Proclamation:
“Keep
on loving one another as brothers and sisters.
Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some
have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.” Hebrews 13:1-2 (NIV)
Explanation:
These
words were written by an unknown human author under the influence of The Holy
Spirit of God. In this final chapter of
the Book of Hebrews, the author begins by telling them to love one another as
brothers and sisters. In chapter eleven
he dealt with faith, in chapter twelve he dealt with hope, and here he deals
with love. He reminds them to be kind
to strangers who unbeknownst to them may be angels. He told them to be kind to those who are
incarcerated and those who are mistreated. (Hebrews 13:3) He also told them to honor marriage and that
God would deal with those who commit adultery and the sexually immoral.
(Hebrews 13:4) Then he told them not to
be in love with money and that they should be content with what they have.
(Hebrews 13:5) He reminded them that The
Lord God said that He would never leave them or forsake them. After that he goes on to tell them to remember,
honor and pray for the man who taught them The Word of God. (Hebrews
13:7-18) He ends the chapter with a
thoughtful benediction, (Hebrews 13:20-21) a word of encouragement, (Hebrews
13:22) and the wishes them well.
Application:
It
is easy to love our family members, even though sometimes they make it
difficult for us. It is much more challenging
for us to love all of our church members.
However, it requires a special effort to be kind to, love, and be hospitable
to complete strangers. The author offers
practical examples for Christian living and behavior. To do this we need His help and He is always
with us. (Hebrews 13:5-6) We need to
pray for our leaders, teachers, preachers and our pastors. (Hebrews 13:18) We should be careful not to be caught up in
strange, non-Biblical teachings. (Hebrews 13:9)
We should compare what we are taught and told with what The Bible
says. It is our guide as we travel on
our Christian journey through this sin-sick world. We are to love one another as Christ loves
us. (John 13:34-35) Christ said that as
we have done things for the less fortunate people, we have done it to Him.
(Matthew 25:35-40)
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