What to focus on today

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.  Hebrews 12:1-2

In Hebrews 11, the writer leads us through a grand history of faith. The big names, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Gideon, and David are in the list, as well as some we might not think of right away. All these people - this great cloud of witnesses - did amazing things by faith.

These are the stories you might have grown up on. Movies have been made about them, books written, songs composed (flannel-graphs created). It's almost like the author of Hebrews is telling us, "Don't forget these people!"

But then two verses into chapter 12, he shifts gears on us. "Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith." The word "looking" in the Greek means "to turn the eyes away from other things and fix them on something."

Don't forget all these faithful ones, but at the same time, don't fixate on them. These men and women of faith were fallible. They had their moments of weakness, fatigue and defeat. Salvation cannot be found even in their most faithful acts. Studying them cannot give you faith for your future.

Fix your eyes on Jesus, the King of Faith. The one who is faithful:

     -to leave the glory of heaven, where He was worshiped 24/7

     -to become one of us
         = the all-knowing God, who had to learn to walk and talk
         = the all-powerful God, who had to be swaddled and carried
         = the omnipresent God, who was confined in a vessel of clay

     -to obey the commands God gave through the Law

     -to let the filth of my sin and your sin invade his perfect righteousness

     -to sacrifice himself, so his blood would cleanse us

     -to trust the Father to raise him from the curse of death, overcoming death for us.

Fix your eyes on him.

Salvation is in him alone. He is the founder (the one who begins) our faith and the perfecter (the one who completes) our faith.

Wherever you may be in the race set out before you, remember the ones who were faithful before, get rid of the things in this world and in your life that cause you to stumble, and run. But most of all, look to Jesus.

He is what you need to focus on today.