Through Jesus, let us continually offer God a sacrifice of praise,
that is, the fruit of lips that confess his name.
Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have;
God is pleased by sacrifices of that kind.
that is, the fruit of lips that confess his name.
Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have;
God is pleased by sacrifices of that kind.
As the Letter to the Hebrews comes to an end we hear in verses 15 and 16 a variant on Jesus's two commandments: love God and love your neighbor.
First, we should offer God a continual sacrifice of praise. In our songs and liturgies we confess his name. With prayer we continually reorient ourselves toward the Lord. If you stroke a steel pin with a strong magnet repeatedly over a length of time it will be magnetized to point south and north. A people of prayer are always pointing toward the Lord with our attitudes, thoughts, words, and actions. Those who do not know the Lord don't know where we're coming from but the universe does, for the whole universe with its angels and its living creatures face the Creator in continual praise.
Secondly, the Author exhorts us to do good and share what you have. That's not so hard to do. I've got a lot of stuff but most of it I've had only a little while. I've lost, misplaced, given away or thrown away most of what I considered valuable twenty years ago.
I've notice that when I receive a gift it might not belong to the one who gave it to me, but I still share it with them. It's ours and it binds us together. Sharing what you have does that to people.
And God is pleased with sacrifices of that bind us together.
Children cling to things; adults know better. Nothing is more important than those around us and the friendships we cultivate.
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.