The passage is written to weary and fainthearted Christians (v.3); or as verse 12 puts it, the droopy-handed and weak-kneed. We will see in this passage motivation, an action plan and power for the weary to endure.
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.
Motivation
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses…
He’s referring back to chapter 11, which is known to many as The Hall of Faith. The point is that many regular Christians just like you and me have faced weariness and found the strength to endure and their testimony in scripture cheers us on. A witness can be either one who sees something or one who says something. As we run the race of life as Christians, we are surrounded by witnesses who have seen God’s faithfulness and are saying to us, “You can and must keep running! We finished and so can you.”
Whatever has made you fainthearted, know this: you are not the first Christian to face it. Many Christians have completed even harder trails. Look with me at the list in 11:33-38. Christians like you and me have:
- Conquered kingdoms
- Enforced justice
- Obtained promises
- Stopped the mouths of lions
- Quenched the power of fire
- Escaped the edge of the sword
- Been made strong out of weakness
- Become mighty in war
- Put foreign armies to flight
- Received back their dead by resurrection
Christians have endured to accomplish great things. Christians have also endured horrible things. Look how the list now turns halfway through verse 35. Christians have endured:
- Torture
- Mockery
- Flogging
- Chains
- Imprisonment
- Stoning
- Being sawn in two
- Death by sword
- Destitution
- Affliction
- Mistreatment
Whatever your situation, it is possible to endure and even run. I know because so many have done so before you.
I used to work for the Mattress Firm and they did a lot of training. In one of the training meetings the manager gathered two groups of salespeople and took them to a back room. He then put a pile of blocks on a desk in front of the rest of us and brought out the first group. He told them to stack the blocks as high as they could and that he’s seen groups stack as many as 10. The group did the task and made it to around 10. He puts the blocks into a pile again, then brought out the second group and told them to stack the blocks. But this time, he told them that he’s seen groups stack as many as 50. The second group stacked five times as many blocks as the first. His point was that perceived precedent effects performance (and that we should sell a ton of beds!).
This principle holds true in the Christian life. We need to remember that Christians have endured extreme trials and have made it through. We can expect to make it through too.
Action Plan
But how do we do it? Practically speaking, how do we endure when our hands are drooping and our knees are weak? There are two things to do in this passage.
…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.
Lay Aside Every Weight
First, we need to lay aside the things that weigh us down and tangle us up. The passage mentions two things to lay aside: weights and sins. Since these are listed separately, we can assume that weights refer to things that are not necessarily sinful that nonetheless slow us down.
The Daytona 500 took place yesterday. None of the cars pulled a trailer or had a travel bin strapped to the top. None of the drivers invited a friend to ride shotgun. Why? Because the drivers wanted to lay aside every possible weight.
The Christian life is this way. It is a race and extra weight hampers our running, even if those extra weights are not sinful. This could be entertainment (video games, Facebook, Netflix, etc.). This could be the incessant distraction of your smart phone. This could be unhealthy habits or routines. This could be sadness or grief.
One weight I’ve decided to lay aside is excessive podcasts. I have come to listen to podcasts every time I’m in the car or walking to work or washing dishes or whenever there’s a quiet moment. This has weighed me down and made it nearly impossible for me to absorb all the information I’m taking in, much less think with quiet concentration.
If you’re weary or fainthearted start here. What weights are you carrying that you need to lay aside?
Lay Aside Every Sin
You’ll also need to lay aside the sin which clings so closely, enntangline you. These are things like racism or laziness or disregard for God’s commands in scripture. Trying to move forward as a Christian while allowing sin to remain in your life is like running a race in wet blue jeans.
A while back I decided I wanted to run a Spartan Race. Spartan Races are 3+ mile obstacle courses with 15+ obstacles (think crawling under barbed wire, pulling yourself across a pond on a suspended rope, walls, etc.). One of the first obstacles in the race always has to do with water or mud, because getting soaked with water or caked with mud makes the race that much harder. For this reason, Spartan Racers wear no unnecessary clothing. If you’ve ever seen pictures of the race, the men are almost all shirtless because shirts just get in the way.
