The tone of this letter now changes; these are final thoughts but they contain memorable passages – look out for them! (I have highlighted them for you!)
Now read Hebrews 13:1-3
1 Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters.
2 Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. 3 Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are ill-treated as if you yourselves were suffering.
What is most important? Love (v1). And if we love God, it should automatically follow that we love our brothers and sisters in Christ. But not only those we find lovable! We must also love those who are different, or difficult, too (v2). Particularly we must reach out to those in trouble.
But what do you make of verse 2b? Can you remember any examples from the Bible?
Abraham: Genesis 18, and then Lot: Genesis 19.
Let’s move on.
Read Hebrews 13:4
4 Marriage should be honoured by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.
We must all take responsibility here – our actions (or thoughts?) can not only affect our own marriage, but also the marriages of others.
Read Hebrews 13:5
5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’
Not only might we have a desire for other people, but also for MONEY and THINGS.
Why should God’s promise be sufficient?
Verses 4 and 5 cover our inbuilt desire for more. Verse 5 also suggests that we feel the need to be in control, to surround ourselves with enough money and things to make sure we will be well provided for. Does that suggest we have forgotten that God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you’ ?
Read Hebrews 13:6
6 So we say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?’
We could just agree triumphantly and move on. But let’s not be too quick. Mere mortals have done and can do really dreadful things.
Are we really confident that we will not be afraid?
So how can we have confidence? (v5b?) What is the worst that can happen to us?
Read Hebrews 13:7
7 Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.
For us today, that will often be an encouragement.
But for 1st century Christians, and still in some countries today, church leaders have had to suffer for their faith. So to ‘consider the outcome of their way of life’ can evoke mixed memories.
But they too are people of faith (Chapter 11) and their faith must encourage our own.
Read Hebrews 13:8-10
8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and for ever.
9 Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings. It is good for our hearts to be strengthened by grace, not by eating ceremonial foods, which is of no benefit to those who do so. 10 We have an altar from which those who minister at the tabernacle have no right to eat.
Jesus is the same, his teachings are the same, and his commands are the same. Be careful then when people try to encourage you to adopt new and ‘strange’ teachings. There will always be plausible preachers, but the Holy Spirit will alert you and the Bible will guide you.
Here the warning was of ‘intellectual’ Christians supporting ceremonial religious observances rather than simply relying on the sacrifice of Christ, who by grace has given us a living personal experience of the love of God dwelling in our hearts.
The people who engage in such observances derive no lasting benefit from them (v9). If they continually hark back to the old ways, relying on animal sacrifices for their justification, they have no right to join with us at the communion table ‘For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves.’ 1 Corinthians 11:29
Read Hebrews 13:11-14
11 The high priest carries the blood of animals into the Most Holy Place as a sin offering, but the bodies are burned outside the camp. 12 And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood. 13 Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore. 14 For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come.
To many Jews, Jerusalem was a holy city, a place of pilgrimage; it was the only place where you could legitimately bring offerings and sacrifices. Everything centred on the Temple; and within that the Holy of Holies, where God dwelt.
Jesus had suffered and died ‘outside the city wall’, so to take advantage of the salvation he had purchased for us we must turn our backs on old religious practices, even if that brings disgrace on us in the eyes of the world.
Read Hebrews 13:15-16
15 Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise – the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. 16 And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.
Having broken then with the old sacrificial system, what can we offer as an acceptable sacrifice? Praising God, doing good, and sharing with others.
Not as a means of paying for our salvation, but simply a love-offering to the one who has already provided it.
Read Hebrews 13:17
17 Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you.
Church leaders are expected to fulfil many roles: These days that includes Health and Safety, financial control, safeguarding of vulnerable people, data protection, (and even as I write this – social distancing as a result of Covid-19). But at the same time they are expected to lead the church in spiritual growth, to ensure that the teaching we receive is sound and Biblical, to uphold the church (its members and adherents) in regular prayer and to provide an example for others to follow.
Do you know who your church leaders are? Do you pray for them regularly?
For many this is a purely voluntary role and they are acutely aware of their responsibilities. We need to consider the second half of this verse carefully!
Read Hebrews 13:18-19
18 Pray for us. We are sure that we have a clear conscience and desire to live honourably in every way. 19 I particularly urge you to pray so that I may be restored to you soon.
If we pray for the voluntary church leaders, we must pray more diligently for those we have particularly appointed as pastors, ministers, vicars etc.
Read Hebrews 13:20-21
20 Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, 21 equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Like some of the other notable passages in this chapter, this one could bear remembering.
But then as we take it and apply it to ourselves we must remember that it is us who have been equipped to do his work!
Read Hebrews 13:22-25
22 Brothers and sisters, I urge you to bear with my word of exhortation, for in fact I have written to you quite briefly.
23 I want you to know that our brother Timothy has been released. If he arrives soon, I will come with him to see you.
24 Greet all your leaders and all the Lord’s people. Those from Italy send you their greetings.
25 Grace be with you all.
Who was the writer? Where was he writing from? What and where was Timothy released from? No-one knows. If it was Paul, imprisoned in Rome, it was unlikely he would have been free to travel anywhere!
So it may have been another apostle, living somewhere where there were some Christians who had originally come from Italy, and who wanted to be remembered to the Christians in Jerusalem.
It is simply a reminder that we are all part of a worldwide church and we can all join in ‘The Grace’.
