Today we started a study of Hebrews in our weekday class. Hebrews, to my mind, is one of the most beautifully written books in the Bible. It’s also packed full of good information about the faith. In the first six verses, we learn all of these facts about Jesus:
The Father appointed Him heir of all
Everything in the universe was created through Him
He is the radiance, or reflection, of the glory of God
He is the exact imprint of His being (love made manifest)
He upholds the world by His Word
He has made purification for our sins
He sits at the right hand of God
In short, Jesus possesses all the qualifications needed to be the sole mediator between us and God.
For more about the book of Hebrews see these posts:
“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” Hebrews 10:25
What does this mean? The short answer is go to church. Go every week. No, Zoom or YouTube do not count! Make it a priority, because the Bible says it’s important and necessary. When we attend worship services, we give and receive so many blessings. As the writer of Hebrews tells us, we receive encouragement, and we are much more likely to participate in good works when we have others to help us.
There are other things, too. One author I read recently said that if you attend worship services each week, your prayer life is probably better than you think. Why? Well, if your congregation follows a liturgy, you are spending an hour or more in corporate prayer. The entire service is meant to bring you into the presence of God, to praise Him through words and music, to confess, receive forgiveness, give thanks and more.
A liturgical service is based on Scripture, and so each week, you are also studying. This study includes not only the sermon and readings, but memorization of Scripture through hymns and responses.
Then there are the sacraments. Receiving the body and blood of Christ strengthens us to face whatever trials the week can bring. It’s a physical reminder of who we are and to whom we belong.
So don’t give up that weekly hour of worship. Set aside the distractions, make the time, no excuses. It’s our training in the discipline of faith, and a choice you will never regret.
Virtuous and righteous, what is the difference? The definitions sound similar to human ears. To be righteous is to be without sin or guilt; to be virtuous is to be of high moral character. Maybe they seem like qualities we should be able to achieve through our own efforts, but as Christians we know that isn’t true. Think about some of the great heroes of the Bible realistically:
Abraham lied
Moses murdered a man
Noah drank to excess
David committed adultery
Even in the New Testament, we learn that Peter denied Christ, Thomas doubted, and Paul persecuted the Christians. The quote from Romans is undoubtably true. None of us can be virtuous enough, righteous enough all the time. We fall down. We fail. We sin. We do it over and over. Our occaisional virtues acts do not erase the sin and guilt that dwells deep within us.
To be free from that sin requires a covenant relationship with God and His Son Jesus. We are made righteous through the sacrifice of Jesus for our sins. Jesus is the only completely righteous, virtuous human being. The author of Hebrews tells us:
“For we have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:14-15).
All our virtuous striving will not earn us a thing. So why even try? The only reason is this — gratitude. Practice virtue as a way of giving thanks for the gift you have been given–being made right with God.
A while back one of my Christian friends told me about a comment her pastor made — he said he didn’t have the gift of discernment. She found that rather alarming, and so did I. I recently had a similar experience. A retired pastor mentioned in our Sunday School class that he was leery of using any material not published by Concordia, the publisher attached to his denomination. I understood this comment, because I also recommend and trust this publisher. But something nagged at me. Finally, I realized that I was troubled because he was abdicating his own responsibility to discern what was acceptable to study and what was not. He was relying on somebody else to tell him.
Discernment (Biblically speaking) is the ability to distinguish good from evil. It’s listed as a spiritual gift, meaning some Christians have an extraordinary ability to do this. However, like all the gifts, and all the virtues, it’s a quality every one of us should be striving to develop in our lives. There’s some advice about this in the book of Hebrews:
“In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.” Hebrews 5:12-14
How do we become discerning? We must each immerse ourselves in the Word of God. This is our training. Of course, We can also discuss it with others, particularly those who are more mature in the faith. When there is something we’re not sure about, we can consult commentaries, study guides, or our Pastor, but the Bible is the final authority. We should never take a single verse or a few verses out of context, and we should search the Scripture for everything that is said about a particular topic before deciding what is right. Scripture is the best interpreter of Scripture. Too often Christians listen to the opinions of others without having a firm foundation of their own. As one of our presidents once said, “trust, but verify.”
