Hebrews

Earlier tonight I was chatting briefly with one of my nephews on the phone. He decided to read the Bible through a few months ago, long after I started last year in June. He finished within a couple months; read The Message. Anyway, he jokingly referred to "prosperity" preaching, and I said that I believe God wants us to be poor. I don't really believe it, I just said it. He started throwing Scriptures at me that said otherwise. How could I argue? He's read the whole book. I refined my stance and said that I don't believe that we should be poor, but that I also don't believe that means we should be rich. I believe that we need to be generous with what we have, and God will take care of us. If he wants us to be rich, he'll do it. Same goes if we wants us to be poor.

That's the context within which that I walked into Hebrews. The writer talks a lot about Jesus being higher than angels and being the perfect priest, compared with Melchizedek. I end up focusing on lifestyle issues and possessions.

Now, I did note things like we were chosen by God to be holy (3:1), that God's Word is powerful (4:12), that Jesus understands our weaknesses because he has been tempted like us (4:15), and that Jesus gave us a new agreement with God. But I also noticed that the writer told his audience they were not very bright (5:11) and that they should have learned these things earlier. Clearly, they were having a struggle in their faith, focusing on the wrong things, and he (or she?) was trying to keep them on track.

The writer spent a lot of time talking about hope. He says "We wish that each of you would always be eager to show how strong and lasting your hope really is. Then you would never be lazy. You would be following the example of those who had faith and were patient until God kept his promise to them" (6:11-12). Later he gives huge examples of people's faith in an effort to illustrate the hope they had. His definition? "Faith makes us sure of what we hope for and gives us proof of what we cannot see" (11:1).

But he also talks about the hard times the audience has gone through and tells them to keep being brave (10:38). He tells them that discipline and correction from God are good things (12:6). He says to not fall be in love with money and to be content with what we have (13:5). And he says not to "forget to help others and to share your possessions with them. This too is like offering a sacrifice that pleases God" 13:16). We have things, but we're not supposed to hold on to them too tightly.

Hebrews talks about a new way to approach God, based on the old way that the audience had approached God. But the lessons that the writer draws from the new relationship are not old: keep your focus on God, in Jesus; try to get along with each other; don't seek after money, but share what you have; and hold on to the Hope of Christ's return - His promises will come through, though it may not be in our lifetime.

I see lots of opportunity to suffer while we wait, and little opportunity to be rich. I really don't see it.