Hebrews 12:1-2 Why seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight… The great object on which we are to fix our gaze, all through life is — Jesus. It is with Him, above all else, that we must have to do. 1. "Looking unto Jesus," we are to trust Him as our Saviour. The first thing we want is a Saviour. I once saw a ship at sea, off the east coast of Scotland, in a storm. Her sails were torn to tatters, her masts were broken, her anchor was dragging. It needed no signal of distress, for it was within sight of the shore. We could hardly keep our feet out of doors. The wind blew a hurricane and the rain pelted. Those of us who could, got into the shelter of the pier, and, glass in hand, watched the movements of the hard-pressed sloop. The lifeboat was launched and pushed through the surf, and after being carried past the vessel once and again, at length got alongside of those who so much needed help. That lifeboat came to them as a saviour. And how were they saved? By trusting it. But perhaps some of you say, "What has all this to do with 'looking unto Jesus'? The text is about 'looking,' not trusting." Well, but "looking" means trusting. A poor but respectable widow once called on me in great distress. She had fallen behind with her rent, and her landlord had threatened to sell every article of furniture she had, and to turn her and her children to the street. I told her I would see to the matter, and that she might look to me for her rent. She went joyfully home, and I can suppose her children to have said to her, "Mother, how are you looking so happy? Have you got the money?" "No," she answers, "but it is all right. The minister said I might look to him for the rent, and I know it is as sure as if I had the money in my hand." That just means — she trusted me for it. The looking and the trusting were one and the same thing. Now, the Lord Jesus bids you look to Him — away from all else — away from your own doing or deserving- away from the godliest and best friends you have. He says, "None of them can save you." He says, "Look unto Me and be saved: for I am God." 2. "Looking unto Jesus" — we are to copy Him as our pattern. Now in the chapter before that from which our text is taken (chap. 11.), you have a wonderful list of worthies. It is just like a portrait-gallery, containing the likenesses of some of the best men the world ever saw. And as you read the descriptions you might ask, "May we take these as our pattern?" Well, so far, and yet only so far. They were not perfect patterns, and so are not safe to be followed in everything. And so the writer points away from them all, and as it were, says, "Do not stop at these. Do not be content to copy these. I can give you better than any of them all — a higher, safer, surer guide." You cannot keep too close to Him. You cannot copy Him too exactly. In the smallest things as in the greatest, seek to be what He was, to do what He did, to follow in His footsteps. 3. "Looking unto Jesus "-we are to lean upon Him as our strength. Perhaps you say, "It must be very difficult to be what Christ was — to do what Christ did. He was so good and I am so evil: He was so strong and I am so weak: He was so bold and I am so cowardly. Indeed, it seems impossible. I do not see how it could ever be." But if He were to give you His strength, it would not be so difficult, would it? Sometimes when I have been coming home late at night, after a long day's work, I have felt very tired, and the uphill parts of the road seemed very long and very steep. But a friend came alongside, and when I put my arm into his, and had his support and his company, the tiredness left me, and I could have walked half a dozen of miles, and sometimes did walk backwards and forwards for a good half hour. His arm and his company were strength to me. That is what Jesus does. He says, "Lean on Me! Lean hard!" He, as it were, lets you put your arm into His. He lets you draw upon His strength. (J. H. Wilson, D. D.) Parallel Verses KJV: Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, |
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