For it was not to angels that God subjected the
world to come, of which we are speaking. It has been testified somewhere, “What
is man, that you are mindful of him, or the son of man, that you care for him? You
made him for a little while lower than the angels; you have crowned him with
glory and honor, putting everything in subjection under his feet.” Now in
putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control.
At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him. But we see him who
for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with
glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God
he might taste death for everyone. (Hebrews 2:5-9 ESV).
[Jesus said] A certain man was giving
a big dinner, and he invited many; and at the dinner hour he sent his slave to
say to those who had been invited, "Come; for everything is ready
now." But they all alike began to make excuses. The first one said to him,
"I have bought a piece of land and I need to go out and look at it; please
consider me excused." And another one said, "I have bought five yoke
of oxen, and I am going to try them out; please consider me excused." And
another one said, "I have married a wife, and for that reason I cannot
come."
This is the classic picture from Jesus
of what it means to "neglect so great a salvation." And notice they
are all good things: a piece of land, a yoke of oxen, a wife. And for that,
salvation is neglected and lost.
Now in our reading the writer is helping
us not to do that. He is laboring with the means appointed by God to save
us—namely, with words. He is saying, Don't neglect this great salvation. Don't
neglect what Christ has purchased for you and what is coming to you in the
world to come. For in the world to come it is not to angels that God subjected
all things. It is a word of caution we should hear clearly, especially in our
day.
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