“With Patience and Perseverance”
August 17, 2025
Hebrews 11:29–12:2
By faith, the people passed through the Red Sea as if it were dry land, but when the Egyptians attempted to do so they were drowned. By faith, the walls of Jericho fell after they had been encircled for seven days. By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had received the spies in peace.
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, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. Women received their dead by resurrection. Others were tortured, refusing to accept release, in order to obtain a better resurrection. Others suffered mocking and flogging and even chains and imprisonment. 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 — of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains and in caves and holes in the ground.
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.
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, looking to Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of 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. ***
During my years as a seminary student some of my friends were intently dedicated runners. They went out to run every day, no matter the season or weather conditions. Every so often they would return still enjoying their runners high.
One of these friends went on to run marathons. He knew he was not fast, but he found a perspective that kept him running for years. He would say, “I found it satisfying that both the world’s best runners and mere mortals like me were participants in the same race. In the big picture, I knew I would never find myself on the same starting line as the world’s best. But, when I ran the Chicago marathon, I stood with 25,000 runners including those who held the best marathon times in the world. We ran the same course. We passed the same cheering crowds.”
He went on to say, “But it is the finishing that really makes the difference. The elite runners were crossing the finish line when I was halfway through the course. They had two hours to enjoy refreshments and rest, while I still had thirteen miles to wonder if I would reach the goal. But the beauty of the event is that for many of us, just finishing the race is the accomplishment, the goal.”
There is a similar idea presented in the letter to the Hebrews reading today. It offers us timely hope for the living of faith these days.
In this passage, the author cites a list of biblical giants, Gideon, Samson, David, Samual who through faith conquered kingdoms. I add women such as Sarah, Ruth, Esther, Mary Magdelene, Mary the Mother of Jesus and Lydia to the list of these men as people whose stories are profiles in courage.
These people did what they did, endured what they endured, by faith. By faith they acted, by faith they endured. They are among people who, during the most trying of times, put their trust in God and kept it there.
Have you known someone like that?
The author of Hebrews encourages us to persevere in our life of faith, no matter what difficulties we face.
“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Indeed, by faith our ancestors received approval. By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was made from things that are not visible.”
The writer says you have begun a good thing in becoming Christian. I want you to finish strong in what has been started in you.
My marathon runner friend put it this way. “The beauty of the event is that for many of us, simply finishing the race is the accomplishment, the goal.”
The writer of Hebrews poses a similar thought about finishing the race. He wrote: Will we finish the race that is our life with faith? Will we persevere? Or will we run off course, or give up? The race is never easy.
The writer of Hebrews, like a good coach, gives us advice about how to finish the race.
He makes several points. Remove whatever weighs us down. Rely on the strength within. Remember who goes before us. Recall who surrounds us: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses.” The people in the stands are those who have demonstrated faith — faith that persevered, people who by the grace of God overcame great obstacles and finished the race. These are people of the Bible, the people of the Church throughout the ages, people known personally by you whose witness encourages you to this day.
Notice, these people who surround us are called witnesses, not spectators. In this life of faith, we have witnesses cheering us on, not just spectators. These witnesses have their own stories of the strength and courage God gave them which passes on to us. We have witnesses rooting for us, weeping with us when we stumble, calling to us when we wander, urging us to finish the race.
Our coach tells us also to remove what weighs down on us. Have you ever seen a track star running a race wearing winter coats or heavy boots? “Let us lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely,” says our coach.
What attitudes and actions, what past behavior and present entanglements weigh you down? What weights of sin and brokenness do you carry that cause you to stumble rather than sprint?
The good news is that we can set those weights down. God is ready to take them from us. God is ready to forgive and heal whatever we let get between us and God, whatever has come between us and other people, whatever wrongs we do to ourselves.
Our coach also tells us to rely on the strength within us. We are told to “run with perseverance the race that is set before us.” When the going gets tough, when the road is difficult, when the miles drag on and obstacles come up around every bend, when every stretch of the road seems like another steep hill to climb, we can rely on spiritual resources within us — spiritual resources we develop in training: in gathering with other Christians, in hearing and reading God’s word, in participating in the sacramental life of the church.
The word “perseverance” can also be translated as “patient endurance.” Endurance is one thing. We can endure and whine and complain all at the same time. Patient endurance looks like praying without ceasing for ourselves and others. It looks like encouraging others even in the midst of difficulty. It looks like saying something kind, or saying nothing at all when something unkind comes more readily to mind. It looks like giving of ourselves generously, even when we are not sure what is ahead of us and our inclination may be to think of ourselves first.
Most important of all, remember who goes before us. We can and will finish the race strong in faith when we look to Jesus, when we keep our eyes focused on him, not being distracted by other things along the way that can cause us to lose our direction or footing and stumble. Jesus has gone before us and has shown us the way that leads to victory. When we keep our eyes on Jesus and follow him, we will not only make a good beginning in faith we too will finish and win the race.
So, dear readers, keep running with patience and perseverance and remember this, “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, looking to Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of 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.”
