Hebrews 11:1-6
As the end of Hebrews culminates we see chapter 13 start with what we know. We know that throughout the first 12 chapters of Hebrews there is a new covenant in Christ Jesus, and he is our High Priest and new mediator. Christ is the only High Priest that we will ever need. We also know that God is a consuming fire that we need to fear. We should not fear God the way we may fear man, but instead, we fear God because of his greatness and all that he has done for us on the Cross. We know that faith is “the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen,” (11:1) and our faith in Christ gives us the strength to pursue Christ.
This last chapter charges us to recognize our need for brotherly love for one another, which leads to hospitality. As we are pursuing Jesus Christ as our mediator and high priest, we should be pursuing brotherly love. We are called to be compassionate towards those suffering for the cause of Christ. We are also called to keep our marriages and marriage beds holy. It cost something to be a Christian in the first century and even now. The people in the book of Hebrews were suffering and paying the price for their testimony. How easy is it for us to want the things of the world, we are called to be content. Contentment doesn’t come from building wealth; it comes from resting our lives wholly in Christ, our true High Priest. When the children of God are in the will of God, and obeying his word, they will not lack anything. Our perspectives about what we need and want shifts to what Christ needs and wants. We can rest on this truth. The Lord will “never leave us nor forsake us” when we are in the center of God’s will.