THE BIBLE SPEAKS
by
WHY
CHRIST?
Background Scripture:
Hebrews 1.
Devotional
Proverbs 8:22-31.
I have
a sincere appreciation for the major religions of our world. I have found spiritual
truths and inspiration in Buddhism, Hinduism, Confucianism, Islam and Judaism. So why, then, do we need
Jesus Christ?
That is the same question to which the
author of Hebrews addressed himself. We do not know who he is, although it is
evident to scholars that he had an excellent command of Greek, an education in
Platonism and. knew the Hebrew scriptures in the Greek
translation. We do not know to whom he addressed his letter, where it was
written nor where it was sent. Some scholars believe that the date is sometime
before the fall of
Yet, despite all these gaps in our knowledge,
it is evident that he was writing to a group of Jewish Christians (“Hebrews”),
who, either under the threat of persecution or some other external pressures, were on the brink of abandoning the Christian
faith to return to Judaism. His purpose is to argue for the primacy and
superiority of God’s
revelation in Jesus Christ. As one writer has put it, Hebrews “contains the
longest sustained argument of any book in the Bible.”
These
Hebrew Christians were asking, “Why Christ?” and the whole letter is his
answer.
SHOW AND
TELL
In the author’s time, Judaism was still
centered in the sacrificial cult of the
Unfortunately, all too often we get into a
“My-old-man’s-bigger-than-your-old-man!” exchange. If we have truly experienced
Christ, our reaction should be one of humility rather than arrogance. Christian
witness is not so much a matter of looking down at someone else, but in
conducting ourselves so that others cannot help but look up at us----and from
us to Christ.
Lots of people feel utterly inadequate to
witness because they think that they are too uninformed in doctrine, creed or
Bible to speak about Christ. But the best Christian witness is not what we have
memorized from others. It is rather to simply show and tell what Christ has
done for us in our own lives. It is not the gospel message that many people are
rejecting, but the medium through which that message is presented: my church
and your church.
SPOKEN
BY A SON
I would have to translate the writer’s words,
experience and context into my own, but much of what he says would be my own
witness: “In many and various ways God spoke of old to our fathers by the
prophets; but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son…” This
Creator God, whom many believe is so remote and shrouded in mystery that we can
never know him, actually speaks clearly and succinctly to me in the translucent
life, death and resurrection of Jesus and this tells me all I can ever
comprehend or need to know about living triumphantly in the here and now: “He
reflects the glory of God and bears the very stamp of his nature….”
(1:3a).
Why Jesus Christ? Because in him I apprehend,
if not comprehend, the God who made me. I can see him at work in me. And this
is not just because others have told me so, but because in my highest and
lowest moments—and all the others in-between---he has sustained, forgiven and
redeemed me, and that is no small thing.
So, with the writer of Hebrews I believe that
Jesus Christ is “much superior to angels” and all other revelations, because
that is what I experience personally. And that is the God in Christ to whom I
have committed my life, death and what lies beyond.
THE BIBLE SPEAKS
by
WHY
PRIESTS?
Background Scripture:
Hebrews 7.
Devotional
Jeremiah 31:31-34.
There
are two passages from the Letter to the Hebrews that are very popular: “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped
for…” (Heb. 11:1ff) and “Therefore,
we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses…” (12:1,2) . Nevertheless, excerpt for those two passages, Hebrews
is among the least known New Testament books.
The
reason is that the author of Hebrews is dealing with a background experience
that is virtually alien to most of us. As I’ve previously observed, this letter
was sent to a group of Jewish Christians who were tempted to return to Judaism.
He is attempting to reach them through their heritage as Jews and so he writes
of Judaism’s traditional Levitical priesthood, as
well as a mystical non-Hebrew priest named Melchizedek and mentioned in Genesis
14:17-20 and Psalms 110:4. Unfortunately, that is where Hebrews loses a lot of
readers.
