Keeping Our Eyes Fixed on Jesus in a Broken World
- Jessica Grima Jewett
- 6 days ago
- 3 min read
Today is the 20th Sunday in Ordinary time. As I listened to the readings for today I instantly thought of my friend Kris. I haven’t seen Kris for a while, but a few years back I belonged to his small group Bible study. One of his favorite sayings was “Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus and everything else will fall into place.” That saying has stuck with me ever since. I have used it when talking to friends, family members, co-workers, people I come across in my community and so on. It is a saying that I share freely for those who are lonely, lost, and just trying to get through each day. We see a form of this saying in the second reading in Hebrews. Hebrews and Luke paint a vivid picture in today’s readings of Christian life. A life of perseverance, focus, and sometimes unsettling division, all while keeping our eyes fixed upon Jesus in this often-broken world.
The author of Hebrews urges us to throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles and run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Imagine a long distance runner struggling to keep pace because they are weighed down by unnecessary baggage. Just like the runner, our lives too can become cluttered with distractions, anxiety, fear, jealousy, anger, and even sins that impede our faith/spiritual journey. This passage calls us to a radical shedding, to let go of the baggage and chains that are weighing us down and make a deliberate choice to prioritize what truly matters. What matters most you might ask? Keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, because then everything else will fall into place. Christ is the pioneer and perfecter of our faith.
Jesus, not just a participant, but the pioneer. The one who blazed the trail before us. He endured the cross, scorned its shame, and now sits at the right hand of God. He knows and understands our struggles, temptations, and the sheer weight of living in a world that is so fractured by sin and suffering. Jesus is also the perfecter, the one who brings our faith across the finish line. Our journey is not a solitary one; we follow in the footsteps of the ultimate example that paved the way for us.
In Luke’s Gospel Jesus’ call is not a call to create discord, but a stark recognition of the divisive nature of truth and the radical demands of the Gospel. When we truly follow Jesus, when we embrace his teachings of love, justice, mercy and compassion, it challenges us to move beyond the worldly status quo both within ourselves and in our relationships.
In our broken world, a world that is grappling with war, poverty, injustice, and deep seated divisions, Jesus’ words resonate today with a particular urgency. The “fire” that is spoken in Luke’s Gospel can be understood as the fire of the Holy Spirit. A transformative power that convicts, purifies, and ultimately united us. However, this comes at a price. It can be painful at times to sit and expose the fault lines within our own hearts and even in our society, especially if you feel like you are standing alone and being judged by everyone else who may see things differently than you.
Keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus isn’t about escaping the brokenness. In fact, more times than not when we try to follow God that is when we feel it the most. We have to engage with our brokenness by being empowered by the love of Christ and be guided by his example. Just as Jesus faced the cross, we are called to persevere through the challenges of our time. Picking up our cross and following him knowing that we are not alone. Through the suffering of Jesus and his resurrection we are offered hope. A promise that even in the midst of division and pain, new life and reconciliation are possible.
So, as we reflect on these powerful readings, let us ask ourselves: What baggage am I carrying that hinders my race? Where is my gaze truly fixed? Am I willing to embrace the sometimes-uncomfortable truths of the Gospel, even when they create friction?
May we, like the cloud of witnesses who have gone before us, run with perseverance, our eyes fixed firmly on Jesus, trusting in his love and strength to navigate the complexities and brokenness of our world, and in doing so, become instruments of his peace and healing, for when our eyes are truly fixed on Jesus, everything else will fall into place.
Have a beautiful week!