Reading: Hebrews 13
Speaker: Tommy Pratt
This Week’s Thoughts
If the book of Hebrews could be summarised into a short, catchy slogan, it might be this: Jesus is better. The author has explained by this point that this Jesus — fully God and fully man, apostle and high priest — is greater than the angels, greater than the promised land, greater than the priests of the priesthood of Levi and greater than the old covenant’s sacrifices. He is better than all this and more, worthy of praise, the hope of the Old Testament saints and the ‘author and perfecter of our faith’ (Hebrews 12.2).
So what are we to do about it?
Back when I was taking driving lessons, there came a point when to make any meaningful progress, I had to bid farewell to the friendly, quiet side roads and come onto the horrible, busy main roads, where any slip up meant instant calamity, multi-car pileups and drawn out, agonising death (it felt as though it did anyway). I’ll be honest and say that I wasn’t a very good driver, and I’m still not, as I didn’t pass the test. Nevertheless, I am reminded of a piece of advice I was given several times: look where you want to go, and the car will follow. If your eyes are locked onto the colossal articulated lorry bearing down towards you at untold speeds, you will find yourself becoming its latest grill ornament. But if your sights are on the empty space ahead of you in your own lane, you will pass it by as if it were never there.
Similarly does the writer of Hebrews exhort us to ‘fix our eyes on Jesus’ (Hebrews 12.2) so that ‘no-one misses the grace of God’ (Hebrews 12.15). On the great motorway of life, I can well imagine him playing the role of instructor, teaching from the Holy Spirit’s highway code. ‘[S]ee that no-one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau’ he says, motioning for us to switch lanes to pass a very dirty van. ‘See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks,’ he adds when the divine satnav tells of what is ahead. We are doing well, keeping a good speed in the correct lane, when he encourages us to ‘[k]eep on loving each other as brothers’ (Hebrews 13.1), but when he notices our gaze (and consequently, our car’s direction) is going to the flashy sports car driving fast the wrong way, he is quick to tell us to ‘[k]eep your eyes free from the love of money and be content with what you have’ (Hebrews 13.5). And when, up ahead, someone has put up fake diversion signs, telling us that they know the real way to travel, he warns us ‘[d]o not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings’ (Hebrews 13.9).
The reason for instructing us this way is because of how great our destination is. Jesus is better! So much better than the fleeting pleasures of sin that last only for a short time (Hebrews 11.25), so much better than Mount Sinai (Hebrews 12.18-24), so much better than all the things this book has outlined, and so very worth any discipline that comes our way (Hebrews 12.5-11).
But again I’ll be honest: I am just as bad a Christian as I am a driver — worse even. I know how wonderful my Lord is, but my eyes are often where they should not be, and I veer about shamefully. Praise God then that He has not left me behind the wheel on my own.
‘Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.’ (Hebrews 13.20-21)
The very same God that I am running the race towards, driving towards, or whatever metaphor you want to use, is with me and us now, equipping us to do just that. And He is better.