Page 505 - Demo

HEBREWS 
God Our Father.*
121Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of
witnesses, let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us* and persevere in running the race that lies before us 2while keeping our eyes xed on Jesus, the leader and perfecter of faith. For the sake of the joy that lay before him he endured the cross, despising its shame, and has taken his seat at the right of the throne of God.a 3Consider how he endured such opposition from sinners, in order that you may not grow weary and lose heart. 4In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood. 5You have also forgotten the exhortation addressed to you as sons:
“My son, do not disdain the discipline of the Lordb or lose heart when reproved by him;
6for whom the Lord loves, he disciplines;
he scourges every son he acknowledges.”
7Endure your trials as “discipline”; God treats you as sons. For what “son” is there whom his father does not discipline?c 8If you are without discipline, in which all have shared, you are not sons but bastards. 9Besides this, we have had our earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them. Should we not [then] submit all the more to the Father of spirits and live?d 10They disciplined us for a short time as seemed right to them, but he does so for our bene t, in order that we may share his holiness. 11At the time, all discipline seems a cause not for joy but for pain, yet later it brings the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who are trained by it.e
12So strengthen your drooping hands and your weak knees.f 13Make straight paths for your feet, that what is lame may not be dislocated but healed.g
Penalties of Disobedience. 14h Strive for peace with everyone, and for that holiness without which no one will see the Lord. 15* See to it
Joseph Interpreting the Dreams of the King of Egypt, by Jacopo Bologna, 14th century
12:1
We are not alone. All the holy people who have come before us surround us and cheer us on as we take our turn in running the race.
12:5
Parents are strict with their children at times because they love them. It is the same with God.
12:12
Images of sports and games are frequent in the New Testament. Here, God is described almost like an athlete’s trainer, pushing us to achieve more, to pick ourselves up and keep going.
a. [12:2] 2:10; Ps 110:1; Phil 2:6–8.
b. [12:5–6] Prv 3:11–12 / Dt 8:5; 1 Cor 11:32.
c. [12:7] Prv 13:24; Sir 30:1.
d. [12:9] Nm 16:22; 27:16 LXX.
e. [12:11] 2 Cor 4:17; Phil 1:11; Jas 3:18.
f. [12:12] Is 35:3; Sir 25:23; Jb 4:3–4.
g. [12:13] Prv 4:26 LXX.
h. [12:14] Rom 12:18; 14:19.
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* [12:1–13] Christian life is to be inspired not only by the Old Testament men and women of faith (Heb 12:1) but above all by Jesus. As the architect of Christian faith, he had himself to endure the cross before receiving the glory of his triumph (Heb 12:2). Re ection on his su erings should give his followers courage to continue the struggle, if necessary even to the shedding of blood (Heb 12:3–4). Christians should regard their own su erings as the a ectionate correction of the Lord, who loves them as a father loves his children.
* [12:1] That clings to us: the meaning is uncertain, since the Greek word euperistatos, translated cling, occurs only here. The papyrus P46 and one minuscule read euperispastos, “easily distracting,” which also makes good sense.
*[12:15–17] Esau serves as an example in two ways: his profane attitude illustrates the danger of apostasy, and his inability to secure a blessing afterward illustrates the impossibility of repenting after falling away (see Heb 6:4–6).