From my reading in Hebrews 11:20-40 in the One Year Bible New Testament.
Modern people love to be noticed, and Christians are not immune.
We love to show what we are doing on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Many of us desire to be famous. We don’t want to go through life unnoticed.
Hebrews 11 is also known as “The Hall of Faith.”
Some of the most famous men and women of the Bible are listed. Imagine you are walking along the Hollywood walk of fame looking at all the stars then you look down and see one that says “others…”
This is basically what is happening in this passage. The writer lists famous people of the faith like Abraham, Jacob, and Moses. But then he says this about others…
“Others were tortured and refused to accept their freedom so they could be raised from the dead to a better life. Some were laughed at and beaten. Others were put in chains and thrown into prison. They were stoned to death, they were cut in half, and they were killed with swords. Some wore the skins of sheep and goats. They were poor, abused, and treated badly. The world was not good enough for them! They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and holes in the earth.” Hebrews 11:35b–38
These unnamed men and women willingly suffered for Jesus.
These “others” endured…
- Torture
- Death
- Mocking
- Flogging
- Imprisonment
- Stoning
- Being cut in half
- Killed by swords
- Inadequate clothing
- Poverty
- Abuse
- Homelessness
The others didn’t gain any fame from what they suffered. They did it for Jesus’ sake. Tweet This
The writer of Hebrews describes these men and women this way.
“The world was not good enough for them!” Hebrews 11:38
We should honor the men and women who willingly suffer for Jesus. We should also ask ourselves…
Am I willing to suffer for Jesus in obscurity like one of the others?
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