The author of Hebrews brings his work to a conclusion with an exhortation to love: “Let mutual love continue.” Throughout this work the author moves between exhortations, “love one another,” and doctrinal issues, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” The doctrinal teachings are the foundation for the social and moral teachings or exhortation. God is love and love us, therefore we ought to love one another.
In one of the doctrinal sections the author emphasized the sympathy or compassion of Jesus:
“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has similarly been tested in every way, yet without sin. So let us confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and to find grace for timely help.” (Hebrews 4:15-16).
Hebrews teaches that Jesus is sympathetic and compassionate and leads us to God to receive his love and mercy. Since Jesus is “the same yesterday, today, and forever” we are exhorted in this final section to show the same sympathy and compassion that Jesus has shown us. So, we hear the following exhortations: “Do not neglect hospitality…be mindful of prisoners as if sharing their imprisonment and of the ill-treated as of yourselves.” Sympathy or compassion is putting yourself in someone else’s shoes and “sharing their imprisonment.” The author is exhorting us to love, to love one another as God has already loved each one of us. This experience of the love of God empowers us and challenges us to love one another, even our enemy.
Finally, while the author exhorts us to love God and our neighbor, he challenges us to beware of what today we might call consumerism: “Let your life be free from love of money but be content with what you have.” We are challenged to put people before things, to recognize the dignity of all, especially the imprisoned and ill-treated. Today we are invited and called to experience the love of God, to allow God to love us and to share that love with one another. “Let mutual love continue.”
Image: “Lynett greeting people in Protección” by John Donaghy is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.