Hebrews 13:1-5 — Let brotherly love continue. Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body. Marriage is honorable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge. Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

I had one of those Bible moments today. You know — one of those moments when you come to a passage that you’ve read a few times before that — all the same — seems completely new. I read Hebrews 13 and it just sang to me. So my devotion today has one unashamed objective — to send you off to read it too!

Peter, Paul, and the writer of Hebrews do this thing — they each have passages of really practical instructions that are the launching pad for some great theology. (I suppose I could have included James, but his letter is almost all instruction, it’s not quite the same).

The chapter starts off by laying out five key elements to Christian life — or perhaps it would be better to say one master principle, and four more that follow from it.

The master principle is brotherly love. Jesus Himself identified it as the identifying feature of His disciples — “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” (John 13:35). Peter and Paul both stress the importance of brotherly love.

Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honor preferring one another; (Romans 12:10)

Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king. (1 Peter 2:17)

From the master principle, flow four more — hospitality, compassion, purity and compassion. And then our writer identifies the foundation  — Jesus, who has said “I will never leave you or forsake you”. 

It’s what happens next that really spoke to me today. The chapter broadens out into a treatise on leadership. It hides in a description of the duties the Hebrews owe to those who are over them … but it’s really about the leaders themselves. Those leaders spoke God’s word, they were faithful, and they were focused — on “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and for ever“. (Hebrews 13:8)

Then there is yet another pearl hidden in this chapter. Because next it speaks directly of Jesus (and we should remember that Jesus, and His superiority to all that went before, is the focus of the letter to the Hebrews). His example of self-sacrifice is given as one for the Hebrews to follow …

I’m about half way through the chapter. I’ll leave the rest for your exploration. I hope I’ve whetted your appetite …