Hebrews 7: Going the Distance

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(Nov 22, 09 -  Mike Nichols)
When Glenn Cunningham was 8 years old his legs were very badly burned in a schoolhouse fire and his 10 yr old brother died. When doctors recommended amputating Glenn’s legs, he was so distressed, his parents wouldn’t allow it. The doctors predicted he might never walk normally again. He had lost all the flesh on his knees and shins and all the toes on his left foot. Also, his transverse arch was practically destroyed. His great determination, coupled with hours of massages given him by his parents, enabled him to gradually regain the ability to walk and to run. In 1919 he first tried to walk again, roughly 2 yrs after the accident. He had a positive attitude as well as a strong religious faith. His favorite Bible verse was Isaiah 40:31: “But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.” He was considered by many the greatest American miler of all time. He received the James E. Sullivan Award as the top amateur athlete in the US in 1933. Glenn set a world record for the mile and indoor world records for the 1.500 meters and the mile. He was on the 1932 & 1936 Olympic teams.

What does Glenn have to do with Hebrews 12—he well illustrates Hebrews 12:1-2:  Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

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