“Sacrifice of Praise”
Hebrews 13:5-8, 15-16 (13:15) – August 31, 2025
Have you ever known anyone who was really proper? Always every hair in place, always did the socially acceptable thing, and never put a toe out of line? Imagine a stern teacher, keeping order in the classroom by a mere look and a slow stare. Someone with high standards. Thinking about satisfying this kind of person makes me anxious, and nervous. I always need to be on my best behavior, minding my p’s and q’s. Just being around someone like this puts me on edge.
But, what about putting God into the conversation? I know we are probably stretching our imaginations, but it is hard to imagine God wearing a wrinkled shirt, or with a sloppy haircut, or having a dirty face. For that matter, isn’t God perfect? Isn’t God prim and proper, always doing the right thing, never stepping out of line? Doesn’t God have incredibly high standards? Don’t we need to be on our best behavior with God, minding our p’s and q’s? Doesn’t that sum up many people’s conception of God?
Our Scripture reading today can sound like a list of rules. Do this! And, do that! And, don’t do this other thing! I can just imagine several stern Heavenly angels frowning, shaking their fingers at me if I step out of line!
However, the letter to the Hebrews was written to a bunch of scattered Jews who believed in Jesus as their Messiah, scattered in small groups throughout Asia Minor. What we know as Turkey, today. They had been chased out of Palestine by the Jewish and Roman authorities. Many of these scattered Hebrews were refugees. Migrants. People chased out of the land of their birth by an oppressive government that was out to imprison them, if not kill them, because they claimed Jesus as Lord and Messiah. So similar to migrants throughout history who come to other countries seeking asylum, because the place where they were born is very dangerous.
That is the background of the small congregations receiving this letter. This letter was copied and sent from place to place, a breath of fresh air, sound biblical teaching coming to these small groups of believers in Jesus.
Let us turn to our reading today, from Hebrews 13. At the beginning of the reading, the writer of this letter talked about sacrifice—the sacrifice for sin, which was one major way the Jews came before God in worship. In the time of the Jewish temple, it was common for Jews to bring animal offerings to God to make up for sins, to cover their sins and the sins of their loved ones, under the old covenant. One first-century Jewish idea of God was distant, angry, and even vengeful. God had incredibly high standards. God was someone to be placated. Even today, many people have that kind of view of God—a scary view. Not the view of God as loving, caring, and kind, at all.
However, we are going to flip that idea of a distant, angry, scary God. Many, many people are in fear for their religious beliefs. Governments throughout history have been cruel, indeed. Is the fear, anger and disturbance of the powerful governments today much different from the fear, anger and disturbance of the powerful people of Jesus’ day? I think not.
If we consider the wider picture today, around the world, countless followers of Christ are being actively and bitterly persecuted. It’s happening right now, in dozens of countries, officially sanctioned by their governments. Just as it was in the first century, for the small scattered congregations of Jesus followers.
True, these scattered Hebrews in small groups have good reason to be afraid! On edge! Ready to run again. However, at the heart of this letter is a Kingdom ethic that turns worldly values upside down. Much like my summer sermon series of three years ago, when I preached on the Beatitudes, the first section of our Lord Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount from Matthew 5. That summer we looked at the Topsy Turvy Teachings of Jesus, talking about our service to others, loving mercy and kindness, and even being glad when we are persecuted, for Christ’s sake
Here, today, we can see the practical teachings in Hebrews chapter 13 as teachings of God’s Kingdom, a topsy turvy teaching which tells us that “greatness is revealed through serving others, worship is expressed in doing good, and righteousness is rooted in trusting God and acting with love. This radical re-ordering of values calls believers to live in a way that reflects the grace, justice and compassion of Christ.” [1] Truly, a topsy turvy way of living, then and now.
Instead of “pie in the sky” theological platitudes, this reading today talks about practical ways of living – and acting. These are practical ways to love others, just as Jesus told us to do. When Meier’s Bakery was donating many baked goods to our church, up until just a few years ago, we would donate those baked goods in turn to a local YMCA, for their men’s residence, which had many low-income residents. And then when we needed to stop that during the COVID shutdown, I quickly found another mission that was very grateful to receive those baked goods.
I’ve spoken about this worthy mission outreach before. A Just Harvest, which is located a block from the Howard Street El station, serves a hot meal to 200 to 250 low-income people every day, 365 days a year. This Christian group with their radical hospitality has boots on the ground. They truly welcome the stranger and reach out. They truly experience Christ’s constancy and amazing grace on a regular basis. In their daily ministry and outreach, they also rely on the Lord, as do the people in poverty they serve.[2]
As we imitate these friends in welcoming the stranger, can there be a better way for any of us to be freed from fear, and become free to serve and praise and really live for God?
And finally, as our instructions from Hebrews tell us, we can expand our vision of worship. Not just worship at 10:00 on Sunday morning! No, “True worship, the writer says, includes not just praise on our lips, but generosity and good works. I remind everyone: we are not doing these good works to get on God’s good side! No, the point of our good works is in response to what Jesus has done for us. Just as the whole book of Hebrews tells us!
Our freely given good works, generosity and radical welcome to all are “sacrifices pleasing to God.” It’s a complete picture of faith—one that blends word and deed, praise and practice, belief and behaviour.” [3]
Yes, we truly bring God our sacrifice of praise! And, with boots on the ground, we can truly welcome the stranger and reach out in radical hospitality. And, we truly experience Christ’s constancy and amazing grace on a regular basis. What a way to live, the Jesus way.
Alleluia, amen.
(Suggestion: visit me at my other blogs: matterofprayer: A Year of Everyday Prayers. #PursuePEACE – and A Year of Being Kind . Thanks!
[1] https://www.churchofscotland.org.uk/worship/weekly-worship/weekly-worship-2025-august/31-august-twelfth-sunday-after-pentecost-year-c
[2] https://www.stewardshipoflife.org/2016/08/to-be-continued/
[3] https://www.churchofscotland.org.uk/worship/weekly-worship/weekly-worship-2025-august/31-august-twelfth-sunday-after-pentecost-year-c
Pastor, Preacher, Pray-er 