Two Mistakes to Avoid in Discipleship
The sermon text for Sunday is Hebrews 12:12–29, a long and wonderful passage chocked full of Old Testament allusions and quotations, along with practical exhortations, a dense doctrinal explanation, and two more warnings.
I’ll only comment briefly on these warnings in the sermon [†], but I did want to highlight an observation I noticed when comparing the two warnings side by side.
Notice that both warnings, in verse 15 and verse 25 begin with the verb “to see.” They’re not the exact same word or verb form, but they both mean to see (as in see to it). They’re great words to kick off a warning.
The first warning in verse 15 is “See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God.”
The second warning in verse 25 is “See that you do not refuse him who is speaking.”
Even at face value, we can see that the first warning is in line with the command to run with endurance (vv. 1, 3, 12). Keep running, don’t drop short of the finish line! That’s the idea. It has to do with the long view. Endurance.
The second command is different. To not refuse him who is speaking has to do with right now. As in, at this exact moment. God is presently, actively speaking (through his word he “addresses us” — see 12:5). And what we do with that is all about what we do in the moment that we hear him. This instantaneous. Today.
The Old Testament examples make this clearer. There’s short-sighted Esau and fearful Israel.
Short-Sighted Esau
You can read the story in Genesis 25:29–34, but in short, Esau, consumed with hunger, rashly sold his birthright for a single meal. The writer intentionally highlights the singularity of this meal. It was one plate of lentil stew. He gave up his entire birthright for that!? Yep, and it exposed how little he valued the birthright. He certainly did not have the conviction of things not seen (11:1). The hope of a bright future under God’s blessing could not compel him. He wanted it all now.
Fearful Israel
Fearful Israel, on the other hand, was encountering God in the moment (you can read the story in Exodus 19). It was an encounter that arrested their senses — all touchable, seeable, hearable — and frightening. God summoned the people to come to him, but they were afraid and they trembled and stood far off. They refused his summons and Moses had to be the mediator. But the emphasis here is that they missed their chance, which came and was gone.
Esau failed in endurance. Israel failed in the moment.
Don’t be like Esau or Israel. Avoid both of their mistakes.
Unlike Esau, take the long view, run with endurance; and unlike Israel, be open and receptive to God when he speaks in the moment.
It is both, brothers and sisters. We want to be heavenly-minded (long view) and of some earthy good (moments). We are citizens of New Jerusalem, but we’re not home yet.
In sticking with the running metaphor of Chapter 12, one way to think about it is that we run with endurance and each step(moment!) of the running matters. None are wasted. None arbitrary.
Reflection
Do you tend to overemphasize one part over the other? Are you so wrapped up in the long view that you can miss moments, or are you so caught up in moments that you forget the long view?
Why do you think both are so necessary in discipleship?
Notes
[†] For expositions of the previous warnings in 6:4–9 and 10:26–31, see here and here respectively).
