Is This Racist?

Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Heb 12:1-2)

It's a wonderful text. It begins with a 'therefore.' There's a race to run and we have to run it a particular way. On what basis? Our great cloud of witnesses. What witnesses? Chapter 11 is the 'Faith Chapter' It begins with 'faith is the assurance of things hoped for' (Heb 11:1), includes a large number of examples from Abel to Rahab, and then admits, 'What more shall I say? For time will fail me' (Heb 11:32). He speaks of unknown numbers of saints who believed -- laid their lives on the line because they believed -- and gained approval through their faith (Heb 11:39). That great cloud of witnesses.

The author describes the Christian life as a race. Runners need to lay aside the things that slow them down or trip them up. In the "Christian race," sin is the biggest problem. Endurance is the next. And it's interesting. He says we must "run with endurance the race that is set before us." That is, each of us is running our own race. Don't run mine; run your own. It is reminiscent of Paul's "We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them" (Eph 2:10). You have good works and I have good works and God has prepared them .. but they're not necessarily the same ones. We don't have the same race. Run the one set before you.

The third factor for racers, after encumbrances and endurance, is ... look where you're going. We're supposed to fix our eyes on Jesus. Why? For His example. He is first "the author and perfecter of faith." Oh ... you thought that was you? No. That's Him. Then, run like He did when He endured the cross. How? Two things ... He looked instead at "the joy set before Him" and despised the shame. The joy set before Him would be the incredibly positive outcome -- being seated at the right hand of the throne of God. But that phrase, "despising the shame" ... what is that? "Despise" can mean to hate, but that's not the sense here. The word means to literally "to think against." It's to "disesteem." It means to lay no value on something. Shame, to Christ, had no value. It didn't matter. It wasn't worth considering. It was completely discounted.

We each have a race to run. It's similar in concept, but individual in substance. We each do the good works God prepares for us and each run the race set before us. Because so many before have done it, we should be able to set aside the things that trip us up and run with endurance. We should keep our eyes on the one who authored and perfected faith. No one is more reliable. We should look beyond the race to the prize -- the prize of being with Him -- and ignore the trials we will expect as of little value. Just ... run. For Him.