September 2, 2007
"Relationships"

Hebrews 13:1 - 8 NRSV

"Let mutual love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it. Remember those who are in prison, as though you were in prison with them; those who are being tortured, as though you yourselves were being tortured.

Let marriage be held in honor by all, and let the marriage bed be kept undefiled; for God will judge fornicators and adulterers. Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be content with what you have; for he has said, "I will never leave you or forsake you."

So we can say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can anyone do to me?"

Remember your leaders, those who spoke the word of God to you; consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

A mother was preparing pancakes for her sons, Kevin, five, and Ryan, three. The boys began to argue over who would get the first pancake. Their mother saw the opportunity for a moral lesson. "If Jesus were sitting here, he would say, 'Let my brother have the first pancake. I can wait.'"

Kevin turned to his younger brother and said, "Ryan, you be Jesus."

We tend to think, "It's ok to play Jesus, as long as someone else will do it!" Yet, we are all called to be like Christ. Today's message is about mutual love - in marriage, in friendships, in church.

There were so many directions that I could have gone with this message. Verse 2 is a humdinger. Do not neglect to show hospitality, especially to those that you have not met before, because, since you do not know them, they may well be angels doing the bidding of God!

Verse three is a biggy: remember those in prison as if you were there in prison. Maybe you need to visit a prison to know what a prison is like. I went to jail - to visit - when I was a kid - in Weirton. Our elementary school took a field trip to jail. I went inside the jail cell. I have never forgotten the experience. From that, one could easily imagine losing the freedom of movement, independence, self-will. Those in prison have no such luxuries.

Remember the tortured as though you were being tortured. This might be a bit harder. I have read about the persecution of the Christian Church in a magazine called the Voice of the Martyrs. The Christian Church around the world is much less safe than is ours in the United States. There are many tortured and killed daily - because they say "I believe." I think of Casey who said, "I am a Christian." She lost her life at Columbine. We must pause at times and count the cost - to remember and to be thankful, because we never know when the tide will turn and Christianity here may be terribly persecuted.

Verse five - be free from the love of money. Money is not the evil; the love of money is. Gain greater security from the presence of God than from the presence of money, for God is everlasting. Money isn't.

Verse seven - remember the men and women of God who spoke the word of God to you: past pastors and Sunday school teachers and parents and grandparents and mentors. For those who have proven to be genuine, consider their lives, the example of their faith, and be like them. I think of my pastors: Bill Woods, Bob Johnson and Don Underwood, to name a few. I think of my Sunday school teachers: Susie Dalrymple and Mamie Starkey. These are folks who helped to form me. They left part of themselves with me. I hope I do them honor by putting to practice what they taught me. How about you? Do you live to honor those who loved and nurtured you? Do you honor God by being like them?

Verse eight - Jesus is God, and God is Jesus - a great mystery. That is what the author is saying here as he equates Jesus with the unchangeable God.

And finally, verse 4, let marriage remain pure - don't interrupt the relationship by allowing others to come into your life and ruin something that God intends to be sacred. Maybe the relationship is not where it is, but remember the vow you made. Live out that vow as long as you are together. This verse also applies to pre-marriage. Keep yourself for that right one - one of God's choosing. Pray for that person and for your ability to remain pure.

Love one another. I have often felt that if both husband and wife put the other first, the rest would take care of itself. Mutual love is making the sacrifices, especially the little ones, day in and day out for the other. Such action honors the other, building respect and trust. Of course, the same applies to friendships. And the same applies to how we treat our brother and sisters in the faith.

By the way, one way to be like Jesus is to seek the lowest position - in our marriage relationships or friendship relationships or church relationships. Let's try to do that this week. Put yourself last. Humble yourself. Let someone go ahead of you in line. Go to the buffet line last. Hold the door for someone. When someone forgets something, be the one to go get it. In so doing, you will emulate Christ, and then understand why he came!

Chuck Swindoll tells the story of a young boy who lived with his grandfather high in the Swiss Alps.

Often, just to hear the echo of his voice, the boy would go outside, cup his hands around his mouth, and shout, "HELLO!" Up from the canyons the reply reverberated, "HELLO...HELLO...hello...hello..." Then he would call out, "I LOVE YOU...I LOVE YOU...I love you...I love you..." One day the boy seriously misbehaved and his grandfather disciplined him severely. Reacting violently, the child shook his fist and screamed. "I HATE YOU!" To his surprise, the rocks and boulders across the mountainside responded "I HATE YOU...I HATE YOU...I hate you..." (Today in the Word, April 6, 1992.)

What we give away, the things we do and say, either come back to help us or come back to hurt us. The good helps. The bad hurts. In his book Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis wrote, "Do not waste your time bothering whether you 'love' your neighbor act as if you did. As soon as we do this, we find one of the great secrets. When you are behaving as if you loved someone, you will presently come to love him. If you injure someone you dislike, you will find yourself disliking him more. If you do him a good turn, you will find yourself disliking him less" (Our Daily Bread, February 14.)
Speaking of giving of oneself, William Gladstone, in announcing the death of Princess Alice to the House of Commons, told a touching story. The little daughter of the Princess was seriously ill with diphtheria. The doctors told the princess not to kiss her little daughter and endanger her own life by breathing the child's breath. Once when the child was struggling to breathe, the mother, forgetting herself entirely, took the little one into her arms to keep her from choking to death. Rasping and struggling for her life, the child said, "Momma, kiss me!" Without thinking of herself the mother tenderly kissed her daughter. She got diphtheria and some days thereafter she went to be forever with the Lord. Real love forgets self. Real love knows no danger. Real love doesn't count the cost. The Bible says, "Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it" (Source Unknown.)

Christ came for love. He put himself last. He came knowing he would die for others. We are here today because of that fact. Christ set the example. Go and live likewise. How? Give yourself away - give a hand, give some time, give away your ego when overlooked or unappreciated. Say "Yes" to pray about a church position. Give a ride. Be a chaperone. Be a mentor. Be a friend. Listen. And in so doing, mutual love continues…

Brian
Rev. Brian Seders