Jesus Christ, Who Became Our Goal

Solomon came to understand that the race is not to the swift, nor is the battle always won by the strong. He had possessed wisdom, power and wealth alike, yet in the end he confessed that his own life had been vanity.

Those who run with their eyes fixed only on their ambitions cannot see what lies on either side, and so they lose what is precious. An ambition pursued without the grace of God is like a tree whose roots have rotted: however much strength and power it gains, it is no true victory. Only by forgetting what lies behind and pressing on toward Christ, the goal, as the apostle Paul did, can a person keep to a straight path.

King Nebuchadnezzar, too, was shown the future beforehand in a dream, yet he did not repent. He was driven from his throne and lived like a beast for seven years, and only then did he confess God as the Almighty. No one can know the seasons of life, and so the word preached today calls each person to turn back before suffering comes and to run toward Christ, the goal.