Feb 15 -Free throws

Feb 15

Free Throws

Heb 12:4 ¶ Ye have not yet resisted unto blood,

striving against sin.

 Who wrote the book of Hebrews?  Right!  No one knows. We do know that the author followed the sports of his day. Just look at the first verse of Hebrews 12.  It is filled with the idea of a sporting event.  The stands are filled with spectators,  the runners are not weighed down,  they are mentally prepared for a long race, and will endure the pain for the prize. Today the modern Olympics gives medals, the ancient Olympics gave the top athletes a palm leaf in their hand and a garland for their head.

As I read the verse for today I could not help but think of the comment often heard during an informal basketball game. “No blood, no foul!”  For those who are not sports minded that simply meant that if someone did something against the rules, but it didn’t draw blood on the opponent then it wasn’t a foul. It was more a joke than a real situation.

But people do get hurt playing sports.  I am amused when I see a picture of a professional hockey player holding the Stanley cup over his head. He has a band-aid on his chin, a nose that points to his left ear, and a smile that reveals several missing teeth.  His injuries are forgotten as he holds the prized cup in spontaneous joy at having finished the season a winner.

A football player who has been sidelined after a head jarring collision does not want to sit on the bench. “What day is it?  I think it’s last Thursday coach…now can I play? “ 

What on earth drives a person to sacrifice so much, train so long and so hard, endure pain, injury, and repetitious training just to compete. They know many will try but few will win the prize. Perhaps they are motivated by love of the sport, or some desire to be the best.  Whatever drives them is a force we desperately need in our churches today.

Just imagine what would happen to Christians and churches if they were driven by the same zeal that Olympic athletes have.  How much time would they spend reading the Bible. (learning all they could about the sport) meditating (mentally going over the course) responding to the Hoy Spirits leading (listening to their coach),  having the mind of Christ  (mentally focused on perfecting their performance) etc.  There are many more ways things would change. Pause a moment and think about how your church or you would be changed if you approached Christian living like Olympians strive for the prize.

Our text for today deals with striving against sin.  Let us recall sin is more than just transgressions which are like a sign saying we cannot cross over a forbidden boundary; “Don’t walk on the grass”. A sin of commission during which we “commit” some prohibited act.  I see our text more along the lines of the type of sin known as omission.  “Aim for the bulls eye”  but we miss the mark.  Sin is more than just doing what is forbidden. It is also not doing what we should.

Our verse follows sports metaphors of running, etc.  How well do we train as Christians? Have we worked at doing what we should so hard we got bloody? Have we resisted transgressing till we need  band aids?  It is a sports comparison, somewhat like “No blood, No foul” 

OK, I think we understand what the verse is asking?  Are you making any effort at all? Does it reach to the level of a person training for sports, where scrapes, bruises and even bloody noses are all in a days training.

Your turn. What do you think this verse is saying?  How should we react to that message?

Heb 12:4 ¶ Ye have not yet resisted unto blood,

striving against sin.