Readings:
Sermon:
I invite you to reflect with me today on the last two verses of the reading from the letter to the Hebrews:
“Through him, then, let us continually offer a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that confess his name. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.”
There is a hymn which begins:
For the beauty of the earth, for the beauty of the skies, for the love which from our birth over and around us lies: Father unto thee we raise this our sacrifice of praise.
For me at least, this hymn has inextricably linked the act of offering praise to God for his goodness with joyful and thankful singing, and this is not a bad thing, but when the writer of the letter to the Hebrews used the phrase “sacrifice of praise” I would suggest that is not quite what he had in mind.
Very often we are encouraged to count the cost of following Jesus or offering our service to God, however we like to consider it. Jesus himself said “For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it?” (Lk 14.28).
The word “sacrifice” on the other hand, implies something deeper, more profound than cost; more like a laying down or a giving up of something. There are resonances of personal loss or relinquishment. We may recall the Old Testament animal sacrifices; or Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross; laying down or giving up of life. We can incur cost without significant emotional or personal consequence; sacrifice by its very nature touches us deeply.
Seen in that light a “sacrifice of praise” should mean more than simply singing hymns or worship songs. But what then is it? The writer of the letter gives us some helpful clues:
Firstly, he says it is the fruit of lips that confess [Jesus’] name. Not the confession itself, but the result of that confession. Maybe our singing is part of our confession, but as the body of Christ we should also have a general readiness to talk about Jesus and what he has done for us – and who we are in relationship with him.
Secondly, the writer says, “Do not neglect to do good”. Doing good, doing God’s work, is in itself an act of praise - which may also open the door for our confession. Doing good can also be costly, it involves giving of our time, our attention, our energy.
And thirdly, he reminds us “to share what you have”. Everything we have, both tangible and intangible, is gifted to us from God; what better way then to offer praise than to use what God has given us for his purposes? But it can be costly, and more than costly. Letting go of what we have, our gifts, our values, our opportunities, for others to pick up and do what seems good to them can be sacrificial.
All of these – confessing Jesus’ name, doing good, and sharing what we have – are for the benefit of others, but will also bring blessings to us. Wanting the best for others (“as for ourselves”) is the root of love, and as the writer says, “such sacrifices are pleasing to God”. Perhaps this is why we should sing.
Questions
- In the last week or so, what opportunities have you seen for “confessing Jesus’ name”? How can you be more ready to respond to any such opportunities in the coming week?
- What difference does it make to how you think about “doing good”, to see it as an act of praise?
- What do you have – both tangible and intangible – which you might share with others? What do you think the cost of such sharing might be?