A fresh look at Faith's Hall of Fame

I've just been reading Hebrews. I learned something new this morning that was there all along.

According to Hebrews 10, the writer's audience had been faithful in persecution and in standing with others who were persecuted (Heb. 10:32 ff). In my teaching on persecution, I had focused on the latter part of chapter eleven, "the world was not worthy of these". Actually, all of "Faith's Hall of Fame" applies to our persecuted family members, following through with the train of thought from the previous verses. Whether we're facing death or loss of property, are called on to submit even our children or we're facing insane obstacles, we do not need to fear any authority (Heb. 11:27). We look at the stories of all these faithful people before us and know that their faith, while not fully rewarded even within a couple generations, shouts through eternity of the faithfulness of God to those who throw themselves into full surrender to Him. Whether we have faced persecution (as in the case of the writer's audience) or will face it in the future (most of us in Canada have not yet), we continue to stand as one family.

Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.
 - Hebrews 13:3