NEW TESTAMENT: Hebrews 13: 1 - 8, 15 - 16 (RCL)
Hebrews 13: 1 - 8 (Can. BAS)

Hebr 13:1 (NRSV) Let mutual love continue. 2 Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it. 3 Remember those who are in prison, as though you were in prison with them; those who are being tortured, as though you yourselves were being tortured. 4 Let marriage be held in honor by all, and let the marriage bed be kept undefiled; for God will judge fornicators and adulterers. 5 Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be content with what you have; for he has said, "I will never leave you or forsake you." 6 So we can say with confidence,
"The Lord is my helper;
I will not be afraid.
What can anyone do to me?"
7 Remember your leaders, those who spoke the word of God to you; consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. 8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

15 Through him, then, let us continually offer a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that confess his name. 16 Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.

h/t montreal Anglican
The author, in concluding his letter, offers guidance regarding the shared life in the Christian community. He expects members to “show hospitality to strangers” (v. 2), i.e. to Christians from other churches. (Inns existed, but because they were frequented by prostitutes and bandits, travellers generally stayed with other Christians.) Perhaps you will entertain “angels”, as Abraham did at Mamre: he looked after three men who were either angels or God himself. Marital irresponsibility (v. 4) and greed (v. 5) can corrupt community life, so should be avoided. God will look after your needs. (The quotation is God’s words to Joshua, after Moses died.) Emulate the way of life of your past “leaders” (v. 7), now deceased. Jesus is always the same (v. 8); the “word of God” (v. 7) they spoke continues. Vv. 9-11 counsel avoidance of errant teachings: dietary restrictions and (probably) sharing in Jewish sacrificial meals. Be “strengthened” by God’s gift of love, not Mosaic law. Being Christian may involve persecution and even martyrdom; remember and share Jesus’ suffering. Focus on eternal life, not earthly (v. 14). Offer the “sacrifice” (v. 15) of thanksgiving, made in faith. Lead an exemplary life of faith so your present “leaders” (v. 17) can be proud of you.


Verse 10: The emphatic position of the first words implies that this is an answer to the charge that Christians are at a disadvantage with respect to sacrifice.
Verse 10: “altar”: Probably the sacrifice of Christ, in which believers participate. There is no convincing reason to think that the Eucharist is in view. This verse may be speaking of useless meals, i.e. the sacrificial meals of Judaism. [NJBC]
Verse 11: As is commanded in Leviticus 16:27. [NOAB]
Verse 12: A rather inexact comparison between the Day of Atonement ritual and Jesus’ suffering. Jesus “suffered outside the city gate” of Jerusalem. [NOAB]
Verse 14: “the city that is to come”: i.e. the new, heavenly Jerusalem. In 11:10, the author speaks of “the city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God”. See also 12:22. [NOAB]
Verse 15: “sacrifice”: i.e. of thanksgiving. Leviticus 7:12 commands: “If you offer it [the sacrifice of the offering of well-being] for thanksgiving, you shall offer with the thank offering unleavened cakes mixed with oil, unleavened wafers spread with oil, and cakes of choice flour well soaked in oil”. See also Psalm 50:14, 23; Hosea 14:2. [NOAB]
Verse 15: “the fruit of lips”: This is from the Septuagint translation of Hosea 14:3: “... turn to the Lord your God: speak to him that you may not receive the reward of unrighteousness, but that you may receive good things; and we will render in return the fruit of our lips”. [BlkHeb]





GOSPEL: Luke 14: 1, 7 - 14 (all)

Luke 14:1 (NRSV) On one occasion when Jesus was going to the house of a leader of the Phar'isees to eat a meal on the sabbath, they were watching him closely.

7 When he noticed how the guests chose the places of honor, he told them a parable. 8 "When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not sit down at the place of honor, in case someone more distinguished than you has been invited by your host; 9 and the host who invited both of you may come and say to you, "Give this person your place,' and then in disgrace you would start to take the lowest place. 10 But when you are invited, go and sit down at the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he may say to you, "Friend, move up higher'; then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at the table with you. 11 For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted."
12 He said also to the one who had invited him, "When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, in case they may invite you in return, and you would be repaid. 13 But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. 14 And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."



Luke continues his series of sayings of Jesus about the qualifications for entry into the kingdom of God. The Pharisees believed in the resurrection of the godly at the end of time, and were keen to be among those chosen as faithful, so they “were watching him closely”. As he has done earlier, Jesus heals a person on the sabbath (vv. 2-6), this time one with “dropsy” (edema). The “lawyers and Pharisees” (v. 3), experts on correct observance of the sabbath, are speechless when Jesus challenges them (v. 6): surely acts of compassion can be done on this day. Jesus’ host is a prominent Pharisee (v. 1); we recognize that the “parable” (v. 7) is about membership in the Kingdom. The Greek word rendered as “guests” means apparently chosen or see themselves as chosen. The gathering of God’s elect at the end of time was commonly depicted as a “wedding banquet” (v. 8). There the host is God. The punch line (v. 11) is good manners, but Jesus is drawing a conclusion about the kingdom: attendance depends on God’s invitation. God will not be fooled by self-promotion! Jewish and Greco-Roman societies both spurned the “poor” (v. 13) and the disabled. A Qumran document says that these people will be excluded from the banquet, but Jesus says: share with them! (v. 13) Giving to those unable to “repay” (v. 14) will admit one to the kingdom. For the Pharisee, this is a real surprise. He should have invited the man with dropsy.


Verse 5: “a child or an ox ... well”: In Aramaic, there is a pun here. A scholar quoted by BlkLk offers as the original: Which of you shall have an ox (be`ira) or an ass (bar hamra) fallen into a well (bera) ... The Aramaic word for “ass” literally means son of the yoke; this would account for the word “child”. [BlkLk] The NRSV footnote says that donkey is a possible translation.
Verse 6: Perhaps because there was a difference of opinion among them on this matter. [BlkLk]
Verse 7: “the guests”: The Greek word is keklemenoi. The parable of the Great Dinner, which follows in vv. 16-24, contrasts those considered elect and those deemed non-elect. [NJBC]
Verse 8: Proverbs 25:6-7 advises: “Do not put yourself forward in the king's presence or stand in the place of the great; for it is better to be told, ‘Come up here,’ than to be put lower in the presence of a noble”. In Luke, the same idea is found in 11:43 and 20:46. [NOAB]