Lest We Drift Away

The story is told of Leonardo da Vinci, that when painting "The Last Supper," he went looking for models to sit for the various disciples and for Jesus. He found a handsome and innocent looking man in a choir in one of the churches in Italy. He painted him as Jesus in the great painting. The man's name was Pietro Bandinelli. Years passed as da Vinci continued to work on the painting. He left the face of Judas Iscariot till the last. Leonardo went out into the streets of Rome and looked for the most forlorn person he could find. At last he saw the man whom he wanted for the disciple that betrayed Christ. His face was drawn and villainous. He hired the man and brought him in to sit for the face of Judas. When he had completed the work, he was about to dismiss the man when he asked, “By the way, sir, what is your name?” The poor gentleman said, “Don’t you know me? I am Pietro Bandinelli. I also sat as your model for the face of Jesus.” The poor man had drifted so far that his face had gone from that of Christ to that befitting the scandalous Judas Iscariot.

The writer of Hebrews said it this way, “therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away” (Hebrews 2:1, ESV). As I talk to people of faith around the Valley, many of them share broken hearted stories of loved ones that have drifted away from the faith. This drifting away is not new. The writer of Hebrews warned about this tendency in the first century around the year 40 A.D. The truth that we can glean from this portion of scripture is a lamp to our feet and a light for our path to keep us from drifting away.

Heeding invitation to pay more close attention is the first essential for staying on course spiritually. Being strong in the Lord is not something that we cruise along in life to gain. No, there is a spiritual attentiveness that protects us from subtly slipping away. Herein lies our problem: we live in a culture that suffers from spiritual attention deficit disorder! We are so used to living lives that are instant, easy and in five-minute sound bites. The most effective podcasts are no longer that 15 minutes long because we just cannot pay attention much longer! A steadfastness of mind—a mental fortitude or grit—is essential to staying the course in the Lord.

The term that is used in Hebrews 2:1 literally means “to have in close proximity so as to take care of.” In a figurative way it means “to turn one’s mind to.” Staying close to our Savior is first and foremost a “setting of our minds” on Him. Paul said it this way, “Since then, you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory (Colossians 3:1-4, ESV). The slow fade of slipping away from our Lord can be averted if daily we turn our minds to Him and what really matters. He is our life as believers! When we make life about temporary things we are setting ourselves up for the slow fade of slipping away.

The second thing that is essential to staying close to our Savior is what we pay attention to! We are invited to pay attention to what we have heard. Turning our minds toward the Lord also involves turning our ears on to listen to Him rather than the truth claims of our world. Just because someone smart makes a truth claim or we read an article on-line or hear a convincing podcast, does not mean that what is being claimed is true! He is the way the truth and the life! (John 14:6). We do not get to create our own truth or chart our own course and stay close to Him. His Word, the Bible, is our lamp and light for the way of truth and the way we live.

The old hymn that I used to sing growing up sums it up well:

Turn your eyes upon Jesus

Look full in His wonderful face

And the things of earth will grow strangely dim

In the light of His glorious grace.

Slipping away is a slow fade that can be averted by setting our minds on His truth and keeping our ears attuned to the truth we have heard.