Once
again, we need to look past the details, which are alien to us, to his purpose,
which is pertinent to Christians of the 21st century. It is not that
he wants us to become interested in the Levites and tantalize us with the
mysterious Melchizedek, but to realize the vast superiority of the priesthood
of Jesus over that of sons of Levi. They who were Hebrew priests, not because
of any merit of their own, but because they belonged to the same priestly
tribe Melchizedek is spotlighted because
he was a priest before the Levites were established in that role and he was
priest, not because of his family, but because of his relationship with God.
A GREAT HIGH PRIEST
We
ascribe to Jesus a fairly large numbers of titles and designations. As Christ,
he is the long-awaited messiah. The writer of the fourth gospel calls Jesus the
“Logos” or Word. We call him “Lord,”
“Savior,” “Redeemer,” “King,” “Son of God,” “Son of Man,” “Third Person of the
Trinity,” and lots more. So, why do we need to think
of Jesus as the Great High Priest?
The key
to this question is found in what the term “priest” suggests to us. There were
priests before Judaism and Christianity. The father-in-law of Joseph was an
Egyptian priest of the great temple of On. There were
priests in ancient
My Random House Dictionary tells me that a
priest is “one whose office is to perform religious rites, and especially to
make sacrificial offerings.” So, generally, the role of a priest was to
represent a person or people to his god. This, he or she—there were some female
priests, but not in Judaism---accomplished through prayers, worship and
sacrifices.
OUR ADVOCATE
So, you
still want to know, what does this have to do with Christians in the 21st
century? The answer is that, while we have no need for Levite priests or Milchizedek, we do need some help in approaching the God of
the Universe. Without any help we can go directly to God, but there are times
when we need someone else to represent us and intercede for us. “If anyone
does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ
the righteous”
(1 John. 2:1).
Martin
Luther tells us that “In his life, Christ is an example, showing us how to
live; in his death, he is a sacrifice, satisfying for our sins; in his
ascension, a king; in his intercession, a
high priest.” But in the Reformation which Luther touched off, he went a step
further in speaking of the priesthood of all believers. As disciples
of Christ, we share in his priesthood, to help others to approach God as well
as to approach God for them.
Paul Althaus reminds us that Christians “have
mutual responsibility for the Christian condition of others….’Universal
priesthood’…is the binding of every member to every other member in the inner
structure of the fellowship. Priesthood, in the Reformation sense, means ‘the
communion of saints.’” It is not enough to be our own priests; we must also
serve as priests to and for one another
THE BIBLE SPEAKS
by
WHY
GUILT?
Background Scripture:
Hebrews 9:11—10:18.
Devotional
John 4:21-26.
Leslie Weatherhead
tells of a criminal who told him that, although he had gotten away with a crime
and was positive that he would never be found out, still the burden of guilt
was so intolerable that he walked into Scotland Yard and gave himself up. His
confession took away the weight from his conscience and, surprisingly, he felt
happier than he had in years---even though he knew the inescapable consequences
that would follow.
Most of us are not like that. Many carry
a burden of guilt of which they are never released. Psychological studies
indicate that some people who are accident prone are unconsciously trying to
punish themselves to release the unpunished guilt they carry. Some perpetually
hostile are those who have never dealt with their guilt and therefore are
unconsciously angry with themselves, yet unloading their anger on others.
Guilt can be a crippling burden, but it
plays a constructive function in human psychology and spirituality, for it is
guilt that helps us take responsibility for our moral failures and therefore
guilt also helps us to be healed of our sin.
NEVERENDING
CYCLE
The ancient Hebrews had a system for
dealing with guilt. It was a two-pronged system: (1) through an intricate
legalistic system of Jewish law, they could largely avoid guilt---although not
necessarily sin! (2) through temple sacrifices they
believed they could gain absolution of their sins.
The writer of the Letter to the Hebrews,
however, wisely saw that this system, although a step in the right direction,
was deeply flawed. Many of those serving as Levite priests were not godly, but
obtained their office simply because they were born into the tribe of Levi.
Furthermore, the sacrifice of the blood of animals might satisfy legal
standards, but it could not take away their guilt. And, since the sacrifice
could only be offered for sins already committed, there had to be a
never-ending cycle of sin, sacrifice, and absolution over and over again.
