Journey to The Journey

Unless you have been living under a rock, you know that we are living in a tumultuous time right now. Americans, who were already feeling the frustrations of the coronavirus related restrictions and the related economic pressures, were further inflamed when we all saw the video of a white police officer further restraining an already handcuffed black suspect by kneeling with his knee on the back of his neck for nearly 9 minutes as he claimed he couldn't breathe before passing out and eventually dying. This has led many Americans to take to the streets in protest - some violent, some peaceful. Questions of police brutality, systemic racism, and the need for sweeping and decisive sociopolitical change are at the forefront of the conversation in our media, in our communities, and in our homes.

So what kind of rest are you longing for? Is it physical rest—either sleeping or just sitting down for a few minutes? Is it rest from the emotions and thoughts coursing through your mind and heart? Might it be rest from some difficult circumstances?

Unfortunately, in our technological age, for many genuine Christian community is not a priority in their lives. Our culture is becoming less personal. Research indicates that today's youth would prefer social media over socializing. This trend is having a widespread impact and the Church is not immune to it.

At the core of this idea of "considering" Jesus or "imitating" him is the notion that we begin by looking to him. My friends and I were students of our favorite athletes. We watched them play and attempted to copy their techniques. If a player had a unique stance in the batter's box, we tried to copy it. With the introduction of the adjustable height basket hoops, every kid could attempt to recreate the most poster-worthy dunks. In the same way, we should begin by reflecting on Jesus. Just as an actor may spend time observing a police officer for a role in a crime drama, we can learn a great deal about Jesus by simply studying him. This means we look to the scriptures.

You will always find me cheerleading for Bible literacy. I can't overemphasize the importance for each and every believer to be not just a reader of scripture, but a genuine student who approaches the scriptures with a desire to learn and understand. When we avoid or ignore the areas of scripture that challenge us, then we leave ourselves susceptible to being "tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine," as Paul warned the Ephesians. Whenever I read and study Hebrews, I can't help but get the feeling that the author shared my passion.

Who among us can't relate to feeling that way? It is in the midst of our own sufferings that we most need to be reminded that we are united through faith to the Suffering Servant. Jesus, "in whom the whole fullness of [God] dwells bodily" (Colossians 2:9), was unlimited in his power. We want to experience that kind of power in our own lives. For most of us, we use whatever little "power" we might have to make ourselves safe and comfortable. And yet, in Philippians 3:10, the Apostle Paul writes of his desire to "know [Jesus] and the power of his resurrection, and [to] share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death..." In other words, Paul sees Christ's power as inseparable from his suffering (and rightly so if we are to believe Jesus' own words in Luke 9:23). If we desire to know the power of Jesus, then we must also "become like him in his death" through suffering. Is that the Jesus you long to know?

If only we could think like God. Imagine if every one of your thoughts was holy, every motive pure, and every idea good. If you could think like that then your thoughts would only result in a perfectly holy life as well. In other words, you wouldn’t sin if you thought like God. If we want to be righteous like Him then we must be willing to change how we think.

Being a Christian can, in many ways, feel as if you live in two drastically different realities. When we read in scripture, we are confronted with all of these powerful exhortations and beautiful truths of who we now are in Christ...loved, redeemed, adopted, guarded, holy, chosen, reconciled, blessed, etc. But then we close our Bibles, leave the comfort of our favorite reading chair, and step out into the "real world" where we are smacked in the face with the reality of living in a fallen broken world. And let's be honest here...we aren't just victims of this second reality. We are, at times, maybe even often, willing participants in, and active contributors to, the mess.

In this week's passage from Hebrews, the author warns us to pay attention. He says, "we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it." So, what does he want us to pay attention to? How does paying attention protect us from drifting away? And what simple practices can help us to become better at focusing our attention where it should be?

The author of Hebrews wastes little time getting to the heart of the matter. In fact, the entire first chapter is aimed at immediately establishing for his audience the supremacy of Christ. Your ESV translation likely even contains the section heading, "The Supremacy of God's Son," at the beginning of chapter 1. But, what do we mean when we say that something or someone is supreme? And why is it so important to the author of Hebrews that he establish Jesus as supreme?