Christian Living

THE GREATEST RUNNER

by GLENN PEASE
02/09/22
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 Based on Heb. 12:2-3

In 1968, the country of Tanzania selected John Stephen Akhwari to represent it in the Mexico City Olympics. Along the racecourse for the marathon, Akhwari stumbled and fell, severely injuring both his knee and ankle. By 7 p.m., a runner from Ethiopia had won the race, and all the other competitors had finished and been cared for. Just a few thousand spectators were left in the huge stadium when a police siren at the gate caught their attention. Limping through the gate came number 36, Akhwari, leg wrapped in a bloody bandage. Those present began to cheer as the courageous man completed the final lap of the race. Later, a reporter asked Akhwari the question on everyone's mind: "Why did you continue the race after you were so badly injured?" He replied: "My country did not send me 7,000 miles to begin a race;they sent me to finish the race."

Such was the spirit of Jesus. He came into this world, not just to start a race to reach the goal of providing salvation from sin, but to finish that race and make it to the cross where he would pay the price for man redemption. Anyone can start a race, but the key to being a winner is to finish what you start. Adam and Eve had the best start ever, but they fell along the way and did not finish the race. Judas had a marvelous start, but he let himself get ensnared by Satan and dropped out a loser. This story is repeated over and over again, and many who start good end poorly, for they do not continue. They lack the one thing crucial for being a winner, and that is perseverance. Nobody can be a finisher without perseverance.

We are to look to Jesus, for he was the greatest finisher ever. He never gave up running for the sake of winning the race for our sake. He is not only the author, that is the beginner, of our faith, but he is the finisher of our faith. He was a finisher because he never gave up. Michael Lampkin puts it so eloquently:

"They Pierce him in the side, But he Kept on running.
They Whip him with 39 stripes, But he Kept On running.

They Smote him with the palm on their hand, But he kept on running.
They said that he wasn’t the Son of God, But he kept on running.
He Could have given up, But he kept Running.
He Could have Come Down From The Cross, But He Kept On Running."

"Yes My Brothers and My Sisters Don’t Give Up, Just Stay In The Race.

Don’t Give In, Just Stay In the Race.

Don’t Throw In The Towel, Just Stay In The Race.

You May Fall By The Wayside But Just Stay In The Race.

So what if they Talk About You, Just Stay In The Race.

So what if Folk Misunderstand You, Just Stay In the Race.

You Might Be About To Lose Your Mind, But Just Stay In The Race.

You Might Feel Like You are By Your Self, But Just Stay In The Race."

This is one of the key messages of the book of Hebrews. The Hebrew Christians were being strongly tempted to give up on following Jesus. The persecution was too much, and they could retreat back to Judaism and escape much of the suffering it was costing to follow Jesus. The constant plea of this book is don't do it. Don't give up on Jesus, for there is no better one to follow. There is only loss when you give up on Jesus. He is the best and the greatest in every possible way, and it is folly to give up on the best. Jesus is not only the Savior, but he is also the greatest example of running the race of life without giving up when the going got hard. "When the going gets tough the tough get going," fits Jesus perfectly. He was tough, and so all the power of Rome, and all the power of Judaism, and all the power of Satan combined could not get him to give up. He ran all the way to the goal line and said before he died, "It is finished."

It was no easy race Jesus had to run. He had obstacles all along the way. Satan offered him an easy out by just bowing to him, but he refused to take that option. His closest friends abandoned him just when he was most in need of encouragement. We are greatly mistaken if we think it was easy to be God in the flesh. Jesus knew a tremendous amount of stress in His life. Many forsook Him that once followed Him, and this hurts. His faithful disciples were full of prejudice against the Samaritans and women, and they would argue among themselves who was the greatest. He often got frustrated with their childishness and worldliness, and just plain ignorance. He suffered much in life before He faced the worst of it at the trial and the cross. To be treated with such indignity when the angels were at His command to rescue Him was hard to bear. We cannot imagine all that weighed on His mind as He sweat blood in the garden. Then to top it off He had to endure being forsaken even by His Father. It was hell on earth for Jesus, but He never gave up and dropped out of the race. He went all the way.

It is good for us to remember this reality when we get angry and frustrated with God for not making life run smoother for us. We have all kinds of burdens and pressures that God will not take away. We do not escape sickness and death, and accidents happen to us as well. Prayers go unanswered and God seems distant and uncaring. It is easy to feel that God is our persecutor, and we are tempted at times to stop running the race. Why not just sit out for awhile and see if it makes any difference? We are putting God to the test, and we are not living by faith, but by sight. The point is, we need to keep our eyes on Jesus and not on circumstances, for He is the one who never stops running.