The solution to guilt offered by the Good News
of Jesus Christ is infinitely superior to the old system. Instead of the blood
of animals, the sacrifice offered was the life and blood of a sinless human
being, Jesus Christ. “…how much more shall the blood of Christ…purify
your conscience from dead work to serve the living God" (9:14).
Instead of the endless cycle, Christ offers an eternal redemption. While “the
high priest enters the
TRUE
CONTRITION
The old system of dealing with guilt was
flawed because the ritual of sacrifice and absolution was often a substitute
for real confession and contrition. One of my seminary professors, Earl A.
Loomis, M.D. helped me to understand that preoccupation with guilty feelings
may actually help us to “avoid discovering the aspects of ourselves that can
and must be changed if our behavior is to be just and loving.” Getting rid of
our guilt too quickly and too easily can often be a license for continuing in
that sin. True contrition should bring a change in who we are and what we
do. If we are sorry, the sorrow should
be enough to motivate us to make sure we make the necessary changes in our
lives.
But if some do not take sin seriously enough,
others take it too seriously, thinking that their capacity for sin is bigger and
more powerful than God’s power to forgive. Do you ever feel that, although you
believe God has forgiven you personally, you cannot forgive yourself? Well,
you’re right: you cannot forgive yourself because that is God’s job. Your
greatest moral debt is to the Lord of the Universe---and that is not you!
“Where there is forgiveness of these, there is
no longer any offering for sin” (10:18). Christ has made that offering. “…how
much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered
himself without blemish to God, to purify your own conscience from dead works
to serve the living God” (9:14). .
THE BIBLE SPEAKS
by
YOUR
Background Scripture:
Hebrews 12:1=13..
Devotional
Proverbs 3:5-12.
You
probably know what the initials “GPS” stand for. But, as I am critical of those
who use initials or jargon that they don’t explain, let me establish that GPS
stands for “Global Positioning System,” a relatively new technology employing
satellites to, as one advertisement put it, “enable you to know where you are
at all times.” Some of these systems use a simulated voice that tells you:
“Turn left,” “turn right,” “you’re on the wrong road,” etc. I understand also
that GPS technology can also help you find your pet that has strayed from your
backyard.
Remembering
that the earliest Christians were called “followers of the Way,” wouldn’t it be
wonderful if there was GPS system that would say to us, “you’ve
just made a wrong turn,” or “stay in this lane to reach your goal”? But, in a
sense, we already have such a resource available to us on our pilgrimage as
followers of Jesus Christ!
THE PIONEER
If much
of Hebrews is difficult for us, chapter 12 is as clear today as when it was
written: “Therefore, since we are
surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every
weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the
race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith…” (12:1,2).
The terms “pioneer
and perfecter of our faith” are more comprehensive,
but some of us might understand better if we called Jesus “our spiritual GPS,”
for as in the words of the advertisement, Jesus Christ can “enable you to know
where you are at all times.” The writer of Hebrews uses five analogies: (1) the
“cloud of witnesses,” (2) the race, (3) the need to travel light, (4) Jesus, our “pioneer,” (5) joy: our goal,
and (6) our conditioning (12:5-11).
The “great cloud of
witnesses” is a reference to the long list of heroes of the faith who precede
the writing of this letter (11:1-40). These heroes and heroines have run the
course before us and now they stand along the way to cheer and help us on. If
it sometimes seems we are solitary on our spiritual trek, this is an assurance
that we are far from being alone.
THE WAY
Early Christians
were called followers of The Way and the analogies of Christian discipleship as
a race, trek or pilgrimage have been popular throughout Christian history. The
analogy of Jesus as “pioneer and perfecter of our
faith,” can be particularly helpful when we realize that Jesus has trod this
course before us and is the one who challenges us to follow his “Way.” He is
available to help and guide us as we go. As a pioneer blazes a trail so that
others might follow him, so Jesus has left signs and warnings along the route
we trod.
