Today is the last of our four readings
from the Letter to the Hebrews. Two weeks ago when I preached on
Hebrews I neglected to give some background information, so here's a
little of that for you.
Hebrews is one of the great mysteries
of the Bible. It may have been a letter, but it reads more like a
sermon. It's entitled, “To the Hebrews,” but nowhere does it say
to whom it is addressed. There is no identifying signature, so we
don't know who wrote it. We don't know if it was sent to believers
in a certain city, or if it was designed to be passed around. Nor do
we know if it was sent to Jews, Gentiles, or a mixture.
Additionally, we have no way to date it, so scholars guess at
anywhere from 60 – 100. And because of all of this, Hebrews may
just be the most contemporary and always relevant book in the New
Testament.
My sermon on Hebrews from two weeks ago
focused on faith – the assurance of things hoped for, the
conviction of things not seen, and how various people, despite their
failings, attempted to live into that faith and conviction. We live
into that faith and conviction not for our own glory, not in the hope
that we will become great in our lifetime, but in the faith and hope
that God will fulfill his promise at some point in the future. We do
what we do here not only for the benefit of those immediately around
us, but with the conviction that those in the future will find their
way to God through the light we shine.
And today is the summation of all of
this. We live with the assurance of things hoped for and the
conviction of things not seen. But that doesn't mean that we sit
around and wait for God to take care of everything. Within this
faith and conviction is the call to action.
Abraham and Sarah, by faith, set out
from their home in Haran to follow God's promise. Gideon, for all
his doubts, worked to remove foreign idols from Israel's presence.
David, for all his faults, worked to unify Israel after Saul's
disastrous reign. The apostles were sent out to preach the Good
News. When the disciples wanted to stay on the mountain after the
Transfiguration, Jesus led them down in order to minister to the
people. And after the resurrection, Jesus told the disciples to
witness in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth. Our
faith and our conviction calls us to action, it doesn't call us to
sit and do nothing.
What does this look like? What does
doing for God in faith and with conviction look like? It looks a lot
like these closing words from our reading today.
“Do not neglect to show hospitality
to strangers, for by doing so some have entertained angels.” This
obviously refers back to Abraham and Sarah at the oaks of Mamre, but
it also refers to many other instances. Throughout scripture God is
concerned with the well-being of strangers and others, including in
today's gospel. If we are to be Godlike and imitate Christ, we must
welcome the stranger. What does it say about us as individuals, as a
church, or as a nation, if we spend our time, money, and efforts
separating us from, or locking up, God's angels?
“Remember those who are in prison and
being tortured.” This is not just addressing these two specific
examples, but is addressing our ministry to all who are wounded. I
have somewhat jokingly said I'm not called to prison ministry; but
that was before one of our parishioners was arrested. And torture
doesn't necessarily mean those in Guantanamo Bay. People are
tortured in relationships, by mental illness, by spiritual crises,
and more. Jesus entered fully into the human condition, ministered
to the suffering, and suffered himself to the point of death on the
cross. By following Christ we too must be willing to minister to the
wounded and suffering; and we must be willing to sacrifice and suffer
ourselves for the sake of the gospel.
“Be free from the love of money.”
Money, in and of itself, isn't bad. But the love of money takes us
away from the love of God. How much is too much? Once we begin
focusing on money, and how we can acquire more, we lose our focus on
God. Everything becomes a financial transaction and we spend our
time seeking out the best ROI rather than what is best for the world
around us. Add to that that, as one commentator said, the love of
money isn't about greed but about abandonment and fear. Acquiring
more and more is based in a theology of fear, the fear that we won't
have enough. But if we are focused on God then we are focused on
love; and true love casts out fear. This loving focus on God allows
us to focus not on acquiring or serving money, but on deepening our
ties to God and serving others.
“Remember your leaders . . . and
imitate their faith.” In the context of Hebrews there was some
dissension in the congregation, or some diversion from the faith. It
reminds me of the struggles Paul had with a few of his congregations
following something other than what they had learned from him. But
for us today, I would ask you to interpret it this way: Remember
your leaders, know that they are trying their best to live lives
worthy of their callings. Pray for your clergy, vestry, and
commission leaders on a daily basis. Know that disagreements happen,
but strive to love them as Christ loves you.
And finally, “Do not neglect to do
good and to share what you have.” By sharing what you have, you
are doing good. By sharing what you have, you offer life to others
and yourself. This is sort of the culmination of everything above.
The Sea of Galilee drains into the
River Jordan, which then flows into the Dead Sea. The Sea of Galilee
is where the disciples fished and made their living. The Sea of
Galilee is alive. The Dead Sea, on the other hand, is . . . well . .
. dead. Nothing lives there. The Sea of Galilee is alive because it
has an outlet, it shares what it has. The Dead Sea is dead because
it has no outlet, it only keeps and hoards what it receives. It may
seem like sharing our wealth, giving of our time, and using our
talents for others are onerous commands and sacrificial; but in the
end it is the giving away, the sharing with others, that will keep us
alive.
This anonymous letter to an unnamed
Christian congregation is one of the most relevant books of the
Bible. It asks us to live in faith with conviction. It reminds us
to focus less on ourselves and more on others, ministering to the
needy, wounded, and outcast. It tells us where our priorities should
lie. And it challenges us to always attempt to live into the words
and actions of Christ.
As we move forward, let us continually
offer our sacrifice of praise to God, never neglecting to do good,
and live with the hope and conviction of things yet unseen.
Amen.
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