Emmanuel Lutheran Church

Hebrews 13:1–25 (NKJV)

¹ Let brotherly love continue. ² Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels. ³ Remember the prisoners as if chained with them—those who are mistreated—since you yourselves are in the body also. ⁴ Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge. ⁵ Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” ⁶ So we may boldly say: “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” ⁷ Remember those who rule over you, who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct. ⁸ Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. ⁹ Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines. For it is good that the heart be established by grace, not with foods which have not profited those who have been occupied with them. ¹⁰ We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat. ¹¹ For the bodies of those animals, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned outside the camp. ¹² Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside the gate. ¹³ Therefore let us go forth to Him, outside the camp, bearing His reproach. ¹⁴ For here we have no continuing city, but we seek the one to come. ¹⁵ Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. ¹⁶ But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased. ¹⁷ Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you. ¹⁸ Pray for us; for we are confident that we have a good conscience, in all things desiring to live honorably. ¹⁹ But I especially urge you to do this, that I may be restored to you the sooner. ²⁰ Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, ²¹ make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. ²² And I appeal to you, brethren, bear with the word of exhortation, for I have written to you in few words. ²³ Know that our brother Timothy has been set free, with whom I shall see you if he comes shortly. ²⁴ Greet all those who rule over you, and all the saints. Those from Italy greet you. ²⁵ Grace be with you all. Amen.

In this final chapter of the letter to the Hebrews, the writer gives many instructions to Christians: do good, remember those imprisoned for the Gospel, honor Godly marriage, be content with what you have, remember, respect, and obey those whose vocation it is to preach Christ crucified to you because “they watch out for your souls” (v. 17).

But these words are much more than instructions to do good and be on your best behavior.  They don’t so much as tell us what to do as they describe what Christians have been made into and how they have been gifted with God’s free grace in Christ for good works. These words are not a “have to” but a “get to;” they describe the very fruits of God-given faith.

Of special note are the words in vv. 8-9: that Christ is unchangeable, (“immutable”), and that the Christian can rely absolutely on Him who is no respecter of persons and who treats all people the same according to His Word and promises. There is great comfort knowing that our good and gracious God will never act contrary to His Word; He will never change course or veer from His Word; there will be no surprises.  He is constant, consistent, just, fair, loving, and faithful.

Unbelievers everywhere serve gods that they must placate, for they serve and worship themselves. They worship a god who changes according to personal and emotional whims. There is no comfort or certainty in an unfaithful god.

As we live out our various vocations, we are bolstered by Christ’s gifts delivered to us in the Divine Service—Baptism, Absolution, Gospel, and Supper.  These gifts always strengthen our faith and demonstrate God’s kindness and love to us.

Receive His blessing: “Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.”

Hebrews 12:1–17 (NKJV)

¹ Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, ² looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. ³ For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. ⁴ You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin. ⁵ And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: “My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; ⁶ For whom the Lord loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives.” ⁷ If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? ⁸ But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. ⁹ Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? ¹⁰ For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness. ¹¹ Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. ¹² Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, ¹³ and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed. ¹⁴ Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: ¹⁵ looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled; ¹⁶ lest there be any fornicator or profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright. ¹⁷ For you know that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with tears.

The opening words of Hebrews 12 are very comforting; they remind us as Christians that we are never alone. We are surrounded (Greek: “encircled, enclosed”) by saints among us in God’s Church.  We draw strength from other like-minded Christians whose testimony to God’s faithfulness in their lives strengthens our own.

Hebrews 12 teaches us by the Holy Spirit to be thankful that we have not yet given our own blood in our spiritual trials, and to understand that any hardship that comes our way is either given or allowed by God for our good.  We are to see life’s chastenings as signs of God’s love and care for us, the same way human parents discipline and chasten their children in order to mold them into Godly people and productive citizens. The Christian life is a “race” (v. 1) that we “run with endurance” by the power of the Holy Spirit.  God works in us through the Gospel and Christ’s sacraments which deliver forgiveness, strength, and peace in ways the world cannot give.

As we live out our various vocations suffering rejection, chastisement, and persecution for standing in the one true faith in Christ, we remember that God Himself chastened his own Son. Christ, the perfectly innocent only-begotten Son of God was mocked, ridiculed, scourged, hung on a cross, and killed in our place.  His substitutionary death for all sins of all people of all time bought forgiveness of sins for all who believe in Him by God-given faith. And Christ’s resurrection from the grave on the Third Day gives us the sure and certain hope of our own resurrection, so that we have everything to look forward to when our Lord calls us Home to be with Him in heaven.  There we will be free from all the ravages and effects of sin forever and have eternal fellowship with all the saints and witnesses who have gone before us.

