Instead, I want to come at it from an oblique angle, and get the perspective of our epistle lesson from Hebrews ch11 p1097.
The 11th chapter of Hebrews is all about faithfulness. It lists examples of those in the past who have stuck with it, who have remained faithful to God in many different kinds of circumstances. It celebrates those who have pushed forward and not shrunk back (10:38).
In our reading today, the list continues v32:
“Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel… quenching fire, escaping the edge of the sword… being tortured, mocked, flogged, imprisioned… stoned to death, sawn in two, killed by the sword… destitute, persecuted, tormented.”
That’s quite a list. And it’s not always pleasant. There’s a lot of suffering and pain on that list. And yet, Hebrews commends these people for their faithfulness. For continuing forward, and not shrinking back, even in the midst of what is sometimes very nasty suffering.
The writer of Hebrews is telling us that forward momentum is what counts. Pressing forward, following God faithfully, even in the midst of difficulties, pain, and suffering. And this point he makes explicitly at the beginning of ch12:
v1 ”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.”
It’s a very rich image. The Christian life is equated with running a race. Not a short sprint, but the long marathon of a faithful life, a life of perseverance.
Of course running that race can be tough. So notice two other things in v1. First is the wonderful, comforting image that we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses. Who are they? All of the faithful people back in ch11. All those who lived faithful lives. They are the witnesses. And they are witnesses in a double sense.
First, they are witnesses to us of living the faithful life, following God. But they are also witnesses of our running of the race. It’s an image of cheering fans in the stands encouraging us who are on the field. So not only are they examples for us follow as we run the race. They are also rooting for us as we run the race.
Notice something else about v1, the middle phrase, “let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely.”
You don’t usually try to run while carrying barbells. Why should life be any different? Why would you want to run the race of life with excess baggage weighing you down. Cast it off, Hebrews is telling us.
And perhaps, as 21st century Americans, a part of what we might need to get rid of is a part of our worldview. Most people in our culture believe that life is supposed to be easy. Things are supposed to go smoothly. We’re supposed to be comfortable and secure. Then when bad things happen, we seem to view it as an abnormality, an aberration.
That’s such a different view of life from most cultures around the world today, and for that matter, throughout history. Most cultures expect life to be a struggle, to be tough. Heck, the Buddhists even put it right up front. The first Noble Truth of Buddhism is, “Life is suffering.”
Maybe part of the excess baggage we need to dump as we run the race is the expectation that everything is supposed to always be rosy. Maybe ease, comfort, and security is not what life is all about.
That’s what Hebrews reminds us of next. Let’s persevere, let’s run the race, v2 “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.”
Do you want an example of what life is supposed to be about? Do you want an example of running faithfully to the finish line that God is calling you to? Then look to Jesus as the perfect example of one has run the race perfectly.
Did Jesus avoid pain? Did Jesus think about himself? Was Jesus after comfort, ease, and security? No. In fact, he embraced the cross. He gave up the excess baggage of pride and honor and prestige. All he wanted to do was God’s will. That was the path he followed. That is the course he calls us to follow.
And notice one other thing. Hebrews is talking in first person plural. Let US run with perseverance the race that is set before US. It’s not about me. It’s about we. It’s about us as a people, as a community, moving forward, pushing forward, together.
There’s a wonderful scene in the movie, An Officer and a Gentleman. The Richard Gere character, Zach Mayo, is enrolled in Officer Candidate School seeking to be a Naval aviator. Throughout the movie Zach has been a loner, very self-involved, not much of a team player. Near the end of the movie is a scene with the obstacle course. Throughout the movie the obstacle course has been important for two reasons. 1. Zach has a real chance of setting the course record for fastest time ever. 2. One of the other candidates has not yet been able to climb the wall on the course--she’ll wash out of the program unless she does.
<<clip 1:28:07--1:30:36>>
Zach becomes a team player. All the other candidates are cheering him on, encouraging him. And he in turn forsakes his chance at glory, his chance at setting a record, to encourage Seeger.
That’s our calling. Those who have gone before us are cheering us on. And by their example, they remind us of our mission, to serve others.
“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.”
Why does a loving God allow evil things to happen? That’s not an easy question to answer. But in Jesus Christ, he’s there with us, he suffers with us, he shares in our pain. God calls us to persevere, to run the race, looking to Jesus as our example.
He also gives us the example of those who have gone before us in faith, who are there to cheer us on in our race.
And he calls us to support one another, to be a community, to support one another in comfortable times and in difficult times.
Keep pushing forward. Encourage one another. Persevere. Run God’s race.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The Rev. James P. Haney V
Good Shepherd, Wichita
August 19, 2007
