Back in my youth group days at Box Hill a couple friends of mine decided to visit another friend from our group who was working at Hermannsburg in the Northern Territory. They drove up and when they reached Alice Springs the 2nd of my friends who was the passenger in the car said – this is way too far and he decided he was going to make arrangements and go back home. They had driven over 2000 kms with just over 100 kms to go. Despite pointing this out my friend who was at times irrational could not be convinced and arranged to fly back home. As ludicrous as this sounds – it did happen.
And as ludicrous as this sounds it is the concern of the writer of Hebrews today as Christians travel along the life journey on our way to heaven that can get quite difficult at times that we feel like giving up. The Old Testament has examples of that. As Israel were wandering through the wilderness, every time they struck difficulty they would complain to Moses and desire to go back – even though the origin of their journey was back breaking slavery in Egypt. And we have the example of Elijah who said – it’s enough Lord, take my life. Or Jonah who when things didn’t go the way he wished said to God – I’m so angry I wish I were dead.
Maybe you’ve felt like that at times. Maybe you’ve felt like giving up wondering what’s the point of our Christian journey. The world seems against us. So many people have left that we have to do all the work. Our budget is constantly wanting more and more from us. Our reading from Hebrews is encouraging us to not give up; Let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. Jesus is our great high priest who empathises with us because he has journeyed our path before us including the difficulties of giving up the race when he prayed to God his Father to “take this cup from me” But he persevered and continued to the cross.
It’s so sad that the church, including our own, has seen so many people give up the race. Having been baptized, gone to Sunday School, confirmation – perhaps even to a Lutheran or Christian School – even served in the church in a position of leadership – suddenly they have decided – I’ve had enough. But that’s the battle we are in which we call Spiritual Warfare. In fact that is one of the issues that the writer of Hebrews was struggling with too where the writer says in Chapter 10 – Let us not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
The Day the writer was speaking of was the Day of Christ’s return when we would join with him in eternal life in Heaven.
So, as we can see, this is not a modern day concern but goes right back to the very first churches. So we should not be disheartened asking – where have we gone wrong. Or, I’ve failed as a parent because my child no longer worships. Let us always remember that we have Jesus with us always but not only that we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses who have journeyed the path of God and overcome huge obstacles. Beginning with the Israelites who were hemmed in when they were fleeing Egypt and came to the Red Sea in front of them and the Egyptians behind them. But just when everything seemed doomed, God stepped in and separated the waters of the Red Sea to allow Israel to go through on dry land. And then, once Israel were safely through onto solid ground, God returned the waters removing their enemy completely.
In fact the writer of Hebrews gives us a huge list of witnesses who experience severe outcomes of their faith but never gave up. Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, 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.
But not all of them had positive experiences. 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. But they did not give up their faith in God.
Can you imagine how they – who gave up their lives and suffered persecution, even today, to ensure the Christian faith was passed on must feel looking at the church today and the reasons people give up their faith in God. I’m too busy with work. I’ve got sport commitments. Sunday’s my only day off. I didn’t get my way at the vote on a particular issue. No one spoke to me after church. Please don’t misunderstand what I’m saying.
I’m not trivializing them or saying they don’t hurt. But to give up one’s faith is not like changing football teams because you’re sick of your team losing. Or quitting your job because you’re sick of it.
These witnesses were people prepared to undergo the most gruesome torture and death for the sake of their faith in God. In fact, as we see in our Gospel reading, Jesus presence in the world can bring great challenges very close to home and so we should not be surprised that there are going to be many things that will try to distract people away from their faith. Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division! From now on five in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three; they will be divided: father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”
Jesus is not saying that he intentionally sets out to create this division but his work is so important that Satan works overtime to undo it. And the most effective way that Satan works is to attack the family unit – including the family of faith – the church. So when something comes up against the church it can have devastating consequences to a person’s faith. The journey before the church is a challenging one but we need to remember that the origin of the church was one of persecution, suffering and death in which it actually grew in size and faith.
Like an athlete let us keep our eyes focused on the finishing line and the prize that awaits us. Like a hurdler who keeps his focus on the finishing line and not the hurdle lest they stumble and fall, let us keep our eyes on Jesus Christ, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith who has taken his seat at the right hand of God. Now is not the time to give up as the Day of Christ’s return approaches but to look at the state of the world and if we give up on our faith then what do we have? That’s why Jesus said – you know how to interpret the weather signs – just have a look at the world and the signs it is giving that we dearly need our Saviour to return. So until he returns, may the peace of God that surpasses our understanding, keep your hearts and minds always in Christ Jesus, our pioneer and perfector of our faith. Amen
