Hebrews 13:9-16
In his commentary on Hebrews, Michael Kruger remarks that ‘in the national parks of the United States, there are over 4,000 search-and-rescue missions every year.’ That means, as he notes, that thousands of times each year, hikers find themselves in real trouble. Of course, in some parks there are dangerous animals: bears or mountain lions or snakes. Sometimes people get injured, maybe falling and breaking an ankle. Other times they get lost and end up having to spend the night outside, where they are in danger of hypothermia.
Most people who go out hiking are totally unprepared for these dangers. They don’t realize how dangerous the wilderness and desert can really be.
He then applies the analogy to our passage as he writes: “The Christian life is not so different. We are on the way to our destination, but it is not an easy path. You can get distracted. You can get lost. You can get dragged off the path by false teachers. There are many dangers. How are you going to make it through the journey? You need to be prepared.”
In the wilderness, a guide – someone who really knows the terrain and is equipped for the dangers – is the best help you can get. It is the same in the Christian life. The author has already called us to listen to the guides God has provided us with – our leaders. And in the closing passage he will call us to submit ourselves to these leaders. Hebrews 13:9-16 is bookended by these calls to follow our guides.
Thus, one writer noted that our passage reads like a ‘coded message behind enemy lines.’ There was an increasingly tense situation brewing up for followers of Jesus in and around Jerusalem itself. They needed to be encouraged to think through the implications of their faith and be prepared to make the clean break that is necessary. Ultimately, they (and we) would be challenged to identify with the crucified and risen Messiah, even if costly. Likewise, in very clear ways we are finding that our faith is counter-cultural to our society.
Will we be prepared to stand apart from and distinctive to a society which has lost its way, no matter the cost? Are you willing to follow Christ and his message of holiness even when it goes against the cultural norms? Will you take on the name of Christ when others forsake it? Join us this week as we look at a challenging yet encouraging word from Hebrews 13:9-16.
I am eagerly anticipating worshiping with you this coming Lord’s Day.
By His Grace,
Pastor Wayne
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