Hebrews 13:1-6
1 Let brotherly love continue. 2 Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. 3 Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body. 4 Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous. 5 Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” 6 So we can confidently say,
“The Lord is my helper;
I will not fear;
what can man do to me?”
In the last chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrews we see the power of the Messiah’s love at work in the life of His church. These Jewish Christians were enduring much hardship for their faith, and were called to persevere through seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Yet they will be asked to endure hardship that Jesus Himself endured as well (see Hebrews 12:1-6 ). God suffers with them (and us) in love.
Perseverance through discipline and hardship requires certain measures of sacrifice . Not all will be easy and well in this life. The author turns his attention to a list of specific sacrifices that please God. The whole letter is a "word of exhortation (13:22), and here are a few important ones in this section:
- Brotherly love shall always abound (v. 1)
- Hospitality to strangers (v. 2)
- Praying and caring for the persecuted and imprisoned (v. 3)
- Faithfulness in the marriage covenant (v. 4)
- Being content, free from the love of money (v. 5)
- Knowing that God Himself is our portion, Who will never leave us nor forsake us (vv. 5-6)
That’s enough to work on for today.
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