March 22, 2016 at 8:00 am, by Carl

Here’s how the writer of the writing, the letter, to the Hebrews challenges his readers found in the 12th chapter:
1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. 
2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. 
3 Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up.
He is, at this point in the letter, urging his readers to stay in the race and not let personal life challenges or, perhaps worse, spiritual apathy turn them aside.  Two chapters earlier in v 23, he begged them to “hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm….”  As we find ourselves in 2016, in the midst of very challenging times with seemingly only hate and anger surrounding and impacting our culture, it can become easy to let go of one’s hold on things.
Tuesday of Holy Week is the last public interaction Jesus had in Jerusalem before he held the Last Supper of Passover.   As he had left the city on Tuesday, he had predicted the destruction of the Temple, prompting his disciples to ask when such would happen.  He then proceeded to give one last sermon or discussion where he talked about how the coming “end times” will be very challenging.  You can read this in Matthew’s Gospel in chapters 24 and 25.  He closed out with challenging words to His followers to do the work that God requires of loving others, especially those who can’t do anything for you in return.  He warned against spiritual apathy.  It was as if He could predict what would challenge the future Christians thirty years later, when the writer of Hebrews wrote.
It’s hard to keep going.  I talk to my daughters and students about this often.  It’s easy to get weary.  One more night of reading.  One more paper to write.  One more test to study.  The start of most things chosen is easy.  The final days is not easy necessarily; you may be tired, but you suck it up because you can see the end.  Its in the middle when things seem darkest.  Or maybe, not even dark, but pointless.  Here is where the road seems to go on forever, like some dark Texas highway that just fades into the horizon with no end in sight.
God knows how easy it is to get weary.  That’s why in chapter 10 of Hebrews we are urged to deepen our community connections.  He tells us to “think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works” rather than just slowing down, stopping.  Quitting.  He begs us to “not neglect our meeting together” and speaks again to the church community to “encourage one another.”
The writer of Psalm 119 knew that we needed each other.  In verse 74, he writes “may all who fear [God] find in me a cause of joy; for I have put my hope in Your word.”  In other words, as each Christian lets the fact of their hope in God’s word be evident, it is an encouragement to others in their own life journey.  God’s word, His direction to us, is the cause of our hope.  Because we focus on His ways of how to live, we can take one more step.
And thus, just like the writer of Hebrews stated, we keep on taking that one more step because we keep “our eyes on Jesus” who modeled this life running with joy, even as He ran toward the death on the cross.  “He endured the cross, disregarding its shame.” You too can make it one more day.  “Think of all the hostility [Jesus] endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up.
Don’t give up!  Run your race with Joy.  You can do it.