Dearest e-votees-
Day eighty-five of our cover to cover voyage through the Bible. We have completed Hebrews. (58 down, 8 to go) If you want to see the readings for our trip through the Bible you can follow this link:
Peace,
Karl
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Day 85 Readings: Hebrews 1:1-James 3:12
Included in today's reading is a marvelous passage that helps me keep other-minded:
Keep on loving each other as brothers. Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.
A glossary:
"loving each other as brothers" (in Greek "philo + delphia" literally "love of brother", where the city gets its name)
"to entertain strangers" (in Greek "philo + xenias" literally "love of stranger or alien")
"angels" (in Greek "ahngelohs" literally "messengers")
The message is to love those we know (those in the family) and to love those we don't (those who aren't in the family yet?). Perhaps it is to love others period regardless if they might become part of the family or not. In so loving all, particularly the alien ones, people have encounters with the messengers of God (think of Abraham with the visitors at the oaks of Mamre and think of the sheep in Matthew 25 who encounter Jesus in every far-flung, cut-off, afflicted person they help).
If we want to know God, love God and hear from God then we ought to be serious about loving those made in God's image (those we know and those we don't). It is too easy, too shallow and too restrictive to love only those who will love us back (Jesus says even the pagans do that in Matthew 5:46-48). If we want to be closer to perfection (as our heavenly Father is perfect) then we need to allow Hebrews 13:1-2 to be brought to bear on our lives.
God, thank you. Help us love and help us hear. Amen.
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