Let brotherly love continue.
I once spent a summer in South Africa to share the Gospel. I left that special country with many memories that shaped my faith-walk with Jesus. One such story happened early on our trip (it might have been a day or two). While we were loading up our van to leave where we were staying, one of the locals asked our leader through an interpreter who we were and what we were about. This conversation opened the door for our leader to introduce this person to Jesus. It was incredible to see our trip start in such a way! What happened? What sparked this conversation?
Our leader told us that the man who inquired said that he couldn’t believe how we treated one another. He had never seen such love in a team, so he had to know why.
This moment changed my perspective on the importance of showing love to one another. I had been hurt many, many times by those that God calls my sisters and brothers. These hurts caused me to hate people. Though, through the work of the Holy Spirit in my life, I no longer hated people, I held back my love. Maybe I feared getting hurt again, or maybe I still held onto some bitterness. Maybe it was both. Whatever the case, this moment changed everything for me.
Jesus says in John 13:35,
By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.
The love that Jesus wants us to have and show one another does not fit in a box of emotion.* The love is based upon connection: all Christians must love one another because they all share a connection to Christ.* The Greek philosopher Plutarch (born A.D. 46) described brotherly love as similar to the partnership of fingers that are joined together by a hand.* Separation of those joined by brotherly love (philadelphia) are not easily separated.
God chose to place the Greek word philadelphia rather than agapē for the word “love” in this passage.* This communicates a familial responsibility that indicates (with the surrounding context) that the love that the members of God’s family must include meeting practical needs in addition to sharing affection. Love as God intended it amongst the members of God’s family requires expression.
This is not a novel concept to the believers reading the book of Hebrews. The author of Hebrews acknowledges that brotherly love that exists in the readers of his letter, but he invites us all to continue in this love.* How many of us have been hurt, misunderstood, or felt that our love was a one way street without reciprocation? I imagine that all of us have felt these things from those that God calls our sisters and brothers. Experiences such as these can cause us not to continue showing love. The reasons we must risk showing love again are many, but in South Africa, for one man, it meant meeting Jesus.
Today, take a step.
Maybe today the one step God wants you to take is to be brave and love again. Perhaps today God wants you to reengage with His family. Maybe today God wants you to show love in a practical way. Perhaps today God wants you to tell those about Him that you have been showing Him to in the way you love others.
Whatever the step, ask God to direct it. Take a moment to take that step. Invite Him to speak. He will.
Life is a long road. Walk it with Jesus.
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*Stedman, R. C. (1992). Hebrews (Heb 13:1-6). IVP Academic.
Grindheim, S. (2023). The Letter to the Hebrews (D. A. Carson, Ed.; pp. 663–664). William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.
France, R. T. (2006). Hebrews. In T. Longman III & D. E. Garland (Eds.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Hebrews–Revelation (Revised Edition) (Vol. 13, pp. 183). Zondervan.
Guthrie, G. (1998). Hebrews (p. 435). Zondervan Publishing House.