Looking only at Jesus, the originator and perfecter of the faith

Hebrews 11:32-12:13 from the daily reading in the One Year Bible

And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets, ³³ who by faith conquered kingdoms, performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, ³⁴ quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. ³⁵ Women received back their dead by resurrection; and others were tortured, not accepting their release, so that they might obtain a better resurrection; ³⁶ and others experienced mocking and flogging, and further, chains and imprisonment. ³⁷ They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented ³⁸ (people of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts, on mountains, and sheltering in caves and holes in the ground.

³⁹ And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised, ⁴⁰ because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they would not be made perfect.

12 Therefore, since we also have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let’s rid ourselves of every obstacle and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let’s run with endurance the race that is set before us, ² looking only at Jesus, the originator and perfecter of the faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

³ For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

⁴ You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin; ⁵ and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons,

“My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, Nor faint when you are punished by Him; ⁶ For whom the Lord loves He disciplines, And He punishes every son whom He accepts.”

⁷ It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? ⁸ But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. ⁹ Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits, and live? ¹⁰ For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness. ¹¹ For the moment, all discipline seems not to be pleasant, but painful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterward it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.

¹² Therefore, strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble, ¹³ and make straight paths for your feet, so that the limb which is impaired may not be dislocated, but rather be healed.

With all that is going on in the world today, the increasing darkness, lawlessness and immorality, it is easy to become discouraged and even fearful. In today’s text it says: let’s rid ourselves of every obstacle and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let’s run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking only at Jesus, the originator and perfecter of the faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. It is easy to become entangled in the things of the world.  We need instead to look only at Jesus rather than focusing on the world. He is the perfecter of our faith. Fear is the opposite of faith. It is believing more in the things that we don’t want than in the things that we do want. Romans 12:21 says: Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. When we give in to fear and anxiety, doubt and worry, we allow ourselves to be overcome by evil. In order to overcome evil, we don’t fight evil with evil, but rather with good.

Rather than focusing on the darkness, in Matthew 5:14-16 Jesus says: “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” When we look only to Jesus, we see Him at the throne of God. In Isaiah 6:1-3 it says: In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one cried to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the  Lord of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!” When we look at Jesus, we see the glory of the Lord filling the earth even in the midst of the darkness. Jesus taught us to pray saying: “Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.”  When our faith is perfected in Christ, we can be those who not only pray that prayer, but are also part of the answer to the prayer, bringing the glory and light of God that we see in heaven to earth.

The text says: Consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart… Therefore, strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble, and make straight paths for your feet, so that the limb which is impaired may not be dislocated, but rather be healed.

Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.