Day 36- Wednesday, March 20
Title: CHRIST OUR EXAMPLE OF ENDURANCE
Scripture: Hebrews 12:1-2 (NKJV)
Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Poetry & Poet: 
“Hurdles”
by Katia Kopovich

The last time I ran hurdles I showed up 
early for the competition. There was still 
snow on the Kishinev stadium. Three or four workers 
were sweeping it from the tracks. 
I took off my coat and dress in a dim locker room 
and put on my blue shorts and a white 
race jersey with a well-worn number three 
printed in red over my chest. Then the other girls
began to arrive, smelling of snow. 
Natasha had a strong body and long legs. 
When she removed her hair clasp, her blond hair 
fell like a mane over her bare shoulder-blades. 
Ira, a tartar girl, was dark and had jet-black eyes. 
I knew she was the best in spite of her
     short stature. 
Even Olga, an absent-minded freckled dawdler, 
had better chances than I at sixteen. 
I left my eyeglasses in the locker and came out 
to stretch and warm up before the final race.

Our skin crawling in the cold, white vapor at
     our nostrils, 
ponytails... We looked at each other one last time 
at the start, before turning into four racehorses. 
The pistol awakened us, startling every nerve. 
Each step was taut but light-footed.
Our elastic ligaments 
and warm muscles hurled us through cold winter air. 
Clearing hurdle after hurdle, we knew no gravity.

When it was over I looked around and saw the others. 
They were behind me. Strangely enough, 
it didn't matter to me any longer.

We were tired, and our shoulder-bags felt heavy 
as we walked to the bus stop, trotting on ice, 
making small talk under our umbrellas. 
That Moldovan February was drizzly, 
but it was getting warmer toward noon. 
The next summer I moved to another city 
to study literature. 
Are they still running through snow behind me?

CHRIST OUR EXAMPLE OF ENDURANCE

When I saw La Pieta by British sculptor Paul Fryer, this riveting artwork immediately spoke to me of Christ the Son, fully exposed as the “Man of Sorrows” in Jerusalem on Good Friday, while at the same time hinting at the conquering Christ ensconced in glory and seated “at the right hand of the throne of God” in Heaven after his ascension. Although the artist’s intention was to visualize what a contemporary western execution via an electric chair might have looked like for Christ, I couldn’t help seeing the electric chair as his celestial throne. This doesn’t seem to be too much of a stretch since today’s Scripture passage uses antithesis when it speaks of Christ as Alpha and Omega—“the author and finisher of our faith,” and of Christ as “Joyous Victor” even as he took on the role of “Suffering Servant.”

The “Preaching of the Cross” described in Hebrews 12:1-2 speaks of Christ “enduring the cross and despising the shame” as he went through the most heinous physical and spiritual torment imaginable. Death by crucifixion is perhaps the worst possible way to die. Rev. John Piper says it eloquently:

Shame was stripping away every earthly support that Jesus had: his friends gave way in shaming abandonment; his reputation gave way in shaming mockery; his decency gave way in shaming nakedness; his comfort gave way in shaming torture. His glorious dignity gave way to the utterly undignified, degrading reflexes of grunting and groaning and screeching.

Yet Christ despised or rejected this awful shame. He paid little heed to the shame and chose instead to focus on the profound joy that was about to be his in the staggering victory he would win over sin and death. He had his eyes fixed on the empty throne awaiting him at God the Father’s right hand where he intercedes for us today. The takeaway from the sermon in this passage is that Christ was motivated by joy. He “counted it all joy” even in his darkest moments on the cross as he patiently took upon himself the sins of the world.

Theologian Teilhard de Chardin referred to joy as, “the most infallible sign of the presence of God.”  Joy is a complex character quality that responds with mind, heart, and body to the things that matter most in our lives. It comes from deep within and is an authentic indicator of our spiritual state. Joy and sorrow are inextricably linked. The early church fathers wrote about a joyful sorrow that characterized the “crucified—risen” Christ. Likewise, Christians alive today carry within themselves not only the trials and sorrows of this present life but have learned by following Christ’s example to respond to whatever comes their way with thanksgiving and grace. One of the keys to successfully running and finishing the marathon of life is to cultivate a genuine spirit of Christ’s joy deep within. It’s often believers who have the least and have endured the greatest hardships that demonstrate the most profound, unshakeable joy in their faith. Yet, this joy is available to all who desire it. How does this joy grow and develop? Hebrews 12:1-2 indicates that it’s by “keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus.”

Christ is our supreme example of steadfast endurance because he maintained his joy amid fiery trials. We are admonished to “look to Jesus,” to “fix our gaze on Him.” This means having him always before us, uppermost in our minds and hearts throughout our waking and sleeping hours. This passage is a call to action. I think of the story of Peter wanting to follow Christ’s example by walking on water. It was when Peter got distracted by the wind and took his eyes off Christ that he began to sink. In this grand race we’re running, serious athletes know how to stay focused. They have learned through trial and error to block out all distractions. They don’t look back like Lot’s wife did, but keep a long, steady eye on the goal in front of them. That’s a pretty hefty challenge in this age of distractions and diversions. While Katia Kopovich effortlessly “cleared hurdle after hurdle” in today’s poem, we know that most of us will not clear every hurdle. Some of us will surely stumble and fall. When that happens, Christ calls us to get up and with joy keep on running. James 1:2 says, “Consider it nothing but joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you fall into various trials.”

With our gaze firmly planted on Christ and the additional gifts of the Holy Spirit, the Word of God, the Church with its sacraments and that “great cloud of witnesses,” we are well equipped to run the race. The Christian Church is made up of the Church Militant (those alive in this world at the present moment) and the Church Triumphant (those saints who have died in the Lord and are with Christ). Both groups can and should impact our lives in meaningful ways as we journey toward our goal. These witnesses help us understand how imperfect mortals have kept the faith and crossed the finish line. I think of a dear artist friend who has been battling cancer and other health issues for several years. One medical challenge after another has become the mainstay of her narrative. Yet, I don’t recall knowing anyone who has been more consistently joyful. Her indomitable spirit and zeal for living have been an inspiration to everyone she comes in contact with. It seems her overflowing joy for Christ keeps her going strong. In Philippians 3:13-14 St. Paul declares, “But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” And in Matthew 24:13 we read, “But the one who perseveres to the end will be saved.”

Prayer
Turn full my soul’s vision to You, and let me look and look at Jesus. May a strange dimness come over all that is apart from You, and may the Divine attrait by which God’s saints are made…lay hold of me. For You are worthy to have all there is to be had in the heart that You have died to win.
  ––Adapted from Lillias Trotter (1853-1928)

Barry Krammes
Artist and Educator
Professor Emeritus, Art Department 
Biola University

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