Hebrews 12:1-3 Persevere and Shine
“Such a large crowd of witnesses is all around us! So we must get rid of everything that slows us down, especially the sin that just won’t let go. And we must be determined to run the race that is ahead of us. We must keep our eyes on Jesus, who leads us and makes our faith complete. He endured the shame of being nailed to a cross, because he knew later on he would be glad he did. Now he is seated at the right side of God’s throne! So keep your mind on Jesus, who put up with many insults from sinners. Then you won’t get discouraged and give up” (CEV).
The desert is a hard, dry, rocky, inhospitable place, but grand beauty can be found there in the plants that endure and persist until beautiful blossoms appear. They endure times of immense heat with sporadic rainfall that may come in cloudbursts one day and white-hot skies for extended times after the rainfall. It is interesting to note that the beauty of these flowers stands out in stark contrast to the land around them. They are easy to spot. The eye is drawn to them.
Jesus appeared on the scene two thousand years ago with a message that disturbed the existing religious leaders. The leaders had drifted from the belief they had on the day that the walls of Jerico fell. Jesus reminded them of that strong faith and pointed them to the Holy Scriptures that prophesied the appearance of the Messiah. He announced that He was that Messiah, and He showed it by the miracles He performed, by the words of peace and love that He spoke, and by the words written in the Holy Scriptures that He, and He alone, fulfilled. He certainly stood out from the crowd. It wasn’t hard to see Him and to follow His journey. The religious leaders wanted to kill Him, but several times while He was in their midst, He walked right through the crowd, escaping their murderous plots. He endured opposition from the religious leaders; He endured being ignored by the people from His home town; He endured betrayal from one of His closest associates; and He endured being hung on a Roman cross. On resurrection day He shined brighter than anyone ever did throughout history. His beauty was amazing, and it remains so today.
As for us, we can learn from the cactus flowers and from Jesus. We have been battered by sin, some that continue to attack even after we have accepted Jesus as Lord. Even now, even here, we endure implied, if not actual, persecution. Our statements about our Lord are derided by many, and some people even think we are deluded fools for the trust and faith we have in our Lord. Our stands on many aspects of life are derided, and we are marginalized in some parts of the communities where we live. But, we, like Christ, must persevere and run our race to its completion, and then like Him, we will shine brightly with His beauty for eternity.