How do you get people to be faithful Christians? This is a question that has crossed the mind and burdened the heart of many throughout church history. We want to see people grow in their love and loyalty to Jesus.
Thankfully it’s not a new question. The writer of Hebrews was faced with this in the context of many questioning and even turning away from Christianity. His burden for a persevering people is emphatic in his written exhortation.
Consider Jesus
How does he do it? He has a number of tools in his toolbox, but one common and perhaps surprising tactic is he directs his readers to study Christ.
“Therefore, holy brothers, you who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession.” (Heb. 3:1)
The word translated “consider” means to give careful attention and consideration to some matter. The root word literally means to direct your whole mind to an object. In the Gospel narratives when Jesus was teaching about how to discern God’s Fatherly love and care he tells his disciples to “consider the lilies” (Lk. 12.27) and “consider the ravens” (Lk. 12.27). James uses it in chapter 1 when he reminds his readers of the importance of being a hearer and a doer of the Word. “For if anyone is hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in the mirror and goes away and forgets what he was like” (James 1:23). No doubt you see something of the intentional, careful attention and consideration to the topic. Furthermore, the verb or the command here “to consider” shows us that this is to be an ongoing, continual action. If you are a Christian this is to be the regular pattern and pursuit of your life.
In other words, you are never to graduate from the University of Jesus. You are always attending. Always studying. Always learning. Always marveling.
We are people who know what it means to give careful attention to things and people; we do it all the time. We spend the first 20 (or more) years of our lives being training in education. When we go to work we have to learn the specifics of our job, in many cases require continuing education in order to simply keep up. Musicians practice and continue to learn. Athletes learn more and more about training and nutrition. We know how to give things careful attention. As people who know the discipline of study, training, focus, and discipline, we should understand what the writer of Hebrews is writing about. Our perseverance is tied to our regular, focused, consideration of Christ. We see this again later in the book:
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.” (Heb. 12:1–3)
What Prevents Us from Considering Jesus?
One of my favorite writers from the 17th century said that instead of pursuing the light of the glory of Christ, we become like bats and owls, preferring to live in the darkness of night rather than amid the brightness and splendor of Christ.
I don’t pretend to be anyone special and wise. I’m a simple guy with minimal education and experience. But I can tell you this: far too many Christians live indifferently to the glory of Christ. I have seen it over and over again. So many professing Christians are unmoved by Christ’s beauty. We seem to talk of everything but him. We are professionals at talking about the trivial while ignoring the substance. We are chasing the tails of fireflies while ignoring the radiance of the sun. Even among those who study theology; we can talk all about people, doctrine, and history, but say little about Christ himself.
Tragically, we think God is like us. As has been said before, “God made us in his image and we have been returning the favor ever since.” We craft a god in our image. He looks like us, acts like us, feels like us, thinks like us, and of course he heartily approves of us.
This is appropriate for our question of, “What prevents us from considering Jesus?” The issue is, we are too often not that impressed by him. We become too familiar with him. He is like us, a bit morally superior but at the end of the day you and I will not fill our minds, direct our hearts, and intentionally focus our minds upon the glory of Christ if we do not find him glorious.
This is what breaks my heart as a pastor. So many times people are consumed by things that will perish. Ten seconds after you die what use is your stuff, your hobbies, your recreation, your social media, your entertainment, your whatever? It is gone. But, friends, what of the glory of Christ? It is eternally resplendent, soul-satisfying, and joy-producing.
I’ve seen many success stories though, myself included. I have seen many who like flowers planted in the shade are not flourishing. They are neither bright nor healthy. They are just existing spiritually. However, when you uproot the flower and move it over to the sunny side of the house where it may drink in the sun, then it responds. It grows and begins to blossom. When the person is exposed to the glory of Christ in preaching, study, and intentionality, they, like the flower, change. They blossom.
How do you continue on in the faith? How do you persevere? According to the writer of Hebrews one of the main ways is to become a career student at the University of Jesus. May he, particularly the glory of his person and work, capture your contemplation, meditation, and study.
