Entertaining Angels

13 Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. 2 Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. 3 Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.4 Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral. 5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”

As the author concludes his letter to the Jewish Christians, again he gets very practical.  Theology without practice is dead, just like the Law without Grace is dead.  First of all, he exhorts them to love each other.  Further he states, "Loving each other as brothers and sisters".  In the church we are brothers and sisters in Christ.  We are part of the spiritual body of Christ. We are family.  We are connected by the power of the Holy Spirit.  The friendships we enjoy in the body of Christ are different from those in the world because they are founded in the fellowship that God the Father has with God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.  Our unity is ground is in God.  

Secondly, out of the fellowship and deep love we have for each other flows our love for others.  He mentions two groups in particular.  First, those who are strangers.  I remember one of my seminary professors, Pat Kiefert, wrote a book called "Welcoming the Stranger."  The idea was that the very nature of the church, being the body of Christ, is called to welcome strangers.  And a bonus he gives is that we might be entertaining angels in doing so.  What a great thought that as you welcome someone in Jesus' name, you are welcoming an angel.  Then, he states that they should treat those in prison as if they were in there with them.  This describes is a deep empathy that tries to understand someone's pain and suffering.  

Next, the author commands them to keep the marriage bed pure for God will judge the adulterer and sexually immoral.  Finally, he coaches them to keep their lives free of the love of money. Note he says the "love of money".  He teaches them to have gratitude for what they have, rather than greed and lust for what they don't have.  

It is interesting that none of these issues have changed in 2,000 years. These exact words have relevance for the church today, perhaps more than ever.  The writer knew that without these values embedded in the DNA of the church it would not be an effective, God glorifying church.  

And then the author reminds them of a promise that runs throughout scripture.  As they pursue these goals and commands, God will be with them.  God will never leave them or forsake them.    

Let's look hard and deep at our churches. Are we living out these values?  Does our "walk" match our "talk"?