Sin is like soaking wet, muddy clothes. They cling to you. They make your movements difficult. They slow you down. They chaff and choke. This passage says to lay it aside if you want to endure.
How do you lay aside sin? Confession and repentance are your one-two punch. If you’ve been selfish toward your spouse, confess your sin to God and your spouse. Then prayerfully attempt to selflessly love them. If you’ve been prideful, confess your pride to God and anyone whom your pride has hurt. Then prayerfully pursue humility. If you’ve been adrift in an overarching ambivalence toward God, confess that sin to him and turn toward him through prayer and the word.
Are you weary and fainthearted? Are your hands drooping and your knees weak? If so, ask yourself these questions. What weights are hindering you’re forward progress as a Christian? What sins are clinging do you, slowing you down? Identify them and lay them aside.
RUN!
Once you’ve begun to work though this, take the next step, which is to run. You don’t just toss the weights and sins to the ground and stand there. Get moving!
Run with endurance. Endurance means literally to remain under. Running with endurance is the opposite of escape. If you’re like me, you often long to escape to the beach or into a movie. Studying this passage I’ve come to the conclusion that while rest for the race is good, escape from the race is bad. We who are weary need to keep running the race that is set before us.
What does it mean to run the race set before you? It means to be obedient in the course God has laid out in front of you. It will look different for each of us. For Noah, it meant building a giant boat. For Abraham, it meant leaving his home, not knowing where he was going, and willingness to sacrifice his son Isaac. For Sarah, it meant having a child in advanced age. For Isaac it meant blessing his sons. For Moses, it meant turning his back on privilege to identify with God’s people and later leading them out of Egypt. For the people of Israel, it meant crossing the Red Sea on dry land. For Joshua it meant leading God’s people to march around Jericho until God brought down the walls. For Rahab, it meant giving friendly welcome to Israelite spies.
For you, it might mean loving your difficult husband patiently and gently. It might mean contacting a stronger Christian to begin being discipled. It might mean carving out some time to begin reading your Bible for yourself for the first time in your life. It might mean taking another step into leadership to help others. It might mean becoming more open and vulnerable where you’ve previously been hidden and isolated. It might mean looking at your gifts and your resources and seeking counsel about how best to serve the church. It might mean reading that book someone gave you or joining that Bible study someone invited you to.
Remain under. Stay in the race. Keep going. You can do it. Others have done it. Lay aside everything that weighs you down and tangles you up. Run!
Power
Some may feel at this point like they just can’t. They’re too tired. They’re too weak. Look at verse two with me and be encouraged.
…looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising (thinking little of) the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
Enduring in this race isn’t about your muscles. It’s about your eyes. Look to Jesus.
Run the race, but don’t look to the race for what you need to keep moving. Do the work but don’t look to the work for what you need to keep working. Keep your eyes focused on Jesus for what you need to keep moving and working. Look to Jesus and here’s what you’ll see:
1. Jesus is the founder of or faith.
Endurance is about faith and Jesus is the founder of it. You don’t have to pioneer anything. Jesus already did it. Look to him and follow him into faith.
2. Jesus is the perfecter of faith.
Endurance is about faith and Jesus is the perfecter of our faith. You don’t have to perfect anything. Jesus is perfecting it. Look to him and follow him into perfected faith.
3. Jesus is the example of faithful endurance.
Jesus endured the cross, thinking little of the shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the father. He did all this “leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps” (1 Peter 2:20-21).
Conclusion
If you are weary, fainthearted, droopy-handed and weak-kneed, be encouraged. Others have endured and even run. Lay aside everything that weights you down and every sin that tangles you up. Run with endurance the race set before you, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, the example of Christian endurance.
Discussion Starters
- Do you feel weary, fainthearted, droopy-handed or weak kneed? How long have you felt this way? Why do you think you feel this way?
- Can you think of anyone in the Bible who experienced similar circumstances to yours that endured?
- What weights (non-sinful hindrances) do you need to lay aside?
- What sins do you need to lay aside?
- What is the race that is set before you?
- What paths do you need to stop running in order to focus on the race set before you?
- What are some practical ways we can look to Jesus?
