September 23, 2017: Day 34 – Hebrews 13

There are some nice nuggets in this Scripture.  Look at vs.2 and then let me redirect you to Genesis 18:1-15 and you will see that this is the reference to which the author is referring.  

The author tells us that we are called to be hospitable, but even more than that, we are called to welcome strangers in our midst, because you never know, those strangers just might be angels.  So this statement is incredibly controversial today.  It takes us directly to the controversy around immigration.  We can’t surely base national policy on Scripture, can we?  I can’t imagine doing it any other way.  How can a Christian argue that allowing people into our country is wrong?  But it isn’t safe, you would be letting terrorists into the country.  Just in case we are aware of the reality of what it was like to live in the day of Paul and especially in the day of Abraham.  There were no boundaries and you never knew who was friend and foe.  If you invited a stranger in your house they could be foes who only wanted to take your property and claim your wife and children as their own.  It was much more dangerous in the days that this Scripture was written than today.  Yes, we can base immigration policy on Scripture, but it would take a revolution.  That’s what Jesus and the Gospel are all about.

There are more powerful nuggets in this chapter.  Let’s just go down the list of what the author states: 1) remember those who are in prison, 2) hold marriage in honor, 3) keep your lives free from the love of money.  There is nothing controversial in any of these statements.  We can say yes, we should visit prisoners, we should hold marriage in honor, and yes we should not value money as anything more important than a gift from God.  We should always be content with what we have.  What a statement.  

Finally, look at vs.8 which reminds us that Jesus is the same today, yesterday, and forever.  This is to sway us away from any thinking that maybe, just maybe, as times change so does God and so does His holy Word.  No, it is the same just as God has remained the same.  The comfort that we find in vs.6 finds its residence smack dab in vs. 8.  God never changes so His love for us is unfailing.