Hebrews 13:3
Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body.
In the New Testament, the authors of the epistles often divide their letters into two sections, a section on doctrine, and how to live in light of the doctrine’s teaching. The Apostle Paul uses this style in many of his writings. For example, in the book of Romans, chapters 1–11 deal with doctrines like justification and union with Christ, and chapters 12–16 are about practical application. The author of Hebrews uses a similar style. In chapters 1–11, the focus is primarily on the supremacy of Christ and the new covenant. In chapters 12–13, we read how we must live in light of these great truths. The Christian’s life must reflect the reality of the Gospel thereby keeping with our new, spiritual nature. Peace, holiness and, gratitude must define our way of life. We are to flee sexual immorality. We are to worship the Lord with reverence and awe. In doing these things, we find that we are living according to our new nature and we are strengthening ourselves for the race ahead. We are to love our brothers and sisters in Christ. By showing love for other Christians, we encourage them to cling to Jesus and they motivate us to do the same. In our verse today, we are told to remember those who are in prison and who are in the body of Christ since all Christians are a part of Christ’s body. This verse was pertinent to the original audience since so many of them were imprisoned for their confession. Even in today’s world many are imprisoned for their faith. Remembering them as we pray, we ask God for their release or for their governments to end religious persecution. We should also remember brothers and sisters who are imprisoned for less noble reasons or those who were saved while in prison. We must remember that true Christians are capable of committing crimes and end up in prison (consider King David). Showing brotherly love to them means we visit them, pray for them, and help repentant offenders be restored to or become a part of the church body. People who are sent to prison face rejection by most of their friends and family. In the body of Christ, however, this is not as it should be. If you know anyone in prison, make sure to take the time to visit and write to them if possible. If there is a prison ministry in your area, pray about whether you need to support it.
Source: S C Ball April 27, 2024
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