Scripture
Concluding Words
1Keep on loving each other as brothers and sisters.[1] 2Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it! 3Remember those in prison, as if you were there yourself. Remember also those being mistreated, as if you felt their pain in your own bodies.
4Give honor to marriage, and remain faithful to one another in marriage. God will surely judge people who are immoral and those who commit adultery.
5Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said,
“I will never fail you.
I will never abandon you.”[2]
6So we can say with confidence,
“The Lord is my helper,
so I will have no fear.
What can mere people do to me?”[3]
7Remember your leaders who taught you the word of God. Think of all the good that has come from their lives, and follow the example of their faith.
8Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. 9So do not be attracted by strange, new ideas. Your strength comes from God’s grace, not from rules about food, which don’t help those who follow them.
10We have an altar from which the priests in the Tabernacle[4] have no right to eat. 11Under the old system, the high priest brought the blood of animals into the Holy Place as a sacrifice for sin, and the bodies of the animals were burned outside the camp. 12So also Jesus suffered and died outside the city gates to make his people holy by means of his own blood. 13So let us go out to him, outside the camp, and bear the disgrace he bore. 14For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come.
Translation notes (4)
- 13:1 Greek Continue in brotherly love.
- 13:5 Deut 31:6, 8.
- 13:6 Ps 118:6.
- 13:10 Or tent.
For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come.
The other day I was headed out the door to run errands. After I finally reached my destination (Target), walked in, and browsed around, I momentarily forgot what I had even gone to Target to get. I was so distracted by the things I saw in the store that, for a moment, I did not remember why I was there. Have you been there before? It is easy to become so distracted by things in our daily lives that we forget our goals and purpose. You see, there is so much going on in our lives, and there are so many distractions every day that we can lose focus on what really matters. This is why worship is so important. It refocuses our hearts and minds on what really matters.
The writer of Hebrews reminds us of the importance of re-centering our hearts and minds on God. In this chapter, He points readers to Christ. He says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (verse 8). He wants readers to know that Christ never changes and is worthy of our worship and attention. Several verses down, he talks about the sacrificial death of Jesus on a cross for humanity. Then, he explains, “this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come” (verse 14). This world is temporary. One day, Jesus will return, and we will experience eternity with Him forever.
When we worship, we declare God’s goodness and power and remind our hearts and minds that this world is not our home. This is why worship is so important. It causes us to pause in the business and chaos of our day to focus on God and remember that this earth and the things of this earth are temporary. Praise God that this earth is not our home and that we have something far greater ahead.
Moving toward action
Make a list of all the things that you are currently distracted by. Then, take the time to memorize Hebrews 13:14 today. Then, bring it to mind when you go to worship. Let this verse help you set your mind back to Christ and the things of Him as you seek to worship Him.
Going Deeper
Hebrews 13:1-14 (NLT)
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