Hebrews 13:1-25

(Hebrews 13:1-25)

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 honourable 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. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me. Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation. Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever. Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein. We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle. For the bodies of those beasts, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned without the camp. Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate. Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach. For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come. By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased. Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you. Pray for us: for we trust we have a good conscience, in all things willing to live honestly. But I beseech you the rather to do this, that I may be restored to you the sooner.Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. And I beseech you, brethren, suffer the word of exhortation: for I have written a letter unto you in few words. Know ye that our brother Timothy is set at liberty; with whom, if he come shortly, I will see you.  Salute all them that have the rule over you, and all the saints. They of Italy salute you.  Grace be with you all. Amen.

 

The book of Hebrews showed that only Jesus Christ is the only way of salvation. Jesus Christ is superior to angels and greater than Moses and Aaron. Also, Jesus Christ was the only high priest and at the same time an eternal atonement offering. The way of salvation was opened by the sacrifice and blood of Jesus Christ, and the saints were able to follow Jesus Christ and through Jesus Christ through this path of atonement at once. The reporter, Hebrews, reminds this fact and is preparing and encouraging the coming persecution.

 

The Bible (John 10) taught the life of faith, hope, and love to those who walk the path of life following Jesus through the blood of Jesus Christ. The Bible told us to come to God by faith, hold on to hope, and practice love. The last three chapters conclude with faith, hope and love. Chapter 11 emphasized faith, and chapter 12 emphasized hope. And in chapter 13, love is emphasized. Chapter 13 lists several practical recommendations. However, these lists are not different, but all about love. For love is the fulfillment of the law, and love casts out all fear.

 

The God of justice has pity on the repentant, giving his Son to the cross, and the Son overcame sin and death with love. Therefore, those who repent and start walking on the path of life following Jesus through the blood of Jesus Christ are inevitably loved ones. If you put on the grace of salvation through Jesus, you have no choice but to become a loved one. Love is the way to save another soul.

 

It is a loved one who, by the blood of Jesus, follows the path of life along Jesus. So, chapter 13 urges you to love your neighbor and asks if it is right to follow the path of life with Jesus through the blood of Jesus. It is to continue loving your brother and not to stop loving him. The Bible told us not to forget to treat our guests. The Bible said to think of the abused. It has the meaning of saving the spirit by loving those who do not know God.

 

"Everyone values marriage." This is the relationship between Christ and the Church through marital relations: "Do not love the money, know that it is enough." That is, do not love the world. The Bible exhorts, "Imitate those who are in charge of the Word and obey them."
“Do not forget to do good and to share with each other. God is pleased with these sacrifices.” The Bible says, "God is pleased to do good and to give to neighbors, to practice love." It is to say that we must evangelize.

In John 13:8-10『Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.  Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.  Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his

 

Salvation is to be one with God in Christ. In Matthew 24:38-39『For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 』 These words do not mean to marry in the world, but to say that the man who has the word of God conveys the word to the man (woman) who does not have the seed of the word to become one with the life of heaven. In the world, they marry like this, but they don't realize anything about the kingdom of God. The reason God judged Noah's day flood was the words of Genesis 6:2.『That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose. 』

 

The sons of God are those with the promise of the seed. But the daughters of men mean those who do not have the seed's promise. However, if they were married, both of them had to have a promise, but they both forgot the promise. So, Noah cried out for repentance for 120 years, and what is it to ask for? It is to return to the promise of the seed in Genesis 3:15. But no one returned, except eight.

 

To be one with God in Christ is to die on the cross with Jesus Christ. In Romans 6:3-4『Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?  Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 』 Just as God resurrected Jesus who died on the cross, God resurrects the dead with Jesus. So, those who are in Christ become one with God. Those who have not died with Jesus cannot be one with God.

In Romans 6:8-11『Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.  For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. 』 So, with Jesus Christ, our old man must die. As to how to be specific, Romans 6:12-13 clearly states guidelines for action.『Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.  Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. 』

 

There are four. The first is to prevent sin from controlling the body to die. In other words, remember that those who died with Jesus are not under the law but under grace. 6:14 says that those who are under grace do not sin. Because, the old man called greed died. So, remember to be dead every day. This is the fight against the inner self. Second, the Bible tells us not to give our body (physical body) to sin as a weapon of injustice. The weapon of injustice is right on the tongue. In James 1:26『If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain. 』 Third, give yourself to God as a weapon of righteousness. God's righteousness, as in Romans 6:7 『For he that is dead is freed from sin. "After all, it is a narrow path where the dead become one with God.

 

What can we confirm to be dead on the cross with Jesus? It is to love brothers. Here, brother means a spiritual brother. Because Jesus came to this world to save the lost sheep. So, in order to save the lost lamb (dead spirit) in this world, we have to speak to the little Jesus.

In John 13:14-15『If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. 』 The reason Jesus washed his disciples' feet was to have them wash their feet. And Jesus said in 13:16-17, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him. If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them. 』. If you don't know why Jesus washed the disciples' feet, you won't be blessed. Blessing is salvation. Washing someone else's feet is a relationship with Jesus. 『Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all. The meaning of the word "is that it does not become one with me."

 

Washing your feet doesn't mean washing your sins. Jesus first demonstrated that the disciples should do this to each other. That is, Jesus took all the sins of the world on the cross. Jesus took all the sins that humans had committed against God. However, the sins that humans commit against humans remain. Jesus is asking the disciples to cover up sins between human beings, just as he demonstrated them to his disciples.

 

Just as God has covered sin, it is to cover the sins committed between human beings. In Jesus' illustration of the debtor of the ten thousand talents, the king forgiven all the debts to the sinner, and the sinner who had been forgiven the debt did evil to the one who could not repay the one hundred denarius of the other.

So, the king negated the "exemption of the debt of ten thousand talents from the sinner." When they wash their feet with one another, that is, when sins committed by one another are covered, they become one. This is true not only of the disciples, but of all human beings in the world. The love for a brother is to love the brother when he covers each other's sins. If you don't have a love for your brother, how can you cover up your sins?

In John 13:34『A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. 』 Those who have received grace from God communicate God's love in this way. In other words, those who do not love their brothers become those who did not receive grace from God. It means that those who do not love brothers are not one with God.