Consider him who endured such hostility against himself from sinners, so that you may not grow weary in your souls or lose heart. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as children—
“My child, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord
or lose heart when you are punished by him,
for the Lord disciplines those whom he loves
and chastises every child whom he accepts.”Endure trials for the sake of discipline. God is treating you as children, for what child is there whom a parent does not discipline? If you do not have that discipline in which all children share, then you are illegitimate and not his children. Moreover, we had human parents to discipline us, and we respected them. Should we not be even more willing to be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share his holiness. Now, discipline always seems painful rather than pleasant at the time, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed.
The writer to the Hebrews was addressing a congregation that was weary, discouraged, more than ready to give up. Their exact issue is different than ours and most people who have heard or read this letter or book. But the message rings true to us today. No matter what we’re up against, no matter what the situation, we’re not to turn back or turn away, but continue on in Christ.
In the passage above, coming after “the faith chapter” and reference to the race that Christ ran and pioneered for us to run as well, we’re told to endure trials as God’s discipline, that we’re to accept such as God’s children as training for our own good. That can seem trite to us, or like a broken record, heard again and again.
But no. We’re told to get out of our lethargic condition. For many, that might seem like a departure from grace. But again, no, we’re to lift up our drooping hands, strengthen our weak knees and make straight paths for our feet, so that we will be healed.
There’s hope in that. It can seem unimaginable indeed that any healing might be possible. But it is a certainty if only we will just look up, not give up, and keep going. As long as we do that, the help and needed healing will come.
Jesus community 