Scripture: Hebrews 12:12-17 (ESV)
"Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed. Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no ‘root of bitterness’ springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled; that no one is sexually immoral or unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal. For you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears."
I think you could argue that the main driver of the story in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, is the journey of Frodo and Sam as they walk toward Mount Doom to destroy the One Ring. Their journey is not easy - it is full of dangers, threats, orcs that want to kill them, and other challenges that make it hard for them to reach their goal. Now one of the most powerful moments in the entire story is the moment when Sam, sees Frodo’s strength fail. So Sam picks Frodo up and carries him up the final stretch of the mountain. In some ways, Frodo's body and spirit have been broken. But his best friend’s loyalty and determination helps him to keep going even though it is so difficult.
In our current passage from Hebrews, the author plays the role of Sam in the lives of the believers he is writing to. The believers are suffering are like Frodo, suffering under the weight of persecution, and so like Sam, the author here helps prop the Christians up to help them keep going, especially since it seems impossible for them to go on.
The author begins with the encouragement for the believers to “lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees.” He would not have used this kind of language if the Christian walk was always easy. The truth is we do get tired, we do get discouraged, we do get crippled by the difficulties in life. This is part of what it means to follow Jesus, especially in a world that is increasingly hostile to Christianity.
And in the midst of these difficulties we have a choice - we can give up, or we can keep going. The author of Hebrews encourages the believer: Keep going, renew your strength, keep your eyes on Jesus and put one foot in front of the other.
So how do we do this? Well in the passage before this the author encouraged us to keep our eyes on Jesus who suffered much more than we ever will. There he encouraged us to keep going because when we suffer we follow in Jesus’ footsteps. I guess you could call this positive encouragement. But in this passage we are given a negative encouragement.
The author reminds us that the Christian should not be like Esau. Esau’s story is a warning to us. He despised his birthright, he gave up his inheritance so that he could eat some stew. His example reminds us that our decisions have lasting consequences. Esau did not recognise his privileged position as a child and inheritor of the promises of God. The author of Hebrews reminds us, the Christian is to not be like Esau.
Thankfully we who believe have a greater promise. We have a greater promise in Christ, one that is infinitely more valuable than any earthly inheritance. Unlike Esau, who traded away his birthright for a fleeting moment of satisfaction, we are called to cherish and hold fast to the inheritance we have in Jesus. We should never take our salvation for granted.
We can always remember the words of 1 Peter 1:4 we have an “inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”
And that means that it is not just Sam who props up Frodo. It is the very power of God that guards our faith.
And that’s a pretty special place to be.
Prayer:
Dear Father in heaven, thank you for my inheritance as your child through Jesus. This is a difficult world to live in sometimes. Thank you that you guard my inheritance by your mighty power. Amen.
Spiritual Challenge:
Today, pay attention to how you live your life today. Where are you tempted to act like Esau, where you disregard your privileged position as God’s child. Confess this temptation and then go and live according to your true identity.
Strengthened by Grace: A Call to Persevere