Read with Me
Hebrews 13:22-25 (HCSB)
Brothers, I urge you to receive this message of exhortation, for I have written to you briefly. Be aware that our brother Timothy has been released. If he comes soon enough, he will be with me when I see you. Greet all your leaders and all the saints. Those who are from Italy greet you. Grace be with all of you.
Listen with Me
The writer of Hebrews closes out his letter, and it truly is a letter, not a “book” or a “treatise”, with a couple of short notes. First, he calls what he has written a word of exhortation, or encouragement to take the right way, and a “brief” letter.
Even though much of this letter is strongly worded, its intent was not to discourage, but to prod, to urge, to move his readers away from dangerous turns in the path that they were taking and back to the center of the right way. The writer understands that exhortation is not always received kindly by its intended target, even when written out of an abundance of love. So, he urges his readers to receive the letter in the spirit in which it was written and sent on its way.
Next, the writer gives his readers some good news. Timothy had been arrested and imprisoned, but now he had been released. The writer anticipated his arrival at any time since the mail was carried by private citizens, and traveled not on planes and trains, but in pockets and handbags at the speed that the carrier walked or rode as they traveled. And if Timothy arrived before the writer set out on his journey to visit his readers, Timothy would come along with him.
Finally, the writer passes on greetings and a blessing. The greetings are from both him personally, as well as from “those who are from Italy”. Whether that means that the writer was in a location where many Italian expatriate Christians were living, having been spread abroad by the same persecution that had landed Timothy in prison, or that he was writing from a location in a Christian enclave in Italy is immaterial. The point he was conveying was that those Jewish brothers and sisters had other Christian family members, predominantly gentiles, who were sending them greetings.
Finally, the writer blesses his readers with God’s grace, His blessing and favor, as they walked in the way of Jesus.
Pray with Me
Father, one of the things that stands out to me in this section is the fact that, as Your present-day covenant people, 2000 years removed from the first recipients of this letter, we still don’t like correction and exhortation much. We prefer those who tell us that we are just fine, and that You love us just the way we are over those who try to wave us out of the ruts and away from the wrong path, showing us where we’re wrong and urging us to get right. But those people are as essential now as they were all those centuries ago. Lord, help me to never spurn legitimate correction or dismiss those messengers of correction that You send my way to polish me and help me to grow. Instead, help me to see them as they truly are: messengers of Your grace and love, helping me to grow more like Jesus every day. Amen.