All Saints' Day
Hebrews 11:29 – 12:3
32 And what more should I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets— 33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, 34 quenched raging fire, escaped the edge of the sword, won strength out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. 35 Women received their dead by resurrection. Others were tortured, refusing to accept release, in order to obtain a better resurrection. 36 Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. 37 They were stoned to death, they were sawn in two, they were killed by the sword; they went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, persecuted, tormented— 38 of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground….
12 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such hostility against himself from sinners, so that you may not grow weary or lose heart.
This passage concludes the magnificent Hebrews 11, where the stories of the heroes of faith are told briefly. But even briefly the stories are too numerous and so the author begins simply naming people, and then that is too long and so it is just categories of heroic actions of faith. These are the saints – the people of God – whose stories we tell and whose names we honour. But all of these saints and many more would tell us not to honour them too highly, and certainly to not put them on a pedestal. They are not to be worshipped, only one hero is worthy of hero worship – Jesus.
Jesus is the author – the pioneer – the ground breaker – of our faith – he is the one we keep our eyes on. Jesus the pace-setter in the race of life, in him we put our trust that he will lead us through the race – just like he did for those who went before us. We fall in behind him, keeping in step with him. In the stands around us – cheering us on are those who have gone before – the saints who once were where we are running this race – the followers of Jesus who now bear witness to our running the race and urge us to not grow weary, to not lose heart.
The heroes of faith, and we thank God for them, are examples of the truth that God will see us through, bringing us to the completion of the race. For Jesus is both the pioneer and the finisher of the race we are running. If we, like those who have gone before us, stay focussed on Jesus, he will bring us across the finish line.
PRAYER:
On this All Saints Day, O Lord, we thank you for all those who have gone before us in the journey of life following you. We thank you for the example they are of your work in their lives. Teach us to follow you, just as they did. In the name of Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, we pray. Amen.