Moving into Joy

“And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith.”—Hebrews 12:1-2

In a recent article in our United Methodist newspaper, Bishop Bickerton tells the story of Nigerian Bishop Arthur Kulah. When Bishop Kulah graduated into adulthood, the tribal chief took him for a long walk in the bush. He led Arthur up and down winding paths to intentionally get him lost. The chief then slipped away leaving Arthur to find his own way home. This was to be his final test.

At first Arthur tried this path and another. He prayed to God for help. He cried and despaired. Finally as night fell, Arthur saw the distant lights of the campfires burning in his village.

As he began to walk in that direction, he found a path. The path eventually led to a road he recognized, the way home.

The chief greeted Arthur at the village’s edge and congratulated him for passing the test. Before entering the village, the chief had Arthur look back at the path he had just traveled. When he turned around, he was amazed to see there lining the road were 20 to 30 tribal elders. When the chief took Arthur into the bush, the elders hid at various points along the way to make sure Arthur was safe and free from danger. The book of Hebrews calls us to consider the great cloud of witnesses that have gone before us and to throw off everything that hinders us from following the Lord in hope and faith (Hebrews 12:1).

For some, Christmas time becomes a time to grieve rather than to rejoice. Christmas reminds them of tragedies from Decembers past. Many remember loved ones who are no longer with us. Yes, many have gone on ahead, but they are still with us. They may be separated by the distance from heaven to earth, but their presence and impact are still here. They urge us to continue the race with joy and fix our eyes on Jesus.

Let the words of Hebrews 12 encourage us as we enter the Christmas season. “Let us run with perseverance...” It sure seems like we are running—running to church, to parties, to the mall, and just plain running. Let us to run by fixing our eyes on Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. How many times have you heard someone say, “Jesus is the reason for the season?” The phrase, although possibly overused, reflects the truth of Christmas and the Christian life. Jesus is the beginning and end of our life and Christmas celebration.

Hebrews 12 goes on to say that Jesus “for the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame” (12:2). Humanly speaking, it seems Jesus had plenty to be sorrowful about. He was born like a refugee rather than a King. He and His parents had to flee for their lives to Egypt. Jesus was betrayed and rejected by His own people and His own disciples. Yet, Jesus looked past the sorrow to the joy of the resurrection. By looking to the joy ahead, Jesus was able to endure the pain and grief of the present. Even though Jesus probably had many thoughtful and solemn days, He lived a joy-filled life.

This Christmas, let us follow Jesus’ example. Let us look beyond the pain to the joy to come. As we look back and see the great cloud of witnesses, let us move forward into the joy and faith of Christmas. Let us rejoice in the Lord, this Christmas.