Photo by Travis Silva.
Read Hebrews 11-12:3.
The writer of Hebrews talks extensively about those who have gone before us. The heroes of the faith as some call them. They were normal people who decided to live very non-normal lives. This is because they had faith. They took God at his Word. When God promised something, or said something was going to happen, they believed him. And the thing of it is, some of these things must have seemed absolutely ludicrous at the time. Marching around a city to get it to fall (not the best war tactics; 11:30), killing your only son through whom God said he would bless all nations (contradiction?; 11:17-19), etc. Yet each one took God at his Word. The Bible is full of examples, of witnesses, of heroes who’ve shown us that God is faithful. We just need to take him at his word too.
Which may be the reason why it says in Hebrews 12:1, “Therefore…let us.” Let us.
Hebrews 12 is rich with meanings and definitions that aren’t immediately noticeable (at least in the NIV…). First of all, the general gist of this passage is that we have a race to run, one of freedom and holiness (Christlikeness) in this life and then the prize of heaven to come. But in order to do that, in order to live how God wills us to, we must throw off everything that holds us back. There are actually two categories of things that we’re told to throw off.
The first is summed up in the words everything that hinders. This refers to a burden, a mass or whatever is prominent that holds us back (according to greekbiblestudy.org). It may be oppressive, or something that is taking up all your time and energy. Whatever it is, it should be pretty easy to figure out. What takes up so much time that it takes away from God? Or what is afflicting, limiting or weighing you down? It could be an unhealthy demanding relationship. Or it could be an overconsumption of media (facebook…come on). The second thing we’re told to throw off is sin that easily trips us up, or, more accurately, that keeps us from running (GBS.org). The word for throw off literally means to renounce or give up. So what is it? Renounce it, reject it (I know. Easier said than done, but it is doable).
Lastly, we need to fix our eyes on Jesus. Ultimately we are to see him as the supreme or perfect example of faith, but we also need to gaze into him. The song’s right. When we turn our eyes on him and we meditate on him, the things of this world fade into the distance. When we feed our appetite for the world, it grows, and the same is true of our hunger and thirst for righteousness.
The English translation of the word translated as fix our eyes misses something crucial though. It’s more than just looking really, really hard at Jesus. The word actually means “to look away from one thing so as to see another” (GBS.org).
So amid all your trials, sufferings and sin, look to Christ. But don’t just look at him. Willfully look away from what’s holding you back, and then fix your eyes on him.