Last Friday’s meal on Hebrews 11, which focused on some of the works which accompany faith, seems somewhat bland in comparison to what I’m chewing on this morning as I conclude Hebrews 11. It’s one thing to be encouraged towards works which accompany faith, but am I ready for the consequences which may accompany the works which accompany faith?

And what more can I say? Time is too short for me to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets, who by faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, quenched the raging of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, gained strength in weakness, became mighty in battle, and put foreign armies to flight. Women received their dead, raised to life again. Other people were tortured, not accepting release, so that they might gain a better resurrection. Others experienced mockings and scourgings, as well as bonds and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawed in two, they died by the sword, they wandered about in sheepskins, in goatskins, destitute, afflicted, and mistreated. The world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and on mountains, hiding in caves and holes in the ground.

All these were approved through their faith . . .

(Hebrews 11:32-39a CSB)

Even the “wins” in this list are pretty harrowing. Shutting the mouths of lions is pretty cool . . . but first you need to be willing to look down their throats. Quenching the raging fire would be a rush, but first you need to be willing to walk in the flames. Who wants to get so near a sword that you’re looking down its edge, even if you do escape it? And those are the “victories.” What about the “losses”; the mockings and scourgings and imprisonments, oh my?!? Stoned, sawn in two, dying by the sword. And, if you avoid death, what about living in goatskins and being destitute as you awake each morning to another day of being afflicted and mistreated. Welcome to the consequences which accompany the works which accompany faith.

Pretty violent reading this morning. But not the most violent of this morning’s readings. And it’s the other one that gives a clue as to how participating in this one is even possible. For “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me” (Gal. 2:20a).

But He was pierced because of our rebellion,
crushed because of our iniquities;
punishment for our peace was on Him,
and we are healed by His wounds.
We all went astray like sheep;
we all have turned to our own way;
and the Lord has punished Him
for the iniquity of us all.

He was oppressed and afflicted,
yet He did not open His mouth.
Like a lamb led to the slaughter
and like a sheep silent before her shearers,
He did not open his mouth.

(Isaiah 53:5-7 CSB)

God’s suffering Servant, our Lord Jesus Christ, is not unable to sympathize with the consequences which accompany the works which accompany faith (Heb. 4:15). He’s been there, done that. And now He lives here (in me) and is ready to enable that, if that’s what God calls me to in order to walk by faith. And while it’s probably not gonna be in lines with what I’m hovering over this morning in Hebrews 11, it is for some of our brothers and sisters in the world. Lord, have mercy!

However, for me to think that the faith-fueled life will never result in hard to bear, faith-fueled consequences would require me to be in denial of what is implied by Jesus calling me to take up my cross and follow Him (Lk. 9:23). I need to expect that there will be less than desired consequences of faith. But I don’t bear them alone.

Without faith it is impossible to please God (Heb. 11:6). But with faith I shouldn’t be surprised if being faithful might also mean seasons a wandering in deserts and hiding in caves. But I wander with Jesus. And I’m hidden in the cleft of the Rock — the Rock who was led like a lamb to the slaughter; the Rock who rose again on the third day (read that too this morning); the Rock who even this day lives in me.

Enabling me by His all-sufficient grace. Enlisting me for His everlasting glory.