/May the love of the brothers remain. Do not forget the hospitality, for
through this it has escaped the notice of some who were surprised by
angels. Remember the prisoners, as fellow-prisoners, the mistreated as
also these are being in the Body. Honor marriage in everything and the
bed undefiled, for fornicators and adulterers God will judge. May your
manner be not greedy; sufficient is your return. For He Himself has
said, "No, I will not abandon you, and no, I will not leave you behind."
So we are confident to say, "The Lord is my Helper, I will not fear!
What can man do to me?" Remember the ones who led you, the ones speaking
to you the Word of God, as looking carefully at the end of their
behavior, mimicking the faith. Jesus Christ yesterday and today the same
and into the ages../
In the lessons today, we hear about the humility we should have in this
life, that God might exalt us. You wouldn't want to presume to be the
King's favorite, only to be humiliated by him later on, would you? So it
is with the humble life you walk on this earth as a Christian. You are
to *know your place*. Your place is not to exalt yourself as though you
know everything, and deserve many honors. You don't. Your place is to be
last, so God can make you first. Your place is to be low so God Himself
can raise you up.
So, just what is your place in this lowly, humble life? First, the
writer to the Hebrews address how your life of humility looks to your
fellow man. You are to be a Philadelphian. Live your life in brotherly
love toward others. You are to open your homes to strangers, care about
prisoners and those who are downtrodden. For God has placed you here on
earth with your neighbors so you can care for them. Yet you find excuse
after excuse why your own cares & concerns are so much more important
than theirs.
Has your God treated you the same way? Not by a long-shot! Your God came
down from His comfortable home in heaven to walk this world with the
likes of you. He didn't have to, but He wanted to, because He loves you.
Jesus came to this sin-sick world to become infected with your sin at
the +. There He gave His body in death & shed His blood to ransom you.
His body He forfeited, so that by eating His body & drinking His blood
at communion, you become of the Body of Christ forever!
How else does your life of humility look now? Well it's not to your
honor, but to God's. Therefore you are given to honor the *things* of
God, for by doing so you show Him respect. Take marriage. It is not
something you get to define by your own notions. It is a gift of God Who
joins together a man & his wife. This you are to honor, keeping the
marriage bed chaste. Yet what have you done? Sex outside of marriage,
unfaithfulness to your spouse, and you fall into all kinds of debauchery
that defiles you on TV, magazines, and the inter-webs.
Has God treatedh you as you have acted in your relationships with
people? Hardly! Where you have been the unfaithful one, time and again
in your relationship with God, He's been nothing but faithful to you.
Though He has every reason to leave you, instead He says, "No, I won't
abandon you, I won't leave you." He proclaims His unending love for you
in Christ Jesus, your Husband, Who by His sacrifice at Calvary has
redeemed you as His bride, just as Boaz redeemed Ruth. But your marriage
with Jesus is eternal, by His grace!
How else does your place in life's humility manifest itself? It shows
itself in your "stuff". You are to consider the blessings God has chosen
to give you as *sufficient*. But you don't. You are jealous of other
people; you envy their job, their families, their possessions; you are
greedy to obtain more stuff as you strive to "keep up with the Joneses".
You fail to consider God to provide, because you are simply not
satisfied with what He's given you so far. You *should* be content with
God's blessings, but you aren't.
Has God stopped providing for you since you've been so ungrateful to
Him? No way! He's still your Helper. You have no reason to fear that you
will be lacking any good thing. God provides for you as a loving Father
provides for His children, because you are God's Own child! At your
baptism, God adopted you into His heavenly family. He gave you God's Own
Name that day, cleansing you from your sins which Jesus bore for you at
the +. He even gave you Christ's Own righteousness as your own! How much
more will He provide also for your earthly needs.
So what's your place in this humble life? Being convicted of your sins
by God's law is a good start. But you don't remain lowly for long. A
servant to God & others in word & deed on this earth, yet *being served*
by Your Savior Jesus, Who has raised you up into Himself at your
baptism, and will exalt you fully when He returns on the last day. For
although you waffle in your humble walk as a Christian, Jesus never
does. He's the same yesterday, today and forever! He keeps on speaking
God's word to you, by which He keeps on forgiving you, saving you,
giving you life, and exalting you heavenward.
John C. Drosendahl, Pastor
.
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