"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" (Hebrews 12:1).
Not to make more of a morality play of the Super Bowl than the already over-hyped commentary has, but in today's spectacle we see the importance of the single-minded attention that the Letter to the Hebrews commends.
Aaron Rodgers has to lay aside the weight of expectation that has been on his shoulders since he replaced Brett Favre as the Packers' quarterback, the kind of weight that drags on you when you need to be quick, that causes you to second-guess yourself when you need to make snap decisions and follow through.
Ben Roethlisberger has to lay aside "the sin that clings so closely," letting the clamor of judgment about his past behavior (as justified as it may be) fade into the background so he can focus on the prize before him.
And so it is with us -- what burden are you carrying that you need to lay aside? What frustration, disappointment, guilt, or resentment do you need to let go of in order to be free to run?
What sin tangles you up every time you try to start a race? What habits, preoccupations, or judgments keep you from a relaxed and easy stride?
Now, for us the prize and focus of our attention is not the Lombardi Trophy (though at our Super Bowl parties this afternoon it will naturally consume our thoughts) but Jesus, "the pioneer and perfecter of our faith" (Heb. 12:2).
"Consider him who endured such hostility from sinners," the writer of Hebrews tells us, "so that you may not grow weary or lose heart" (Heb. 12:3).
Jesus is the one who stayed true to his calling and mission, "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 God" (Heb. 12:2). As the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, his is the example we are to follow, his triumph is the goal we pursue, his endurance is the characteristic we emulate.
Though I may be wearing a jersey with the number 12 on it this afternoon and you (can it be true?) may wear one with a number 7, let's not forget that we are both running in the same race, the one in which we win by "outdoing one another in showing honor" (Romans 12:10).
And with God's help, we will not only win, but through our lives we will help others to turn their eyes toward Jesus and the victory he has already won for us.
