2nd Last Sunday of the Church Year, 2012
Hebrews 12:1-2
“Fix your eyes on Jesus”
Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
In the sporting world there is always the temptation to cheat in order to win. Far too often we hear of different athletes that take performance enhancing drugs, bribes, or find other ways to ensure a victory for themselves. It was very disappointing hearing of Lance Armstrong’s being found to have used one of the most sophisticated doping systems to be discovered in winning the many Tour De France titles. It is unfortunate how so many games (football, basketball, baseball, hockey, and others) have been tarnished by scandal. Just think of all the hall of fame players that worked so hard to be the best players they could be with the talent God gave them who are now in the shadows. Many risk their dreams for the wrong reasons.
We too, like so many others, have risked our dreams and goals; our race for some small insignificant lust. We give up on God because of our problems. We give up on those we love and turn to alcohol, sex, and drugs. We give up on marriages and commit adultery or get a divorce. We don’t want to deal with the results of sex and have abortions. We have many dreams and wants in life that we never achieve. Many times we forfeit our dreams for something easier to achieve or for some new want. We often lose focus of the race ahead of us. When you take your eye “off the prize,” you risk losing it forever.
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” (Hebrews 12:1)
Just like athletes that tarnish the games that they play and that of all the many hall of fame athletes before them; we too have tarnished our race and the saints that have come before us that finished their race to heaven. All the saints that have died in the faith before us are have shown us how to be victorious in Christ.
While many professional athletes have and will continue to get away with cheating in all its forms none of us is able to cheat God. God knows each of our hearts and there is no way around Him.
Like professional athletes, we have a prize that our eyes must be focused on at all times. As Christians we have a race to run that demands that we keep our eyes on Christ. Unlike many other races and prizes, our race and prize is not flimsy or a vain perishable desire; it isn’t some trophy or medal it is salvation and eternal life in heaven with Christ our Lord. In more frightening terms; if we lose focus in our race and fail to win the only reward is eternal punishment. This race is the race of our eternal lives.
“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2)
As Christians running a race we must focus on the salvation won by Christ. We must keep our sin in check; in fact we should not sin at all. We must do away with all of the unnecessary things in our life. Unfortunately as Sinners we abuse the gifts that God gives us and we do not live our lives without sin. For us, it is impossible to live without sinning. We are bound to sin and on our own we will not win the race; in fact we won’t even come close to finishing the race.
St. Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 10:1 “For I would not, brethren, have you ignorant, that our fathers were all under the cloud.” Paul cites a terrible example from Scripture to prove that not all who run obtain the prize. He says there were about six hundred thousand of them [Israelites at the time of Moses], all of whom walked in the way of God and enjoyed His Word and His confidence so completely as to be protected under the cloud and miraculously to pass through the sea; yet among the vast number who ran at that time only two, Joshua and Caleb, obtained the prize. Of that entire multitude they alone reached the promise land.
How many great and noble men may have been among the six hundred thousand, men to whom we would have been unworthy to hand a cup of water! They included the twelve princes of the twelve tribes, one of whom, Nahshon, Matthew (ch. 1:4) numbers in the holy lineage of Christ. There were also the seventy elders who shared the same spirit as Moses, Eldad and Medad in particular (Num. 11:27). All these, mark you, strove in the race. They did and suffered much. They witnessed many miracles of God. They aided in erecting a grand tabernacle. They were full of good works. Yet they failed, and died in the wilderness. Who is so daring that he will not be restrained and humbled by so remarkable an example of divine judgment? Well may it be said, “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.” (1 Cor. 10:12)
Thanks be to God that Jesus Christ has already won the race for us. He has carried our burdens to the Cross. He has defeated the sin, death, the grave, and the devil. He will carry us home to Heaven to live with Him in Eternal Bliss. Jesus is the only person that could win the race and He has. He lived a sinless life here on earth. He was tempted by the Devil just like we are. He was tempted by earthly lusts and overcame them. He died on the Cross with the weight of all of our sins on His shoulders. He leads us on our Christian race. He gives us the strength through His own body and blood so that we might win the race. Unlike any other race that is known to man; we are all winners of the prize through Jesus Christ. Through Baptism and it’s gift of faith we will be raised again as Victors of the Race with Jesus Christ.
“Jesus, lead thou on till our rest is won; and although the way be cheerless, we will follow calm and fearless. Guide us by thy hand to our fatherland. If the way be drear, if the Foe be near, let not faithless fears o’er take us; let not faith and hope forsake us; for through many a woe to our home we go. When we seek relief from a long-felt grief, when temptations come alluring, make us patient and enduring. Show us that bright shore where we weep no more. Jesus, lead thou on till our rest is won. Heavenly leader, still direct us, still support, control, protect us, till we safely stand in our fatherland.” (TLH 410) Amen.
Now may the peace of God which passes all human understanding keep our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior. Amen.
***I encourage all of you who strive in this race…to be in Church for Thanksgiving wherever you may be. Not because Pastor told you to be. Not because your forced to go. But because you want to worship with your family around the same Lord and Savior as the Saints in heaven receiving forgiveness of sins and strength to continue and win the race with those you love.***
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