.
Jesus – the Pioneer and Perfecter of
Our Faith .
"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
perseverance
the race set
before us."
– Letter to
the Hebrews
12:1,2
Intro to this issue
This
issue overlaps
with the forty
days of Lent,
the annual
retreat of the
Christian
people in
honor of the
forty days of
Jesus' retreat
in the
wilderness.
Jesus was led
by the Holy
Spirit to
fast, prayer,
and feed on
the Word of
God during
this anointed
period of
preparation
and testing
for his public
ministry in
the land of
Galilee and in
the towns and
villages of
Judea. He
learned
obedience
through
suffering,
perseverance,
and
trust in
doing the
Father's will,
no matter the
cost or sacrifice
he would need
to make.
He
found joy and
strength in
seeking to
please his
Father rather
than choosing
his own path
to happiness.
"For
the joy that
was set before
him he endured
the cross,
despising the
shame, and is
seated at the
right hand of
the throne of
God."
–
Hebrews
12:2
The
theme for this
issue come
from the
Letter to the
Hebrews,
Chapter
12:1-2: "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
perseverance
the race set
before us."
As the author
of the Letter
to the Hebrews
explains, the
Lord Jesus
offered up his
life as a
pleasing
sacrifice to
God the Father
on our behalf
as both our
High Priest
and Victim
who
shed his blood
for our
salvation.
Just as Jesus
made himself a
pleasing
sacrifice of
praise and
worship to the
Father, so, we
too are called
to offer our
lives as a
pleasing
sacrifice to
the Lord our
God. We have
been made
clean
by the blood
of the Lamb
who sacrificed
his life on
the cross to
cleanse us of
sin and to
purify our
hearts, mind,
and bodies for
his glory.
The author of
the Letter to
the Hebrews
concludes in
Chapter 13
with an
exhortation to
offer our
lives to the
Lord each and
every day. The
call to
holiness - to
be holy as God
is holy -
extends to
every area of
our lives, to
every deed we
perform, every
relationship
we encounter
with our
fellow human
beings, and
especially
with those who
belong to the
household of
faith - our
brothers and
sisters in
Christ. The
author
encourages his
fellow
brothers and
sisters in
Christ to
"continually
offer up a
sacrifice of
praise to God
and to not
neglect to do
good and share
what you have,
for such
sacrifices are
pleasing to
God."
–
Hebrews
13:15-16
Our
fallen nature
and the world
around us
incline us to
please self
above all
others, to put
self first
rather than
last as Jesus
taught. The
sacrifice we
continually
offer to God
each and every
day is the
sacrifice of
our heart,
mind, will,
and life to
God. We
sacrifice our
preferences so
that we may
love God
purely and
love others
generously for
their sake.
The marks of
good Christian
living include
"fraternal"
love for each
member of the
body of
Christ, being
hospitable by
opening our
homes and
sharing our
goods with
others, even
with strangers
who may be
"angels
unaware," just
as Abraham and
Sarah offered
hospitality to
the three
angels God
sent to their
tent in the
wilderness
(Genesis
18:1-8).
The call to
holy living
includes
honoring and
upholding what
God honors,
such as
life-long
fidelity of
husbands and
wives to each
other, sharing
our goods with
those in need,
and caring for
the neglected,
especially
those who are
ill-treated.
Our reward is
the joy of
knowing that
our sacrifices
are pleasing
to God because
we love,
honor, and
serve him as
we love,
honor, and
serve one
another in
holiness,
love, and
truth.
St.
Basil the
Great
wrote: "All of us have a race to run towards our
appointed end.
So we are all
on the way...
The
easy
undisciplined
way of life
leads to
pleasure to be
enjoyed now,
not later; the
way of
salvation is
hard in the
present, but
promises a
beautiful
future."
May
this issue
inspire all
of us
to run the
good race of
the faith with
perseverance,
joy, and
confidence in
the grace and
work of the
Lord Jesus who
is the pioneer
and perfecter
of our faith.
Sincerely
in Christ,
Don Schwager
editor
|
