Today’s reading is Hebrews 13

Tom writes:

We saw in chapter 12 how, when it comes to lifestyle issues, the writer to the Hebrews runs a slightly different form of argument to Paul. I love the diversity this exposes - Paul was the apostle to the gentiles and this writer (who I personally suspect might have been Apollos... but what does it really matter?) was focused on Messianic Jews. They both wrote in different ways with different vocabulary and with differing emphases. And yet among their diversity they had so much in common. They were both mates with Timothy and were happy to use him as their representative. They both celebrated love, they both called their churches to show hospitality, they both strongly warned against sexual immorality, they both advocated the formalised expression of church, they both fixed so much of their attention on the kingdom to come, they both waxed lyrical about Jesus.

Jesus was their hero, their role-model and their friend. That is the beauty of the early church that we peer at through these apostolic writings - they were a huge range of people; rich and poor, educated and uneducated, Jewish and Roman and Turkish and Greek and every blend under the sun. They were male and female and young and old and new converts from paganism and life-long observant Jews who had found their Messiah. And they all hung out together. They all fixed eyes on Jesus together. And because of Jesus they all were united on an incredible range of issues. Because they all knew that Jesus was the same yesterday, today and forever they gradually became the same, while remaining vastly different. I love the diversity of our church. I’m more and more convinced that united diversity is an essential marker of a real work of love. Enacted love is the work of his peace. And so let’s do what all those early apostles did - let’s pray for the peace of God’s presence and the work of his grace. Let’s fix our desires on Jesus and let him equip us to do every single good thing that will bring pleasure to him.

Question for reflection

What struck you most from the letter to the Hebrews?

Hebrews 13 - Monday 30th September