Wednesday of Holy Week
Wednesday, April 1
Read: Isaiah 50:4-9a; Psalm 70; Hebrews 12:1-3; John 13:21-32
Focus
Picture this: you’re running in a race. Not a short one either; more like a marathon. You aren’t positive what mile you’re on or how much farther you must go to reach the finish line. Your breathing grows heavier. Your legs ache. Every step takes more effort than the last. You start wondering why you ever signed up for this race in the first place.
This image isn’t far from how many of us arrive at Holy Week. By Wednesday, the excitement of Palm Sunday has faded, the cheers of Hosanna have quieted, and the road ahead once again feels long and desolate. It is in these moments that our lectionary text from Hebrews reminds us where our focus should lie in this long and sometimes arduous journey: “run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus…”
On this Wednesday of Holy Week, many of us, at this point in Lent, are becoming keenly aware of the burdens we are carrying in this journey. We begin to feel the weight of our sins and the distractions that hinder our ability to focus on Jesus. It is in these moments of distraction that we become more conscious of our heavy breathing, our aching legs, and even the distance we still have to complete the race.
To combat this weariness, the writer of Hebrews shares yet another beautiful image in this text: the great cloud of witnesses urging us on in our race. If you have ever run a long distance race or attended one as a supporter, you may have noticed that throughout the race, you can often find friends and family of the runners cheering them on as they stride towards the goal. These cheers, while sometimes more scattered than the runners would like, give encouragement to continue on in the race. It is in the moments where we begin to feel the weight of the burdens we carry that the great cloud of witnesses points to Jesus, reminding us of where our focus should lie.
As we near the end of our Lenten season and the cross comes into view, our text today reminds us in verse three: “Consider him who endured such hostility against himself from sinners, so that you may not grow weary in your souls or lose heart.” Yes, the race we run often feels long, weary, and sometimes lonely. However, it is our focus on Jesus that allows us to keep heart and press forward in this race. The race that leads not only to the cross, but beyond it.
Prayer:
Gracious and loving God, when our breath grows heavy and our steps grow slow, turn our eyes toward Jesus and renew our strength to keep going. In his name we pray. Amen.
The Reverend Chris McCain ’17 is Pastor of Grace United Methodist Church in Prattville, Alabama. He also serves as adjunct faculty in the Religion Department at Huntingdon College.
