Hebrews 13:16 And do not neglect doing good and sharing; for with such sacrifices God is pleased.
The person, who wrote Hebrews, is unknown. It has often been attributed to Paul, but two things exclude him. He did not know the apostles closely which this author seemed to have been, and it does not have his customary way greeting the churches in his letters. People when they write letters often follow similar ways of presenting their letters. This is true of all of Paul’s letters. It could have been Luke, Apollos, Phillip, Silas, Barnabus, or Priscilla and Aquila or some other unknown writer…
This letter is probably written to the Jewish Christians in Israel. Due to a rebellion of the Jewish people against the Romans. There was a war from about 66 AD to 70 AD. The Temple was destroyed in August of 70 AD. But prior to this, many Jews had begun to abandon their faith in Jesus because life had become increasingly difficult. The persecution had become severe. It was to these Jewish Christian. The letter of Hebrews had been written because many were abandoning their faith in Christ out of fear for their lives.
The letter deals with four Old Testament truths. First it deals with the Angels who brought the ten commandments to Moses. Jesus is the Word of God, and we don’t need Angels to deliver us messages. Jesus is compared to Moses and how he delivered the Jews from captivity in Egypt. Jesus delivers us from the captivity of sin. He compares him to Melchizedek who was a priest, and Jesus is the priest that connects directly with God. Psalms 120 refers to Melchizedek but is also a reminder to Pray to God in times of trouble. Fourth the Jews had to give animal sacrifices to God, but Jesus because the only sacrifice that was needed. All of this connects with whom is the receiver of the letter to the Hebrews. In the end he encourages them to stay faithful to Christ.
Before the verse for today, the writer reminds the readers to always praise God. He then says to them to do good works towards others because this pleases God.
What does this mean for us today?
Every person, from a small child to the aged, is able to do good works. Many see that tithing or giving the church their money is all that they need to do, but every church has people who sacrifice their time to do church duties. Others visit those in need like those who are in nursing homes or cannot leave their homes. Some work in fields where they can be a servant to the people who need them. Teaching children to be kind and caring is what parents should be teaching their children.
But what should you do for Christ?
First be kind and patient because those are acts of love that any of us can give to others. Second of all, learn to listen to people. It is rude to say especially to an older person, “We have talked about this before.” It implies three things 1) that the person is getting forgetful, 2) that you don’t care to listen to them, and 3) your time is more valuable than theirs. There may be other reasons that the person is bringing it up. Maybe it is something that they need to talk out to resolve the issue. Listening is a difficult skill. I sat for years listening to people telling me the same stories over and over, and sometimes it frustrated me. One day it dawned on me with one person, and I asked, “What is it about this story that bothers you?” They told me. Listening can be a gift of love and is a gift of kindness. The time you give to a person who simply needs someone to listen- may be a sacrifice of your time, but is an act of kindness to the person is talking. Listening to your children is necessary. Sacrificing your time is as much a gift to God as the money that you give to the church. The third thing is to pray for guidance, and you will find where you can serve the Lord the best.
Today’s question:
What good works have you given to worship our Lord?
Ever in Christ’s Love,
Mary Elizabeth Todd
February 20, 2024 & June 14, 2024
Ruhamah United Methodist Church Bible Verses 