Hebrews reminds us
of the spirit in which made this journey:
“who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross” (12:2b).
What does Hebrews mean when it describes his attitude
as one of “joy”? Surely the writer is not suggesting that Jesus carried the
cross along
the Via Dolorosa shouting ‘Oh joy! I’m on the way to the cross!” No, the
‘joy’ of which he is speaking is a deep satisfaction that one is doing the
right thing, God’s will, and the satisfaction and justification will be the
final result.
This
conviction that made it possible so that he
“endured the cross and despised the shame” (12:2c). Jesus kept himself
focused on the “joy that was set before him. The pain was shockingly real, the
shame truly humiliating, but Jesus stayed focused on the goal. My high school
track coach used to warn us that, in a race, we were never to look back, lest
we break our stride. If you want to know where you are and where you’re going,
consult your SPS (spiritual positioning system), “Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith.”
THE BIBLE SPEAKS
by
ANGELS
ANONYMOUS
Background Scripture:
Hebrews 13:1-16
Devotional
Psalms 118:5-9.
One of
my most favorite movies is a 1961 British film that won no Academy Awards and is probably unknown
to most movie-goers. It was entitled, “Whistle
Down The Wind,” written by the wife of Sir John
Mills, and starring their daughter, Hayley Mills, and
Alan Bates.
It is the simple story of childhood innocence of the
kind of which Jesus spoke in Matthew 18:3: …unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the
kingdom of heaven.”
A young girl and her
younger brother are walking through their village and someone hands them a
religious tract on which is a representation of the face of Jesus. As they
return to their farm, they look into the barn and find a man asleep on the hay.
The bearded man looks very much like the picture of Jesus in the tract. But,
unknown to them, he is a dangerous escaped criminal. As they gaze at him, he
awakes and when they ask him who he is, he curses their discovery of him:
“Jesus Christ!”
A VISITATION
They quickly send out the news of their discovery to
their friends, so that their barn becomes a place of worshipful visitation. At last , however, adults become suspicious and the police are
called. As the police arrive scores of children line the roadway. The convict’s
first instinct is to shoot it out with the police, but the compassion and
devotion of the children have wrought a change in him, so that, instead of
resisting arrest and causing harm to his young “disciples,” he meekly submits.
As they bring him out of the barn in handcuffs, they are greeted by a great
host of children lining the road for fifty yards or so. One of the children is
crying, but Hayley says to her, “Don’t cry; he’ll
come back. He always does, you know.” Unwittingly, these guileless children
found Jesus Christ hidden in the guise of a rough and profane criminal.
John Polkinghorne, a former Professor of
Mathematical Physics at Cambraidge, as well as a
priest and Canon Theologian of the Church of England, has written: “In Advent,
we think about the coming of Christ…But the truth of the matter is that Christ comes to us everyday, anonymously in
the people in need who cross our path.”
The
writer of Hebrews says much the same thing, except that he speaks of anonymous
angels, “Do not neglect to show
hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares” (13:2).
Who are these people in whom God’s angels appear? Hebrews names strangers,
“those who are in prison,” the “ill-treated,” and even your marriage partner.
THE LEAST OF THESE
We cannot help
remembering the words of Jesus in Parable of the Great Judgment in Matthew: “…for I was hungry and you gave me no food,
I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and
you did not clothe me, sick and in prison n and you did not visit me…As you did
it not to the least of these, you did it not to me” (25:42-45). All of
these are people in whom Christ and his angels may anonymously appear.
It
appears that there may have been a dispute within the Christian community to
which the letter was sent. Perhaps there was conflict between the local leaders
and others who were teaching otherwise, probably a dispute about food offered
to idols. Hebrews is calling them to stay with their orthodox leaders who
have presented the gospel as it was presented to them, perhaps by some of the
original disciples. Although the setting and context may have changed since
then, the heart of Christ’s gospel is what it was from the beginning. And “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and
today and for ever” (13:8).
Christ
and his angels still appear anonymously in those in need of help.” Do not neglect to do good
and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God”
(13:16).