Hebrews 11:32-40 More Examples of Faith
And
what more should I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak,
Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets— who through faith
conquered kingdoms, administered justice, obtained promises, shut the mouths of
lions, quenched raging fire, escaped the edge of the sword, won strength out of
weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. Women received
their dead by resurrection. Others were tortured, refusing to accept release,
in order to obtain a better resurrection. Others suffered mocking and flogging,
and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned to death, they were sawn in
two, they were killed by the sword; they went about in skins of sheep and
goats, destitute, persecuted, tormented— of whom the world was not worthy. They
wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground. Yet
all these, though they were commended for their faith, did not receive what was
promised, since God had provided something better so that they would not, apart
from us, be made perfect.
****
What more can I say than what you have already heard and known?
But I will try any way.
Those growing up with a Sunday School experience in church will
remember lessons on Gideon, Samson, David and Samuel; all heroes of the Hebrew
Scriptures. They excelled as judges, kings, and prophets for the
Israelite people, giving testimony to their faith. And the First
Testament witness is also full of the heartbreaking stories of those who
suffered greatly, who were persecuted and killed because of their faith.
Yet the writer of the New Testament book of Hebrews informs us
that, for all their accomplishments and sacrifices, not one of them received
from God anything better or was promised anything more than what God, in the
birth and life, death and resurrection of Jesus, has promised to us.
Today, think about and share with another person what gifts of the
spirit you have received in order to be able to make a difference in the lives
of others. Might they be used in service to your country or community?
Might they be used giving assistance to a neighbor? Might they be used in
love for your family?
Also, think about and share with another person the tough times
you have had to endure or the difficult decisions you have had to make.
How was the presence of Christ made known to you in these events?
Hero and martyr, saint and sinner, believer and doubter, you and
I, we are all equally united in the fulfillment of God's blessings and promises
in the gift of Jesus Christ.
The Gospel according to John concludes with this verse: "But
there are also many other things which Jesus did; were every one of them to be
written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would
be written." (John 21: 25)
What more can we say after all Jesus has said to us?
What more can we do after all Jesus has done for us?
What more can we be after all Jesus means to us!
Pastor Jim Slater is retired from pastoral ministry after 40 years
in the Upstate New York Synod of the ELCA, serving congregations in Redwood and
Orleans Four Corners and in Valatie and Stuyvesant Falls. Many times he lost
in games of cards to Pastor Jennifer and her mother, Pastor Elaine Berg.
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