Hebrews 13:1-25
We begin the final chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrews. Within it are the directives for living a compassionate and organized life, for exhibiting and encouraging kindness and justice in all of your expressions and interactions.
13:1
- Let brotherly love continue: Recall Matthew 22:36-40 where we learn that loving others is our most important and blessed responsibility. Humanity is comprised of our own spiritual kin. Within these bodies are souls who share the same spiritual origins as we do. Their well-being is quite directly related to our own.
13:2
- Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels: As we have learned many times, we are fellow workers of God. The job extends into the Spirit. Angels, messengers of God, are here contributing to the work that we do in the name of compassion. We are encouraged to be kind to all in our interactions because God has placed souls in our lives to help us, guide us, and influence us. Remember that we often learn from our enemies and from disparity: we learn to value life and to protect it on all societal levels.
13:3
- Remember the prisoners as if chained with them - those who are mistreated - since you yourselves are in the body also: Ensuring that justice reigns on earth is our purpose. Throughout history, humans have been mistreated in various ways and we are encouraged to thwart those cruel actions. To have empathy. To understand and relate to others.
13:4
- Marriage is honorable among all: It is vital that we are respectful of our relationships (romantic and platonic). We are taught to respect and appreciated unions we make with other humans.
13:5-6
- Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have: Jealousy is unhealthy. Jealousy is a commitment to insatiable and greedy desire. Through our spiritual development, we come to understand that God (or the universe, however you conceive of Spirit/divine) is going to take care of you upon receiving your permission.
Deuteronomy 31:6 and Joshua 1:5 I will never leave or forsake you. God ensures that you have what you need. That you have what is required for you to be safe, content, joyful, productive and healthy.
13:7
- Remember and appreciate people who guide you: What this verse asks is that we develop the ability to listen and observe. We have official and unofficial teachers in our lessons and we lessons from them all, even the bad ones teach us about life and ourselves (by learning what not to do and why not do it).
13:8-9
- The word is unchanging, therefore do not waver in faith or focus: this philosophy of life and faith is founded in unwavering, invulnerable compassion and wisdom. Once you hear a truth, remain with it. Explore always but remain committed to truth. Explore without becoming distracted. Ask questions about humanity and the universe but discern truth from lie within the answers you receive.
13:10-12 These several verses basically reiterate this philosophy of life and faith as the ultimate, the truth. For this is a philosophy of compassion and any divergent philosophies are inferior. (We are NOT speaking about religion. The idea that compassion is the core of God's creation is spread across culture and religion. Only that which contradicts compassion is inferior).
13:13-14
- Go forth to Him: Journey toward your spiritual home with every step you take, acts of compassion are the cobblestones which lead us there... home.
13:15
- Have gratitude: Observe our beautiful universe and be thankful for all of the times of life it sustains. Always be conscious of what you do have, the opportunities, the relationships, the thumping heart inside of you... all that biologically came together to produce you as an individual, the rising sun... Be present here on earth and have gratitude for it.
13:16
- Do good and share: Quite simple advice to follow. Perhaps life experiences and decisions are not always so simple as that... except, what if they are? What if the solution to every problem is do good and to share as best as you can? To constantly act, think and speak in contradiction to evil and selfishness. Develop a natural inclination toward doing good within a community.
13:17 This specific reference is toward students of faith-teachers. Although a bit strictly worded, the meaning is that we should listen to rather than overpower wisdom that comes into our lives. Listen to wisdom, decide if it is truth, and respect the person who shared it.
13:18-19
- Pray for others: Pray for the people around you. Understand that hoping for someone to find joy is much more productive for them, you and all of humanity than wishing them strife.
- Live Honorably: Be respectable. Create an earnest reputation for sincerity, honesty and kindness, humility, and compassion. Put your whole effort into the things you do and the social relationships you enter. Be known as passionate, hardworking, honorable.
13:20-21
- Allow God into your life to work in you: To help you develop a strong and honorable character. Allow His guidance and wisdom to navigate you through life, tribulations as well as triumphs.
- Allow Him to make you complete in very good work in accordance with His will: when you work with Him, what you accomplish will be extraordinary. When you proclaim yourself as His fellow-worker, 1 Corinthians 3:9, you have access to His wisdom and protection and can therefore accomplish your mission much more readily.
13:22-23
- Remain encouraged and hopeful: Know that the workers of God are always, inevitably set free to do their good works. As instruments of God (tools through which justice is accomplished among humanity) your freedom is insisted upon and delivered. After all, you have important work to do. (There are many ways to be free, figuratively speaking).
13:24 Final farewells to close out this Epistle to the Hebrews.
13:25 Grace be with you all. Amen.
