The LORD is near (4), Read Hebrews 12:1-17

Let us take one more day to consider the effect of God’s nearness in Christ.  Hebrews 12 begins with the essential call to believers to look unto Jesus, the author and finished or our faith (v1-2).  He is near but we must not be blind to Him, nor can we turn away from Him.  But some, in a time of affliction, may be tempted to turn away from Him, as was the case in Hebrews.  It is the old question, why do good people suffer?  They think that being God’s child should result in His keeping us from suffering.  But what is the truth?

·        The question (why do good people suffer) assumes that being good should result in an easier life.  This is a false assumption and we will call attention to the words of Jesus on this in Luke 13:1-5.  As I write this we have just experienced the greatest mass murder in American history (Oct. 1, 2017).  Those who died and were wounded are not greater sinners than those who escaped.  Yet there is a message to our nation and the world: any pain, ours or someone else’s, reminds us of our need to be right with our creator.

·        Today’s passage gives us the other half of the answer to the question, as to why those who are sons of God suffer.  If, in fact, we do not suffer, we are not really God’s sons (v8).  Pain/chastening/discipline is fundamental to a proper father/son relationship.  We suffer because God’s is our Father and as our Father He loves us!  He loves us too much to let us wallow in sin, in the culture of death that is the result of disobedience.  

·        But in this discipline, here is the point of the nearness of God in Christ.  Christ sets an example of faithfulness and endurance for us.  We are called to realize that our sufferings are nothing like His.  We are still alive, having not yet resisted to bloodshed.  And we are not being mistreated for whom the LORD loves He chastens.

·        Note the contrast with Esau (v16-17).  Esau was mister tough guy.  He loved to hunt, and in my culture in Montana that is a sign of manliness or toughness.  Esau was a war-mongering guy, the kind who would settle scores in a rather serious manner.  He talked tough.  But in fact he was mister wimpy.  He was so wimpy he sold his birthright just because he was hungry, a dumb decision he later regretted and tried to change.  Because he did not cry out to God when he was hungry, he cried with tears later when he lost his birthright.

So the application is strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees and so forth.  Buck up we would say.  Quit complaining about your troubles.  You have tough guy Esau and enduring Jesus.  Both are near to you; they experienced what you experience (although Esau not so much because he gave in pretty early in the game).  You see how it ended for each of them.  Be careful lest you fall short of the grace of God.  Let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear (12:28).  Look to Jesus!