October 30
Bible Reading: Hebrews 12
Hebrews 12:1-2, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”
The 543.7-mile race from Sydney to Melbourne, Australia, is the most grueling race in the world. In 1983, 150 runners ran that race. On race day, Cliff Young, a 61-year-old potato farmer and sheepherder, arrived at the registration table wearing overalls and galoshes. At first, people there thought he had come to watch the race, but much to their surprise, he had come to run. Cliff had grown up on a farm without the benefit of horses and vehicles. When storms came along, he headed out to round up his 2000 sheep over his 2000-acre farm. Sometimes that would take 2 or 3 days. When the race started, bystanders laughed at Cliff, who was left behind in his galoshes and overalls while the other runners with their fit bodies and running gear quickly started running. Snickers gave way to laughter when Cliff ran, not like the other runners, but with what they could only describe as a leisurely, odd shuffle. All of Australia was riveted to the live telecast as they watched the scene unfold. “Someone should stop that crazy old man before he kills himself!” Five days, 15 hours, and 4 minutes later, Cliff Young came shuffling across the finish line in Melbourne, winning the ultra-marathon! He didn’t win by a few seconds, or even a few minutes. The nearest runner was 9 hours and 56 minutes behind. Australians were stunned at this remarkable yet seemingly impossible victory. How did it happen? Everyone knew that to run the ultra-marathon, runners would run for 18 hours, then stop and sleep for six hours. This routine was repeated for five punishing days. But no one told Cliff Young. He just shuffled along, day and night, night and day, without stopping to sleep. Cliff broke the previous race record by nine hours and became overnight a national hero. He claimed afterwards that during the race, he imagined he was running after sheep and trying to outrun a storm. Cliff Young ran with endurance!
Scripture likens the Christian life to a race (1 Corinthians 9:24; Galatians 5:7; Philippians 2:16). It is not a sprint, but a marathon in which endurance is necessary. Endurance is “a steady determination to keep going.” It speaks of that characteristic of a person who is undeterred by even the greatest trials and sufferings in loyalty to the faith. The need for “endurance” is in the context of our passage (Hebrews 10:32, 36, 39; 12:1, 2, 3).
The runner in the race is encouraged by a “great cloud of witnesses” (Hebrews 12:1). Who are these folks? The reference is undoubtedly to those spoken of in the previous chapter, as Kent Hughes explained:
“The scene is a great coliseum. The occasion is a footrace, a distance event. The contestants include the author and the members of his flock and, by mutual faith, us. The cloud of witnesses that fills the stadium are the great spiritual athletes of the past, Hall of Faith members—every one a Gold Medal winner. They are not live witnesses of the event, but ‘witnesses’ by the fact that their past lives bear witness to monumental, persevering faith.”
“Hebrews, An Anchor for the Soul”- R. Kent Hughes
There are encumbrances that work to hinder the runner in the race. Extra weight is obviously a big consideration. The race runners of that day wore little or nothing. The believer is likewise exhorted to “lay aside every weight” (Hebrews 12:1). It is possible for the believer to be weighed down by things that are harmless in themselves, but still a hindrance because they impede progress. We can be weighed down by material possessions and our love for comfort hindering us in our efforts. That’s no way to run!
A more significant obstacle is the “sin which clings so closely” (Hebrews 12:1). Encumbrances weigh down, sin entangles. What kind of sin? John MacArthur has commented on the matter:
“Obviously all sin is a hindrance to Christian living, and the reference here may be to sin in general. But use of the definite article (the sin) seems to indicate a particular sin. And if there is one particular sin that hinders the race of faith, it is unbelief, doubting God. Doubting and living in faith contradict each other. Unbelief entangles the Christian’s feet so that he cannot run. It wraps itself around us so that we trip and stumble every time we try to move for the Lord, if we try at all. It easily entangles us. When we allow sin in our lives, especially unbelief, it is quite easy for Satan to keep us from running.”
John MacArthur
So, “looking to Jesus,” let us run with endurance. Cliff Young ran with endurance as he kept his eyes on an earthly prize. In Jesus, we’ve both the best of examples and the reason to keep on running as we “press on toward the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14)!
“By perseverance the snail reached the ark.” – Charles Spurgeon
May I run the race before me,
Strong and brave to face the foe,
Looking only unto Jesus,
As I onward go.
LookingtoJesus 