Let us pray: Lord Jesus, thank You for enduring the wrath that my sins deserved and for giving me Your forgiveness, life, and salvation. Strengthen me in the true faith unto the end. Amen.

Hebrews 11:17–40 (NKJV)

¹⁷ By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, ¹⁸ of whom it was said, “In Isaac your seed shall be called,” ¹⁹ concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense. ²⁰ By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come. ²¹ By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff. ²² By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the departure of the children of Israel, and gave instructions concerning his bones. ²³ By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king’s command. ²⁴ By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, ²⁵ choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, ²⁶ esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward. ²⁷ By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible. ²⁸ By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, lest he who destroyed the firstborn should touch them. ²⁹ By faith they passed through the Red Sea as by dry land, whereas the Egyptians, attempting to do so, were drowned. ³⁰ By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were encircled for seven days. ³¹ By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe, when she had received the spies with peace. ³² And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets: ³³ who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, ³⁴ quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. ³⁵ Women received their dead raised to life again. Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. ³⁶ Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. ³⁷ They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented—³⁸ of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth. ³⁹ And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, ⁴⁰ God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us.

The words “by faith” appear in this reading 11 times, and “through faith” once.  Faith is vitally important. It is only by God-given faith that anyone listed in this reading was able to withstand a test, believe in a promise from God, overcome impossible odds, endure torture, be kept safe from hungry lions, remain strong even when weak, march through enemy territory, withstand temptation, defeat attackers who outnumbered them greatly, avoid certain death, offer up one’s own son, and not deny God’s promises even while being killed. To be sure, only faith in God’s promises can do these utterly miraculous things, for ultimately it is God Himself doing it.

Each week we recite these words in the Divine Liturgy: “I, a poor, miserable sinner…”  It is good that we do, for not only is the statement true, but to recite and believe these words about ourselves places us in the right position before God—the position of understanding that we are, in and of ourselves, hopeless, hapless, and helpless either to save ourselves or have anything at all to do with our salvation, forgiveness, or deliverance from any kind of evil or hardship.  All those in today’s reading understood this, and the only thing they had to survive spiritually was God-given faith in His promises of deliverance; that was all they needed.

We do well to remember that even the faith we have is God’s gift to us; Eph 2:8-9, “It is by grace you have been saved, through faith, and that not of yourselves, it (faith) is a gift of God, not by works lest any man should boast.”  We boast in God’s work for us in and through Christ.

By faith in Christ’s suffering, death, and resurrection for you, you also will be able to withstand everything the devil, the world, and your sinful flesh throw at you.

Let us pray: Lord Jesus, thank You for paying for my sins and giving me Your promises that You never break. Strengthen me in the one true faith so that I may live, die, and rise again in You. Amen.

Jude 17–25 (NKJV)

¹⁷ But you, beloved, remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ: ¹⁸ how they told you that there would be mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts. ¹⁹ These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit. ²⁰ But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, ²¹ keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. ²² And on some have compassion, making a distinction; ²³ but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh. ²⁴ Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, And to present you faultless Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, ²⁵ To God our Savior, Who alone is wise, Be glory and majesty, Dominion and power, Both now and forever. Amen.

We are most definitely in the end times. The unbelieving world is getting more and more violent. Toleration for Christians is decreasing daily. Churches and pro-life centers are being vandalized and burned. The Christian faith is being mocked nearly everywhere you look. Ungodly marriages—those not between one man and one woman—are becoming more and more popular. Talk of chastity and purity is ridiculed as not only outdated but irrelevant. This sinful and unbelieving world hates you, God, and faithful Christians everywhere.

None of this should be news to us nor come as a surprise.  The devil has been trying to usurp, upset, vilify, and corrupt God’s Word, His people, and His Church ever since Genesis 3; he is nothing if not consistent.  Therefore, we need to take seriously Jude’s words in this reading both as a warning as well as comfort.

“Remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ” (v.17). The apostles taught what Jesus taught them, that there is forgiveness and eternal life only in Him; that is our strength and comfort. They also taught from Jesus that end times mockers would be walking “according to their own lusts” (v.18). These, says Jude, do not have the true Spirit of God. And in our day they manifest themselves in all the ways mentioned in the opening paragraph above.

But dear fellow redeemed, “Build yourselves up in the most holy faith…” and keep “looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life” (vv. 20-21). Christ paid for all your sins; therefore, remember your Baptism wherein God made you His own child, run to the Sacrament of Jesus’ real and true body and blood for forgiveness and strength, and cling by God-given faith to Christ’s work for you.  He alone is “able to keep you from stumbling” and He will “present you faultless” before His Father for Christ’s sake.

Let us pray: Lord Jesus, keep us in the one true faith, protect us in our vocations, and bring us, by Your mercy and grace alone, to everlasting life with you in heaven.  Amen.