The clever people still don’t exactly know who the author of Hebrews is. For many years people thought it was Paul, but the writing style is not completely the same as his.

What we do know, is that he had a passion for sharing the Gospel with his readers. In his special way he helped the new Christians to break with the old way of doing things and put on Jesus’ new clothes of salvation and go and play in life wearing it.

He wanted to get to them so much that he asks them to pray for it: ¹⁹Pray that we may be together soon.

Love for other people motivates him. Love for his God motivates him. That’s why he wants to get to his readers to help them even more to get on the right road and stay there.

It’s wonderful to come into contact with people who are touched by others who are not going the right way. People who struggle with others who are lost. People who are uncomfortable because they know those people are not going the right way.

I wrote about a friend of my daughter’s whose dad had died and how he had found peace with God about this great loss. A reader responded very harshly to this and cursed God.

In turn, Marlie reacted to this reader’s comments. She wanted to know how one should respond to such a person? She has also been confronted with people cursing God on social media. She said she was not so good with words and was looking for advice, because she knew she had to say something.

I helped her to try and understand where that person was coming from. Maybe that person had been hurt badly in the past. That’s why we should be sensitive about the other one’s situation, and not rush in guns blazing, and do what Jesus would have done. Only love and no judgement.

However, what is significant to me is not the question she is asking, but indeed that she is asking the question at all. Like the author of Hebrews, she has a passion for people. She knows these people are going the wrong way and she wants to help them.

She admits that she hasn’t got the tools. She hasn’t got the words, she doesn’t know what to say, but that doesn’t prevent her from finding out what to say. No obstruction in her way is too big to prevent her from helping others.

Sometimes we get blasé. Sometimes we aren’t really concerned about the people around us who are lost and want to have nothing or very little to do with God. We are the people who should introduce them to the loving God.

Yes, it’s not our job to convince people, but let’s make it easy for the Holy Spirit to do His work. Let’s do our job, feel passionate about others again, and plant the seed. With a loving word here and a caring act there we as team may one day make a huge difference.

Scripture
Hebrews 13:17-21

Reflection
What does your passion for others look like?
What do your words for others look like?
What does your life for others look like?

Prayer
Father, I know I sometimes go through life wearing blinkers. Forgive me and help me regain a passion for those who are lost. Help me to start doing something and take one for the team. In Jesus’ Name, amen.