Well, that’s my rant for the day. How does this relate to virtue, our theme for the month? We can’t hope to live a virtuous life, if we don’t have a personal understanding of right and wrong, good and evil. The take-away is this. Learn discernment–study the Bible.
Have you noticed that when you stare up at the sky, down at your feet, or even across the lawn, people will notice and ask, “What are you looking at?” The Bible tells us that we should be looking not at an object, but a person — Jesus. In the book of Hebrews, we read:
“And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.” Hebrews 12:1-2
If we spend our days looking at Jesus and trying to follow His example, others will notice. They will want to know what it is that motivates you, what gives you strength. This is an opportunity to issue the invitation that we also find in the Bible — “Come and see.” We find an example of this in the book of John. It starts with looking — John the Baptist looks at Jesus:
The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!” John 1:39
This gets the attention of some of his disciples, and they respond this way:
” When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus.” John 1:37
Jesus then issues an invitation:
“Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, ‘What do you want?’
They said, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?”
“Come,” he replied, “and you will see.”
So they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent that day with him. It was about four in the afternoon.” John 1:38-39
Sometimes, that’s all it takes. Look at Jesus and answer the questions of those around you with a simple invitation. Jesus will do the rest.
I’ve been reading a lot lately about change and the concept of liminality. Liminality (from the Latin word līmen) means “a threshold.” It is the quality of ambiguity which occurs at the beginning of a major change, and it can be disorienting. During a liminal stage, one is standing between their previous way of structuring their identity, time, or community, and a new way which has not yet been revealed or accomplished.
This is exactly where I’ve been since my husband retired a little over a year ago. He is no longer the pastor of our home congregation, and we are attending there only sporadically. We have given up the plethora of duties and roles we assumed there, and although we have not been idle, I feel a lack of permanence. This is scary, but also exciting. What will I do next? What does God have planned? Can I still be useful during this late stage of my life?
This transitional spot I’m standing in reminds me of chapter 11 of the book of Hebrews (my favorite book). It begins with:
” Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” Hebrews 11:1
Then it lists many heroes of the Old Testament, describing the things they did in obedience to God’s call (this has been called the hall of fame of faith). It ends by saying:
“These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.” Hebrews 11:39-40
You and I are part of that “great cloud of witnesses.” I don’t know where God is taking me next, but I know He has a plan– a plan that is better than anything I might dream up for myself. I may not feel comfortable, but I’m comforted! You should be, too.
The sermon I heard this past week was based on some of my favorite passages of Scripture– the 11th and 12th chapters of Hebrews. These verses speak of some of the great heroes of the faith, those who have gone before us (and by the way they were also just regular folks with plenty of flaws). Even those who came before the birth of Christ were counted among the faithful because they were looking forward to the One to come, they believed in the promises of God.
“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” Hebrews 11:1
One of the hymns went right along with the message. It’s by the Gettys (wonderful contemporary hymnists) and I know our readers will love it as I do.
“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.” (Hebrews 11:6, NIV)
The theme for the recent AFLC Conference was “God rewards the faithful” based on the Bible verse from Hebrews above. I’ve been puzzling over this. What is our reward? Some proponents of the “prosperity gospel” would have us believe that if we’re faithful we’ll receive worldly rewards — plenty of money, a great house, good health and so on. Others may assume that faith will ensure a happy family life and good relationships. Obviously, that isn’t true. And a careful reading of the context of this verse (the hall of fame of faith, it’s been called) lists people who suffered in a variety of ways. Yes, some were healed or spared from injury or saw miracles, but others:
“… were tortured…. faced jeers and flogging…were stoned… sawed in two…persecuted and mistreated…” Hebrews 11:35-37
Doesn’t sound like a great reward, does it? In Chapter 12, we see the rest of the story. When we endure suffering for God’s sake, because of our faith:
“…it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace…” Hebrews 12:11
Our reward is reconciliation with God through the imputed righteousness of Christ. If you’re wondering what this is here’s a definition:
“Imputed righteousness” is the doctrine affirming that the personal righteousness of Jesus Christ is instantly transferred to a sinner at the point of “saving faith.” Accordingly, the believer ceases to be the sinner he was and forthwith becomes a new creation–a perfectly righteous person.
