Short devotion: Looking to Jesus - Hebrews 12:1-2

 

Hebrews 12:1-2 Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (New American Standard Bible)

 When I first became a Christian, I gave my heart to Jesus at a weekly Gospel Club which was held in an old Gothic church in my hometown of Glasgow, Scotland. At the club each week, we sang many Gospel hymns and choruses, all of which drew us closer to Jesus. At the end of the meeting, after the preacher’s sermon, we would sing one last chorus called “Turn Your Eyes upon Jesus.” It was a perfect way to end the club, for the words reminded us that no matter what we faced, if we looked to Jesus, He would guide, bless, and care for us each day. The words are still with me today:

“Turn your eyes upon Jesus,

Look full in His wonderful face,

And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,

In the light of His glory and grace.”

It was much later when I discovered that the chorus is based on today’s Bible verses. The writer of Hebrews was encouraging his readers to do the same thing: to fix their eyes upon Jesus and not get distracted by their worries, cares, or concerns. Those first readers were enduring a time of real persecution when Christians were brought before Roman governors to renounce their faith in Christ by simply declaring that ‘Caesar is Lord,’ instead of believing that ‘Jesus is Lord.’ Many of them couldn’t do this – they weren’t prepared to compromise or displace Jesus with the Roman Emperor or the Empire itself because that would be idolatrous. Many of them died horrible deaths simply because they fixed their eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of their faith.

 In today’s post-modern 21^st century world, we as Christians are called to do the same. We fix our eyes on Jesus and Him alone; we will not allow anything or anyone to replace Him, for to do so, would damage our connection to God and relinquish our Christian faith.

 Q: How do I fix my eyes on Jesus each day? Do I allow other things to distract me from focusing on Him? If so, do they keep me distant from Jesus?

 Prayer: Lord Jesus, we want to turn to You and fix our eyes solely on You. Prevent us from permitting anything to get in the way, so that we may faithfully join the great cloud of witnesses who have persevered throughout the centuries by fixing their eyes on You alone. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

 

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, TN. You can see what’s happening at the church on our website at www.erinpres.org.

 

Peacemaking devotion: His Last Miracle - Luke 22:51

Luke 22:51    But Jesus answered, “No more of this!” And he touched the man’s ear and healed him. (NIV)

            It was His last miracle. When Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane, one of His disciples tried to defend Christ with a sword and ended up cutting off the ear of one of the High Priest’s guards. It was a valiant effort, but a wasteful one. It was also something that Jesus did not condone.

            Instead of calling upon His disciples to attack the mob, Jesus sternly called for an end to the violence. He was not going to be party to any defense of His person; He was not going to start a protest, a rout, or a rebellion. In order to show how committed He was to being a peacemaker, Jesus healed the guard immediately. He didn’t want anyone else to suffer, not even His enemies.

            As Christians, we are called to be peacemakers in our communities, as well as across the world. This is very difficult to do because, like most human beings, we get angry and feel justified about diminishing our opponents or destroying our enemies. It’s very easy for us, and even for me as a pastor, to get caught up in foolish quarrels and trivial arguments which do nothing to promote Christ’s teaching, God’s love, or the Spirit’s way. We want to feel strong by humiliating our foes; we want to be crusaders for religious causes, both of which, Jesus would not condone.

            Christ’s last healing miracle was how He personally practiced His radical teaching of loving our enemies and forgiving those who hurt us. He not only showed His disciples how to practice their faith, but He also beautifully exemplified His teaching to His foes, especially the guard who was the injured victim of the disciples’ religious zeal. This is an important lesson about peacemaking for all of us who call ourselves ‘Christian’.

Questions for personal reflection

How has the practicing of my faith hurt other people? What would Christ have me do to remedy this?

Prayer:          Lord Jesus, Your Life constantly challenges us. Every moment and every incident in the Gospels has been recorded to teach us about how our Christian faith should be lived. Forgive us, Lord, when we neglect Your lessons; help us to become better witnesses of Your peace and love. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment or ask questions about today’s message, please send him an email to Traqair@aol.com. John is always interested in your thoughts. And, if you ever find yourself in Knoxville on a Sunday morning, the people at Erin will make you feel welcome and will be delighted to worship with you.

Today’s image is John’s latest stained glass drawings. If you would like to view a larger version, please click on this link: Glass.