God Disciplines His Children

Hebrews 12:1–13

Why are we suffering? We have believed in Jesus. We are seeking to do the will of God. Why, then, are we going through these hardships?

That question stands behind this passage. These believers were suffering persecution, and the pressure was tempting them to return to their former way of life—to temple worship and animal sacrifices. Throughout this letter, the writer has shown them that Jesus accomplished what those sacrifices could never accomplish. They must hold on to Him.

Remember Hebrews 10:36: they had need of endurance so that, after doing the will of God, they might receive the promise. Chapter 11 then gives example after example of people who believed God and acted upon His promise. Some experienced remarkable deliverance. Others suffered, were imprisoned, and died. Nevertheless, they held on.

And they died without receiving the ultimate fulfillment of what was promised. They await that fulfillment together with us—the kingdom Christ will establish at His return. God’s people will receive that inheritance together (Hebrews 11:39–40; Revelation 20:4–6).

Now the writer brings those examples directly to bear on his readers’ circumstances.

Keep Running and Look to Jesus

Hebrews 12:1–4

“Therefore”—τοιγαροῦν—connects the instruction with everything he has just presented. You have this great cloud of witnesses. You are not the first to suffer because you believe God. Others have endured, and their testimony should strengthen you to endure.

So lay aside every weight. Whatever holds you back, whatever hinders your progress, put it aside. And lay aside “the sin which so easily entangles us”—τὴν εὐπερίστατον ἁμαρτίαν.

What is the sin threatening these readers? Follow the argument of the letter. It is turning away from Christ in unbelief and returning to the sacrifices they have left behind. The writer has solemnly warned them about this repeatedly. Remember Israel’s unbelief in the wilderness, the warning about falling away, and the judgment associated with deliberately rejecting the Son (Hebrews 3:7–19; 4:1–11; 6:4–6; 10:26–31, 38–39).

Settle your mind. Stop entertaining the thought of going back. Run with endurance.

This race is a marathon. A marathon can leave you exhausted. You may hurt. You may limp toward the finish. But the instruction is to keep running the race set before you.

And where should your attention be? On Jesus.

“Fixing our eyes on Jesus” means keeping your focus. Do not let people, persecution, or the experiences you are going through turn your eyes away from Him. He is the author and perfecter—τελειωτήν—of faith.

Consider His own life. He willingly took flesh and chose the Father’s will, even though that path led through suffering, shame, and the cross. He could have remained in heavenly glory, but He came to accomplish our redemption. Philippians 2:6–9 shows His willing humiliation, obedience unto death, and exaltation.

Notice the connection with Hebrews 10:36. After doing the will of God, He sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. He endured, completed His work, and entered that place of supreme honor.

“Consider Him,” the writer says. Think about the hostility He endured so that you do not grow weary and lose heart.

He is not making light of their suffering. He is reminding them that Jesus suffered even unto death. Their struggle has not yet reached the shedding of blood. Let His example strengthen them to hold on.

Understand the Father’s Discipline

Hebrews 12:5–13

Now the writer addresses the question: Why are we suffering?

He answers from the written Word of God, quoting Proverbs 3:11–12. Notice how the exhortation addresses them: “My son.” God speaks to them as His children.

Their suffering can serve as the Father’s discipline—παιδείας. He knows what His children need. He knows their weaknesses, their faults, and even the things in their hearts they have not yet recognized.

Think about Job. He was a righteous man, yet suffering brought him to the point of insisting that God hear his case and answer him (Job 13:22; 23:3–7). We can see pride surface in that insistence. Then God confronted him: Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Job came to recognize the limits of his understanding and humbled himself before God (Job 38:4; 40:3–5; 42:1–6).

God knows what is in us. Through hardship, He can bring those things to light and train us.

And that training can be painful. Verse 6 uses the strong word μαστιγοῖ, translated “flogs.” The writer does not suggest that discipline will always be gentle or easy to bear. But notice whose discipline this is: the Father’s discipline of sons He loves.

So endure it. Bear with it. God is dealing with you as sons. The absence of His discipline would call that relationship into question (Hebrews 12:7–8).

Then consider the comparison with earthly fathers. They were sinful men. Their judgment was not always correct. They disciplined us according to what seemed best to them, and we respected them.

How much more should we submit to our heavenly Father, whose wisdom is always right?

Our earthly fathers trained us for this life. God’s purpose reaches into eternity. He disciplines us for our benefit, “so that we may share His holiness” (Hebrews 12:10). There is a sanctifying work in this suffering. He is shaping His children to reflect His own holiness (Leviticus 11:44–45).

Nobody enjoys the pain while going through it. The writer acknowledges that plainly. But notice the word “afterwards.” To those who have been trained by it, discipline yields “the peaceful fruit of righteousness” (Hebrews 12:11). The training produces a change.

That brings to mind Reverend Timothy Wright’s song, Trouble Don’t Last Always. The present sorrow is not the end of the story. Consider what the Father intends to produce through it.

Therefore, strengthen the weak hands and feeble knees. As my mother might have said, “Pull it together.”

Get your mind settled. Make straight paths for your feet. Stop looking for an escape through turning back. Allow the Father’s discipline to accomplish its intended work so that what is lame may be healed.

For these readers, that meant holding on to Christ under persecution. For us, the practical application remains: keep trusting God through hardship. Look to Jesus. Receive the Father’s training, and allow it to produce holiness, righteousness, and spiritual growth in your life.