Note: the following is the manuscript for the message and will not match exactly the recorded message above.
Today is a special day on the church calendar. Many of us did not grow up following the church calendar, so I’ll tell you a bit about it.
The church calendar begins on the first Sunday of Advent, which is next Sunday. This is the church’s New Year’s Day.
The Advent season runs until Christmas Day, and then the Christmas season begins and runs for 12 days, until January 5. This is where the idea of twelve days of Christmas comes from.
On January 6 is Epiphany, which commemorates the visit of the Magi, representing the manifestation of God to non-Jewish people.
Epiphany lasts until Ash Wednesday, which is the beginning of the Lent season.
This is a moving date that depends on the date of Easter. Lent is 40 days long not including Sundays, making it 46 days.
Lent ends either on the Thursday before Good Friday, or on the Saturday before Easter Sunday, depending on the tradition.
Then is the Easter season, which begins on Easter Sunday, which lasts until Pentecost, 7 weeks after Easter.
After Pentecost is what is called Ordinary Time, which concludes the Saturday before the first Sunday of Advent.
And on the last Sunday of Ordinary Time, which is today, is Christ the King Sunday.
This is a relatively new day in the church calendar, adopted first by the Catholic church in 1925 and shortly after adopted by the Anglican, Lutheran, Methodist, and Presbyterian churches.
It is a day meant to remind people that we are ruled above all by Jesus Christ, to whom all earthly rulers are subject.
It is a really helpful way to end the church calendar year as we step over the threshold into the Advent season, which is a time of anticipation of the arrival of Jesus.
One of the traditional readings for Christ the King Sunday is from Luke 23:35-43.
The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.” The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar and said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.” There was a written notice above him, which read: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS. One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
It is fitting that we have come to the end of our study in Hebrews on Christ the King Sunday.
We have seen throughout this series how Jesus is the fulfillment of all God’s promises and how we can now draw near to God through Christ.
One of the promises fulfilled in Jesus is that of an eternal king.
In 2 Samuel 7:12-13, God makes a promise to King David: ‘The LORD declares to you that the LORD himself will establish a house for you: When your days are over and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.
That prophecy was partially fulfilled through Solomon, who built the first temple in Jerusalem.
But it is ultimately and finally fulfilled through Jesus, who we see in Hebrews is the eternal royal priest.
And now we come to the final chapter, which is unlike any other in the letter.
It contains general instructions about life together as a church community and concludes with a blessing and final greetings.
So, let’s read the chapter and then closely examine the instructions.
[read Hebrews 13]
This letter closes similarly to the way Paul closes his letters. A few final words of instruction, a benediction, and greetings.
This is partly why some people believe Paul wrote the letter.
However, I am convinced that it was written by one of Paul’s disciples, who concluded his letter in Paul’s fashion as a way of practicing what his mentor did.
The first six verses contain general ethical instructions. It begins with a simple but foundational command.
The original statement actually only has two words: keep loving.
The word for love in this statement is philadelphia, which means brotherly love.
So, the interpretation of the statement in most translations is to keep loving each other like brothers.
This idea of loving one another like a brother is deeply rooted in Jewish and Roman cultures.
Brotherly love was a highly esteemed virtue in ancient times, even among pagans.
In the early church, this emphasis on brotherly love was elevated.
Jesus referred to his followers as his brothers and the early Christians referred to each other as brothers and sisters.
1 John 3:16-18 says, “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.”
So, this short statement at the beginning of Hebrews 13 is not a small command. It is at the core of our faith. We cannot call ourselves followers of Jesus if we do not love one another.
More than this, our call to love is extended to strangers. Jesus taught his followers to care for the stranger as well. Matthew 25:35-36 says, “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me… Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”
Christians travelling from one place to another would especially appreciate hospitality from fellow Christians.
Inns throughout the Roman Empire were sketchy and immoral places and very likely full of danger.1
In an early church document that contained supplemental teachings, instructions were given for how to house strangers.
“Let every apostle who comes to you be received as the Lord, but he must not stay more than one day, or two if it is absolutely necessary; if he stays three days, he is a false prophet. And when an apostle leaves you, let him take nothing but a loaf, until he reaches further lodging for the night; if he asks for money, he is a false prophet.”2
The instruction in Hebrews continues with caring for people who are in prison and those who have been mistreated due to their faith in Jesus.
This was becoming increasingly common in those days as the persecution of Christians was ramping up.
Some people today might take this instruction as a call to do prison ministry.
While I think prison ministry is highly important and within the general mandate of Christian mission, this statement in Hebrews is not a call to do general prison ministry.
It is specifically a call to care for the persecuted. It has more to do with what organizations like Voice of the Martyrs or Nik Ripken Ministries are doing.
Here in central Alberta, we do not face the threat of being imprisoned or persecuted only because of our association with Jesus.
But, the principle behind this instruction is more about empathy and compassion for those who suffer without any ability to help themselves out of it.
It is attached to the call for Christians to help the helpless.
This requires paying attention to what is going on around us and stepping forward when we see someone in need.
The instruction then moves on to the household, referring to sex and money.
Two of the greatest threats to marriage, family, and church health are the improper handling of sex and money.
The instruction is that the marriage bed be kept pure and to live free from the love of money.
These are directly related to the theme of holiness we have seen throughout the book of Hebrews.
I’ll deal with money first and then sex. The love of money is not about wanting to earn or save money.
Earning and saving money is a good thing. There is nothing wrong with being wealthy or having a healthy savings account.
The issue here is around the idea of Mammon. Jesus says in Matthew 6:24, “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”
The word there is Mammon. It is best interpreted as greed. It involves dishonest gain or gain at someone else’s expense.
