Imagine a night that has turned ugly. The winds are howling, the rains are falling fast and furious and the moon cannot be seen. Your vision is limited, and you are soaked to the bone, yet you find yourself outside on the steep mountain trails looking for your lost sheep. Earlier, you counted those in your flock, and you came up short. One is missing. Because you are a shepherd and not a hireling, you diligently seek to find that one lost sheep. That is the picture we have of Jesus when he was seeking us. But it is also the picture that is given to Christians in Hebrews 12. Today, I want to focus on two verses found in chapter 12. In these verses we will see a couple of things that will help us see ourselves as a shepherd for others just as Jesus, the Great Shepherd, helped us.

  1. I want you to notice the Descriptionof some Lame Christians. Look at verse 12:12. It tells us, “Wherefore lift up the hands which hand down, and the feeble knees;” There were those among the Hebrews that were weak and feeble spiritually. No matter what was happening it seemed as though they could not keep up with the rest of the group. Various reasons can be found throughout the epistle to these people. Just as it was true for this group almost 2000 years ago, it is true for the people of God today. Weekly, I talk with pastors from different ministries and we all have similar experiences just as the Christians in Hebrews did. Problems come in different packages for the people of God. Some just handle it better than others. What are some of these troubles? The world and all its trinkets give some of the lame among us problems. They seek the approval of the world’s system while we should be seeking the approval of the Lord. Some are troubled by their outlook on life. They always see the glass as half empty. Some are troubled by chastening. Hebrews 12, our chapter today, speaks about the chastening of the Lord (12:5-11). Whatever package the trouble arrived in, now their hands were so weak they could not raise them. They had no strength left. They could not fight the enemy, nor could they even put their hands up to protect themselves. They are at the mercy of the enemy. Do you know people like this? What are we to do?
  2. Notice the Dutyof the Strong Christians. 12:2-3 tells us to do a few things. “Wherefore lift up the hands and the feeble knees;” We are told to come along beside them and lift up those hands that are hanging. Bind up the knees that are feeble. This epistle of Hebrews is often, rightly so, connected back to the Old Testament. Exodus 17:12 gives us a beautiful picture of what this article is discussing today. Moses’ hands were tried. When his hands were raised, Israel’s army was winning the battle. When his hands were tired and he no longer could raise them, Israel began to lose the battle. Two men, Aaron and Hur, come to Moses one on each side and hold the arms of Moses high. The battle was won for Israel. Why? Because two men saw a brother that was tired and weak. He could no longer hold his hands above his head, but these two came alongside and “lifted his hands.” Not only are we to lift hands but we are to bind feeble knees. When a sheep in the fold has become lame, at least two things will happen. If the sheep cannot walk, then the shepherd will pick up the sheep and carry it back to the fold. If the animal is small enough, on this cold, dark, rainy night, the shepherd will put the lamb inside of his coat and give the warmth of his body to the animal. If the animal is larger, he will simply carry it in his arms or on his shoulders. Once back to the fold the binding takes place. I cannot help but think about the fold in the New Testament. I believe that for the New Testament the church is the place for the people of God. It is a place where the medicine of the word of God can be administered in such a way to make it most beneficial. Verse 12:13 tells us something else of our duty to those lame among us. It says, “And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.” We need to make the path for healing smooth. Not always easy, but smooth. If we make those lame ones travel on uneven paths, they’ll fall down in the ravens or ditches off to the side. That is not the aim. Our aim is healing.

Who do you know that is weak and feeble today? What will you do to help them? I trust you’ll think about them, pray for them, and then personally do what you can to help. Remember this truth, we can all become weak and feeble. If you think back to the story of Aaron and Hur, who was it they helped? Moses, one of the greatest heroes in the bible. Even the greats get tired sometimes. It might be you that gets troubled next. Let’s seek to lift up the hands that are dragging and the knees that are feeble.