In Hebrews 12, the author reminds us to imitate Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. He also reminds us, because God loves us, He corrects us. Only illegitimate children aren’t corrected for doing wrong. He challenges us not to refuse God and His purposes for our lives.
Hebrews 13 offers closing exhortations. This is somewhat of a “laundry list” of commands. It includes the command to be hospitable, to remember those in prison, to honor marriage, to remember Jesus will never leave us nor forsake us. It also takes the time to remind the people to honor their leaders, and to submit to them, because they watch over the people as those who must give an account to Jesus one day. This is a solemn reminder we are an army and not just a family. God has called us to go throughout the world in Jesus’ name and present the gospel to everyone. This requires leadership and “followership.” As we respect both responsibilities, the gospel advances, and God’s Kingdom grows.
As we return to Luke 14, Jesus once again heals a man on the Sabbath. Next, He tells several parables. The first focuses on not taking the seat of honor when you attend a wedding or celebration, but to wait and let the host seat you. It’s a way of saying, “Be humble.” The next parable tells of a wedding feast to which the invited guests would not attend. The master simply invited others to come, because the feast symbolizes His Kingdom, and He will have it be full. Jesus follows this up with some comments about the cost of following Him, and the importance of counting the cost before we embark on the journey! The chapter closes with Jesus reminding us the importance of continuing to maintain our “flavor,” as the “salt of the earth,” which He calls us to be.