It is the thinking that in order for me to be wealthy, someone else needs to become poor.
It is the opposite of the character of God. As Jesus demonstrated through his life, God is generous and the increase of his glory and fame only brings an increase of joy and blessing for his people.
As followers of Jesus, everyone around us should benefit as we increase in wealth.
As we will see on Tuesday at our AGM, we are facing another financial surplus this year. The direct impact of this should be that our community benefits from our abundance.
We should not feel guilty about having extra money. But it comes with a temptation only to benefit ourselves with that money.
That is the warning here. The question is, how can be a blessing to others because of the blessings we have received?
If we are to be people set apart as representatives of God, we must work hard to live free from sexual sin and the misuse of money.
William Lane explains, “Regard for marriage is an essential expression of the quality of love that binds the community together as brothers and sisters who share a common confession. As a community they must respect marriage as the gift of God and support those who share the marriage relationship with empathy and affection.3”
There are two terms used in this passage that describe what would make the marriage bed impure. Adultery and sexual immorality.
Adultery is the breach of the “one flesh” relationship of marriage.
It describes any act of sexual intercourse between a married woman and a man other than her husband, and all sexual intercourse involving a married man and another man’s wife or fiancée.4
Sexual immorality is broader than this. The Greek word is porneía, which is where we get the word pornography from.
Again, referring to William Lane’s commentary, “Sexual immorality is actually a rejection of the presence and goodness of God who created the human family in its maleness and femaleness. It is an expression of a selfishness blind to the emotional fragility that characterizes every person. The writer warns that those who place personal gratification above responsibility to God and to the community will encounter God himself as Judge.”5
Some of you might want a list of things included in what constitutes sexual immorality.
I am not interested in providing such a list. Lists like that produce religious legalism and encourage us to set up boundary markers for ourselves and others that produce either pride or guilt.
Instead, let me make it really simple. The marriage bed will be kept pure when your sexual gratifications and actions are only experienced within your marriage.
If you are unmarried, then replace “spouse” with God.
This section ends with a reminder that God is the one who gives us what we ultimately need.
We go very wrong when we turn from God and toward people, things, money, power, or anything else for our contentment.
We are not people who need to live in fear or anxiety about how we will be satisfied in life.
We have a God who promises to be with us and give us what we need.
I have spent a lot of time on this short section of Hebrews because it contains such a concise list of important things for us to remember as followers of Jesus.
Let’s spend just a few minutes on verses 7-19. This section contains a reference to strange teachings about food and sacrifice.
The underlying message is that Jesus does not require us to maintain any sort of ritual in order to draw near to God.
Jesus has done everything that is required. So, if anyone says that in order to be accepted by God you have to eat this or not eat that, or practice this ritual or say that prayer, they are being deceived.
What is required of us? Only to trust Jesus at his word.
A primary concern of Jesus and the early church leaders was that people kept trying to save themselves through their behaviour.
Free yourselves of that burden. God has saved you. Now live as one who is saved.
This section also includes instructions to submit to the church leaders, to have confidence in them, and to ensure that the leaders do not have to carry an extra burden because you are constantly challenging their authority.
Nothing is more burdensome to a leader than someone constantly looking for ways to undermine their authority.
Now, this is different than accountability and transparency.
If I, as your pastor, am behaving in a way that is contrary to Scripture or is culturally inappropriate, I need to be held accountable.
I need to live in a way that is open to correction.
Leaders in the church should be setting the example for how to live. The author of Hebrews says, “Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.”
This is a high calling. And it’s not just for the pastor. It is for anyone in a position of leadership in the church.
Because this is such a difficult position to be in, any amount of support and encouragement is appreciated.
And the presence of someone who is trying to undermine leaders adds to the burden.
As I said, this chapter has been very different from the rest of Hebrews in many ways.
So, I want to close off this series by summarizing the letter’s message, which is that all of God’s promises are fulfilled completely and finally through Jesus.
The benediction in verses 20-21 summarizes it well.
It is a prayer of blessing for those who want to continue following Jesus, even though alternative options seem appealing.
It is a prayer for those who feel burdened, tired, or empty. It is a prayer worth memorizing and reciting to yourself and others.
It is a prayer that God will give you everything good for doing what he asks of you. God puts all things together and makes all things whole.
He made an eternal promise that cannot be broken. This promise came through the sacrifice of Jesus.
Jesus, our great caretaker, gave up his life for this promise, was raised from the dead, and is now alive.
And God now, through Jesus, provides you with everything you need to please him. He makes us into the images of God that are pleasing to him.
The message of Hebrews is that Jesus Christ brings everything into order. God and humans. God and creation. Humans and creation.
Whatever has gone wrong is being made right because Christ is the king.
This is our hope and it is what shapes our lives individually and together as God’s people.
1 F. F. Bruce, The Epistle to the Hebrews, Rev. ed., The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1990), 370.
2 F. F. Bruce, The Epistle to the Hebrews, Rev. ed., The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1990), 371.
3 William L. Lane, Hebrews 9–13, vol. 47B, Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 1991), 516.
4 David H. Field, “Adultery,” Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1988), 32.
5 William L. Lane, Hebrews 9–13, vol. 47B, Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 1991), 517.
Hebrews Series Bibliography
Allen, David L. Hebrews. The New American Commentary. Nashville, TN: B & H Publishing Group, 2010.
Bruce, F. F. The Epistle to the Hebrews. Rev. ed. The New International Commentary on the New Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1990.
Guthrie, George. Hebrews. The NIV Application Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1998.
Lane, William L. Hebrews 1-8, vol. 47A, Word Biblical Commentary. Dallas: Word, Inc., 1991.
New International Version Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2016.
Wright, Tom. Hebrews for Everyone. London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 2004.