Why not just stay comfortable?

In the reading for today, the writer to the Hebrews admonishes his readers to embrace fully their belief in Jesus as the Messiah. It appears they were being pressured from without and from within their group of believers to bring back some of their former ways of worship. Perhaps some wanted to abandon altogether this belief in Jesus as Messiah. It would be much more comfortable and cause much less controversy and persecution. Why not just go back to some of the old ways?

This type of thinking persists today. We seldom worry in our Canadian lives about being persecuted for our beliefs, but many controversial topics still exist, some large, some small. Sometimes, the smallest change in what has become comfortable in our worship services causes the biggest controversy. Perhaps a new hymn that’s unfamiliar or the way the sanctuary is arranged is change that makes members uncomfortable and upset.

The writer insists that what must not change is their belief in Christ as Messiah. He asks them “to run the good race” in this new way and so must we to continue to bring the gospel to the world.

Dear God, help us not to become so comfortable that we reject more relevant ways to spread your word. Amen. — NK