Hebrews 13: 8-9 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever. Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein.
I had a co-worker whose mood swings and changes in how she treated me each day—nice one minute and angry the next—left me stressed and anxious every morning when I arrived at work. Sitting next to her and not knowing which version of her I would encounter was painful, especially because I was new to the office, and obviously, no one else wanted to occupy the desk next to her. I thought that maybe I was the problem, so I worked at being extra nice. The relationship came to a head one day when we nearly came to a physical fight, and my supervisors finally moved her to another seat after suggesting some psychological help.
The scriptural text reminds us that consistency in our thoughts and beliefs is important. Jesus was the same every day. He taught everyone the same doctrine based on Old Testament prophecies. He showed no partiality, willing to talk with and heal people across race and ethnicity, gender, and social class. In Luke 8, Jesus was the same healer to the synagogue leader’s daughter and a woman who had an issue of blood for twelve years. Indeed, He healed the woman first, rather than make her wait until he had first taken care of the more important person’s problem. Jesus practiced what he preached.
Too often, even Christians get confused about how to be toward others because they accept diverse and strange doctrines that differ significantly from Jesus’ teachings. Like our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, we must be consistent in our beliefs and actions. We must treat the beggar like the senator and the poor like the rich in our personal lives and places of worship. Deuteronomy 15:11 states, “There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your fellow Israelites who are poor and needy in your land.”
So let us act consistently toward others, recognizing the humanity of every person and realizing that God loves us all. In treating people the same, regardless of their race, ethnicity, gender, social class, national origin, and other categories used to separate us, we mimic Christlikeness, for Jesus remains the same every day and forevermore. He offers the same love and salvation as He did before He ascended to heaven to sit at the Father’s right hand. Let us do the same, being the same person to everyone we meet, without confusion about who we will present to others.
Amen.
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