I. St. Paul, in the verses of our text, gives us a plain, serious reason for frequent meditation upon Christ's sufferings. It is notthat we may learn to see how far human cruelty and intolerance can go; it is not that we may pride ourselves on being at least better than the savages who nailed the Saviour to the tree; it is not that we may congratulate ourselves on living in more civilised times; it is not for any reason which might turn our eyes away from Christ as the Life and the Light of men; but it is for this: "Consider Him,lest yebe weary and faint in your minds."
II. Christ's life, then, as the pattern life, is what is set before us here. Consider Him, for as He did, so must ye strive to do. The death and passion of the Son of God is the standard by which to measure any efforts of ours. There is a voice within us which tells us that in holiness and the faithful following of Christ there is, indeed, infinite happiness; that victory over evil is a triumph that is infinitely desirable; that it is far better to strive for what is noble and good, than to succumb to what is little and vile. But when these positions are to be carried out into practice, when our convictions are to be acted on every hour, when there is a countless host of disturbing influences at work, busy in their efforts to unbalance our minds and to lead us astray, then the great danger is lest we should say the lifelong struggle is too hard, the constant watchfulness required of us is too great a strain. It is in considering Him who endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself that we shall learn by slow degrees, but we shall learn not to be weary or faint in our minds.
A. Jessopp, Norwich School Sermons,p. 119.
References: Hebrews 12:3. Spurgeon, Sermons,vol. xviii., No. 1073; Homilist,3rd series, vol. iv., p. 232; H. W. Beecher, Christian World Pulpit,vol. xviii., p. 175; Preacher's Monthly,vol. x., p. 58; Clergyman's Magazine,vol. x., pi 83.