When through faith, we become righteous, we will also be fruitful. Not prosperous in the things of the world, but in the things of God. We can be peaceful because we know that God is in control of our lives and will work all things out for our good, and the good of others. What reward is better than that?
I posted earlier this month about a phrase that caught my attention —Behold the Man!–this is what Pilate said when he brought Jesus out to face the crowd demanding his crucifixion. God evidently isn’t done with teaching me about this yet, because it came up again, in a different form.
My husband and I watched a miniseries entitled North Water. It tells a dark and disturbing story that I didn’t especially enjoy. However, the first episode was called “Behold the Man!” so that got my attention. Now, this series has nothing to do with Jesus. It focuses on the depravity of man. The main character, a surgeon named Patrick Sumner, suffers betrayal and is exposed to all sorts of difficult experiences. He encounters thievery, perversion, murder, selfishness, addiction and more. He almost dies as the result of the sinful behavior of others. He starts out as a “good” person who wants to do the right things, but by the end of the story he also kills a man and steals his money. Some would say his behavior was justified because he was trying to right the wrong that had been committed against him, but sin is still sin.
So, what is my takeaway from this? The comparison between the human being Christ was (sinless) and the human being I am (sinful). Christ was able to suffer many of the same things Patrick did. He was betrayed, deserted, mocked, beaten and finally killed. Yet, as the Bible tells us:
“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.” Hebrews 4:15
Patrick cracked under the strain of sin. He couldn’t be righteous. He needed a Savior. So do you and I! Behold the man Christ, and behold yourself. Be thankful He could do what we cannot.
As part of my morning devotions, I’ve been reading through the gospel of John. Recently I came to the section of the passion account when Jesus comes before Pilate. Pilate has had Him flogged but finds no reason to punish him further. He brings Jesus out to the crowd, hoping they will agree to releasing Him. Here’s the way the scene is described:
“So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, ‘Behold the man!'” John 19:5
After finishing with John, I turned to the next chapter in a book about art I had been using (Rembrandt is in the Wind by Russ Ramsey–Book Review). Imagine my surprise when the painting being discussed was Ecce Homo (it means Behold the Man) by Caravaggio! It’s a picture of the very same event I just read through in my Bible!
This was too much of a Godcidence to ignore, so I’ve spent some time meditating about it. Here’s what I’ve concluded. The disciples and other people from the time of Jesus had a hard time seeing Him as God. They knew Him as the son of Joseph and Mary, a carpenter, a teacher. They were constantly forgetting (even right after the fact) that He could perform miracles. He told them he would die and rise again — more than once–but they still had trouble believing it.
Fast forward to 2022 — we’re in the opposite predicament. We’re so accustomed to understanding Jesus as the Son of God, that we often forget that He was also fully human, just like we are. During the week of His passion, He was repeatedly flogged, spat upon, betrayed, demeaned. We don’t stop to think how difficult that was for Him to bear in His humanity. How would we feel? Would we be able to keep our focus on God and His Holy Will? Probably not. Almost certainly not.
So, it’s good to remember during this period of Lent, just how much Jesus suffered for us. He couldn’t brush it off, just because He was God. The pain and suffering was exactly the same for Him as it would be for any of us. Never take that for granted! Behold the man!
“1For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.” Hebrews 4:15
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