The beginning of any half-marathon or marathon is a party. As you begin running, you are swept along by thousands of runners as you witness crowds lining the streets cheering you on through positive reinforcement with chants and music. The runner begins to believe that he or she could run forever.
But as the miles pass by, the crowds begin thinning out. Soon, it is just you and your fellow runners. And the runners begin to become further apart along the course. Eventually, even the best runner hits a wall. It could be from lack of training, it could be from lack of nutrition, or it could be from lack of sleep. Physically and psychologically, you’re busted. You’re done.
Twice, some years ago, I ran the Indianapolis 500 Mini-marathon. I wasn’t the best runner, but as I made my way toward the finish line, I would see runners pull to the side. One of those times, when I was not in my best running shape, I had my doubts. But I was determined to finish the race. You see, I wanted the trophy at the finish line. Eventually, I just tuned out my mind and put one foot in front of the other. The miles eventually passed by and those crowds at the beginning of the race returned at the finish, even when you are not in the front of the pack. The party I witnessed at the start line returned to cheer on the runners at the finish line.
Today, on this Tenth Sunday after Pentecost, we are reminded that as Christians, “we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses” as we “run with endurance the race that is set before us” (Hebrews 12:1).
[The Race of Faith]
Last Sunday, upon my installation as your pastor, I joined the race of faith that you have been on here at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church. This race of faith is not an easy one. Oftentimes, it is grueling. We are cheered along by the faithful, but oftentimes the jeering of the unbelieving world makes even the most devout Christian wonder: “Should I continue? Maybe my life would be easier if I would follow the cultural trends?”
As we heard preached last week by Pastor Cumming, Hebrews 11 is known by many as the Faith Hall of Fame as it features the Heroes of the Faith. We hear of the great deeds of Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, and the list goes on. They believed in God’s promise of a coming Savior and for that trust, they were counted among the righteous. This is inspiring to any Christian. This text offers hope, comfort, and encouragement to any Christian.
But oddly enough, as we heard in today’s epistle from the Book of Hebrews, people of faith bear witness to God more clearly through their suffering than their accomplishments. We see this in how the apostles refused to deny their faith in the crucified, risen, and ascended Jesus when they faced the imminent prospect of persecution and death. Through the Holy Spirit, the writer of Hebrews proclaims this of the Old Testament saints: “Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword” (Hebrews 11:35b-37a).
Others just lost their occupations and became destitute due to their faith.
In America, persecution of Christians was once thought of something that only happened “over there.” But, little by little, persecution of Christians is becoming a mainstream idea.
When Christians are faced with public hostility for our confession of faith, we are too often tempted to withdraw from the battle in the public domain, or even give in to what the culture demands. We are lulled by false hopes of social acceptance and economic prosperity if we only give in to the culture by denouncing the Christian faith. This is what the sinful world desires. The sinful world wants every Christian to denounce their faith in Christ.
And, overall, the wider Christian Church here on earth has not helped the situation as so many denominations have abandoned Christian doctrine in hopes of increasing the numbers in the pews.
So, whether we are persecuted or not, we are all engaged in a contest, which is the battle against Satan and the powers of darkness. This is part of our vocation as Christians, the good works that God enables in us by what we do and what we suffer.
For those Heroes of the Faith in Hebrews 11, they all lived in fearless service to God in public life. By faith, they achieved much against impossible odds and powerful opponents. They were all confident in God’s protection and reliant on the power that God provides for them in their weakness.
We, too, are included with those saints of the Old Testament era and the New Testament era. We are included as the congregation that stretches back in time, encircles the world, and reaches out into the future and up into heaven. We are all a part of an eternal community, known as the communion of saints, which includes all the people of God in the Church Militant — those living today — and the Church Triumphant in heaven.
Like those who came before us, the Red Sea was no barrier to faith. The walls of Jericho were no barrier to faith. What appear to be hopeless odds are no barrier to faith. For all of them, faith soon became sight.
For those saints who experienced mistreatment and persecution, don’t feel sorry for them. They valued earthly comfort little compared to the eternal Christ. Earth’s safety was secondary when placed alongside eternal salvation. Through thick and thin, they would not deny their Lord! Faith endures in the face of suffering.
[The Great Cloud of Witnesses Look to Jesus]
All of these descriptions of faith were not about the faithful person. These descriptions were ultimately about faith in Jesus Christ. These Heroes of the Faith looked ahead to the Savior that God was promising. They didn’t know who the Savior would be. But they trusted in God and His word and they believed.
“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” (Hebrews 12:1-2).
Again and again, God’s people will face sufferings and persecutions at all times and all places. But Jesus endured the ultimate suffering.
Like that half-marathon or marathon race, we, too, have people of the faith surrounding us on all sides, like a huge crowd in a public place. This crowd is like “a great cloud” that envelops us. These witnesses are hidden from us now and are only seen by faith. But we still hear their voices as they testify about God in word and deed through the Scriptures. We hear the voices of the prophets and apostles in Scripture who support us and urge us on as they wait for us at the finish line.
So, we run with endurance the race that is set before us. But how do we run this race? How do we endure? Well, we endure by “looking to Jesus,” just as the great cloud of witnesses did. Jesus is just as present with us as He was and is present with those before us as “the author and perfecter of our faith” (Hebrews 2:2).
Jesus is the One and only Champion. This list of Heroes of the Faith culminates with Him. Through His obedient life, suffering, and death, He opened up the way into God’s presence by taking our sins upon Himself. He is the “author” of the race. He is both the founder of faith and its content. He was the first to run the race to the end. By faith in Christ, we are perfected by His sacrificial death as He protects us and He brings us to the goal of the race by His offering for us and by providing for us with His very flesh and blood. So, by running the race of faith, we wholly depend on Jesus from its beginning to its very end.
Here in the Divine Service, the crucified, risen, and ascended Lord Jesus is before us. He is here for us to see with the eyes of faith.
By faith, we, too, look to Jesus. And, by faith, we see Him, we behold Him, here, in our midst, through the Means of Grace — Word and Sacrament. By faith, we see our joining to the Lord’s death and resurrection in the waters of Holy Baptism. By faith, we trust that the forgiveness of sins proclaimed is Christ’s forgiveness. By faith, we discern Christ’s Body and Blood under the bread and the wine. By faith, we recognize that the Word proclaimed is the only sure and certain Word that grants eternal life. By faith, we witness God’s consoling love in our hands and in those of others.
Jesus is in our midst in His Word and Sacrament. The race is set before us. We continue to run, but this race is already won! We have the victory and all by grace through faith in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen!
The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen!
+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +
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