Yesterday in the young adults class, we discussed “distractions” and the danger they can cause our spiritual life. As we walked through several relevant verses, I had my Greek/English Bible open, as I often do when I’m not teaching or preaching. Jesse led us to one familiar text in Hebrews, and then to another in Colossians. It was then that I discovered something (which is my favorite thing to do).

The Hebrews text was…

Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross,
despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

(Hebrews 12:2)

From Colossians, we read…

Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

(Colossians 3:2)

What I discovered was the relation (and difference) between the words “despising” in Hebrews and “affection on things above” in Colossians. The former is the Greek word “kata-phronesas” (καταφρονήσας) and literally means “down-mind.” It describes the attitude of rejecting or thinking less of (thinking down, down-minding) something. There was something Jesus did not think was worthy to be in His mind when He was on the cross. What was it? Shame! He knew that being nailed to the cross was to be made a mockery and a spectacle; it was to suffer public humiliation and shame. Nevertheless, Jesus was not going to let that stop Him from completing His mission. He “despised” the shame, it says in the English, but that sounds more like He “hated” it. That’s not a great translation. You can’t hate something that isn’t a major presence in your mind. Hate requires a lot of thought and contemplation. Jesus didn’t hate the shame of the cross: Jesus disregarded it. Jesus thought nothing of it.

On the other hand, there is the word in Colossians. It’s a handful of words in the English translation but, in the original, it’s just two words: “ano phronete” (ἄνω φρονεῖτε). Do you see the commonality? It’s in the word “phronesas” in the Hebrews verse and “phronete” in the Colossians verse. The two words are the same (the different spelling is because the Greek used root words with different endings to show different tenses and such, like how in English we have sing, singer, singing). In this case, the root word is “phren” or “phrone’o” and it refers to “feelings, thoughts, understandings,” or “the things which exercise the mind.”

The difference is in the word that precedes that big word. In Hebrews it is “kata” and in Colossians it is “ano.”

“Kata,” in Hebrews, is used to be mean “down.” In Colossians, “ano” is used to mean “above.” In other words, Jesus, when He was on the cross did not bother to focus His mind on the shame of the crucifixion. On the other hand, Paul tells us in Colossians TO exercise our mind and focus on things above, where Christ sits at the right hand of God.

Jesus thought dwelling on the present, temporary suffering of the cross to be beneath Him. He put it below the thoughts of His mind. To Him, there was a greater, more eternal goal to focus on. Paul tells us to have the same attitude, only instead of telling us “don’t look down,” he tells us “do look up.”

The two ideas are the same; they’re just written from different perspectives.

Hardships are guaranteed when you journey the road of life. Christians will sometimes have to take a stand for their faith and incur the mockery of the world as a result. So be it. Treat such worldly shame as beneath your concern. Put it below your mind and, instead, turn your focus on things above, where a reward is waiting for all of God’s faithful children.

~ Matthew