A Race to the Finish Line - Sermon for Pentecost 10C (Hebrews 11:29-12:2)
“When the going gets tough, the tough gets going.” We often hear this saying before a tough race, game, or big decision. It’s supposed to serve as a word of encouragement when we feel like giving up in the face of difficult challenges. It speaks of the importance of persistence and perseverance. Here in our reading from the Book of Hebrews, the author encourages us to persevere as we race toward the finish line.
I’m not a runner. I’ve never run a marathon or a 5K. Even when I was in my best shape, a long time ago, I wasn’t very fast, nor did I have the stamina to run a long-distance race. Nevertheless, I did live in Eugene, Oregon, which is known as Track Town USA. The famous marathoner Alberto Salazar was on the University of Oregon track team at the same time I was a student at a little college next door. I even got to attend the 1980 Olympic Trials that were held in Eugene. So, even though I’ve never run track, I feel like I know something about running a race.
When it comes to running a long race, especially a marathon, you have to keep going even when things get tough. Now, running a twenty-six-mile race may seem insane to someone like me, but people do it. Even though the training is difficult, participants report that the reward of finishing the race is worth the effort. It’s a sense of accomplishment no one can take away.
Our reading from the book of Hebrews isn’t about running track. But it is a reflection on what it means to live by faith, which is defined in Hebrews 11 as “the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Heb 11:1).
We don’t know who wrote the Book of Hebrews, but whoever the author was, here in Hebrews 11 and 12, the author illustrates what it means to live by faith by pointing our attention to stories of the great saints of the Old Testament. The author begins with Abel, the son of Adam and Eve, and moves forward from there, lifting up the stories of saints such as Abraham, Moses, Rahab, and many others. Our reading picks the story up with the crossing of the Red Sea and the journey to the Promised Land and beyond. We hear about saints and heroes, including prophets, some of whom were martyred. While the author commended these saints and heroes for their faithfulness, none of them crossed the finish line in their own lifetimes. That’s because, we’re told here, something better was still to come. Therefore, they would not be made perfect “apart from us.”
While the author may have had a marathoner in mind in writing about persistence, the list of saints who participate in this race, without crossing the finish line, suggests a long-distance relay race. In a relay, each runner has to complete their leg of the race and cleanly pass the baton to the next runner. Then together, they can move forward toward the finish line, one pass of the baton at a time. The person who runs the anchor leg is usually the best runner, whether that involves speed or endurance. But the team can’t win unless the baton reaches the anchor, so the anchor runner can cross the finish line ahead of everyone else.
Here in Hebrews 11, the initial runner is Abel, son of Adam and Eve. The anchor leg is run by Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. While each runner did their part, they didn’t cross the finish line until they crossed over with Jesus. The good news is that everyone gets to share in the glory of the moment of victory.
Now, this race to the finish line wasn’t an easy one. Abel was murdered by his brother after he ran his leg. While the Hebrews crossed the Red Sea, they had to stay ahead of Pharaoh’s army, which was in hot pursuit. Then there are the prophets, many of whom were tortured and killed. Yet, “all these, though they were commended for their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better so that they would not, apart from us, be made perfect.”
While each of us gets to run our leg of the race, there is a great cloud of witnesses who ran their legs of the race and now cheer us on as we run our legs with Jesus. Each runner has to persevere if our team is going to cross the finish line along with Jesus. This is what it means to live by faith.
When it comes to Jesus’ anchor leg in this race known as the life of faith, the author of Hebrews reminds us that Jesus endured the cross for our sake, “disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.” So, although Jesus endured the pain and shame of the cross on our behalf, he finished the race and took his place at the right hand of God’s throne. Having received his crown, he beckons us to come and receive our crown.
According to the letter to Titus, Jesus redeemed and purified a people of his own who are “zealous for good works.” The King James translation uses the phrase “peculiar people” to describe the ones whom Christ redeemed and purified (Titus 2:14 KJV). While I’m not sure I like being called “peculiar,” there is some truth present in this phrase. Perhaps it takes peculiar people to persevere while running the race of faith. After all, being a Christian can cause us to seem a bit different. At least, it should.
As God’s peculiar people, we may experience suffering and even persecution. We may face the temptation to drop out of the race because of the obstacles that stand in our way. Fortunately, we’re not in this race alone. We have that great cloud of witnesses rooting us on, as well as Jesus, who is the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. He stands at the finish line, urging us on so he can welcome us.
When it comes to running this race called the life of faith, we may feel tempted to go it alone. While it’s possible to go it alone, I don’t think it is wise. Over the years, people have asked me, probably because I’m a professional Christian who gets paid to go to church, whether a person has to go to church to be a Christian. I usually respond with a question of my own: Why do you ask? My conversation partner might tell me that they’ve been hurt by churches and are uncomfortable joining another one. That’s understandable. Nevertheless, living the Christian life can be difficult, so it helps to have companions to take the journey with you. My friend Diana Butler Bass has written about moving from being nomads to being pilgrims. She suggests that nomads try to go it alone, while pilgrims usually take the journey of faith together in community. So, as we join together in faith practices such as study, worship, discernment, prayer, and hospitality, we grow in strength and in endurance. Then, working together, we can finish what can be a difficult but rewarding race.
The writer of Ecclesiastes has something to say about the importance of community. He writes: “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up the other; but woe to one who is alone and falls and does not have another to help” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10). And if two is better than one, then surely three is better than two. I think this is one of the most important messages of the Harry Potter series. Although Harry is blessed with unique abilities, he needs the help of Ron and Hermione, and many others, to reach his destiny.
So, do we need a church if we’re going to finish the race that is the life of faith? While some churches can be toxic, if the race we’re running is a relay, then we can’t do it on our own. Each of us may have a leg to run, but in the end, we need each other if we’re going to cross the finish line and join Jesus, who is seated at the right hand of God’s throne.
In a moment, we’ll gather at the Lord’s Table for communion. This sacred meal isn’t meant to be eaten alone. According to the Gospels and to Paul, Jesus instituted this meal as a community meal of remembrance. We know from reading the Gospels that Jesus shared meals with lots of people, some of whom might be considered less than desirable company. But, in doing so, he drew them toward the finish line. Consider the story of Zacchaeus the Tax Collector, whose life completely changed after Jesus came to his house for a meal (Luke 19:1-10). These meals can change lives and sustain us as we run our leg of the life of faith and move toward the finish line, where Jesus stands ready to greet us.
Preached by:
Dr. Robert D. Cornwall
Pulpit Supply
Tyrone Community Presbyterian Church
Tyrone Township, Michigan
August 17, 2025
Pentecost 10C
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