Therefore, 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 2 while keeping our eyes fixed 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. 3 Consider how he endured such opposition from sinners, in order that you may not grow weary and lose heart. 4 In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood. 5 You have also forgotten the exhortation addressed to you as sons: “My son, do not disdain the discipline of the Lord or lose heart when reproved by him; 6 for whom the Lord loves, he disciplines; he scourges every son he acknowledges.” 7 Endure your trials as “discipline”; God treats you as sons. For what “son” is there whom his father does not discipline? 8 If you are without discipline, in which all have shared, you are not sons but bastards. 9 Besides 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? 10 They disciplined us for a short time as seemed right to them, but he does so for our benefit, in order that we may share his holiness. 11 At 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. 12 So strengthen your drooping hands and your weak knees. 13 Make straight paths for your feet, that what is lame may not be dislocated but healed.
Paul reminded the Hebrews that they have had examples of OT men and women who were witnesses to the faith (Heb. Chap. 11). Christianity is a race of hardship and endurance so they should lay aside everything sinful and use Jesus as their model who founded the faith and brought it to its perfection (Heb. 2:10). Jesus took the form of a slave (Phil. 2:6-8) and from sinners he endured his suffering and death on the cross (Mt. 26:45) with an eye towards our salvation. He now sits at God’s right hand (Ps. 110:1). If we persevere in running the race, we too can participate in the joy Jesus shares with the Father (2 Tim. 4:7).
In their struggle against sin, they must resist even if they have to shed their blood. Paul reminded them of an OT proverb which explained that God’s discipline can include suffering (Prov. 3:11-12). They are to endure their trials as God’s loving discipline (Sir. 30:1-2). He loves them like a father and is disciplining them so they may share in his holiness. If we respect our earthly fathers who discipline us, how much more should we love and submit to our heavenly Father as his disciplines is for our benefit? Discipline may seem harsh at the time, but it produces peaceful fruit later to those who respond to it. Paul quoted from Isaiah to encourage the Hebrew Christians to be strong, “Strengthen hands that are feeble, make firm knees that are weak (Is. 35:3).” Paul also encouraged them not to let any weakness cripple them, but they should strive to be healed.
Almighty God, your Son
endured the cross for our sake so that we could share in your joy. Grant us the grace to live the Gospel through
our trials which forge the discipline necessary for us to lead a life of
holiness in imitation of our Savior. This
we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Upper Saddle River, NJ, United States, Prentice Hall, 1990.
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