Gleanings from the Text
Hebrews 7:23-28
Hebrews. Who exactly are the “Hebrews?” Is the book of Hebrews written to a group of Hebrew people? While the exact identity of this group is still uncertain, there are some conclusions that we can draw with relative certainty. For instance, Hebrews, though often referred to as an epistle, is more like a sermon written in a Rabbinic style and written between 60-100 AD. One can also draw the conclusion that the writer of Hebrews is writing to a group who is in need of some type of description of who Jesus is and why one should hold on to Christianity. In Hebrews 5:1-10 Jesus is described as a high priest.
After reading the pericope a few questions pop to mind about the Scripture. For me the first one is who in the world is Melchizedek? Melchizedek is only mentioned a couple of times in the Old Testament. Then he is mentioned again in Hebrews 7. Melchizedek’s appearance seems somewhat random, but the author is clearly trying to use the priest Melchizedek as a person who anticipated Christ as a high priest. I do not think though, he is a crucial part of understanding this pericope. A high priest, which is clear from the reading, is an intermediary between God and humans. By using a chiastic form, the author of Hebrews wants to show listeners and today’s readers that Jesus is not just a regular high priest, but THE high priest who has all the qualifications plus more!
Food for Thought
As I look at this short pericope, Jesus’ humanity sticks out like a sore thumb. Jesus is being compared to a human with human emotions! However, one cannot ignore that Jesus does more than the normal priest. Jesus can feel our pain and can sympathize with us since he was human, but he, unlike mortal priests, was not a sinner. He does not have to repeatedly give sacrifices to God for our sins but is the last sacrifice for our sins. No longer do we need a person to be a ‘go between’ for us and God, because Jesus changed the relationship between us and God when he died.
Since we can go directly to God, we, like Jesus, can cry out to God when we are in pain. But what do we do when our pain does not go away and God does not grant what we wish? Jesus’ cries were heard, but God did not take away death from him. Ultimately, as Christians we must remember that God is in control and while we are in pain, we can cry out as much as we want. If God is able to raise Jesus from the dead, God can undoubtedly take care of us now—though it may not be in the manner we want.
God is hearing and listening to our cries and has a plan for us all. For, just as Jesus and the priests were chosen by God, we are chosen in some way to serve.
I am guessing that many readers of JTF are connected to Union-PSCE and have decided to serve the Lord through ministry. However, what do we do when we become uncertain about what God has chosen us to do? When we are certain about what we should do, it can be a comfort to know God has a plan. Yet, when we feel confused, do we feel comforted when we are reminded that God has a plan? Do we cry out and think we are heard?
Sink your teeth into this!
As I have been in seminary, I have constantly wondered is this where God wants me? What am I supposed to be doing? I have literally cried to God, asking him to guide me and to answer me straightly about what I am to do with my life. I still do not know what to do. However, I do know God has heard me cry and cares for me. God has chosen a path for me and has chosen me, Mairi, one person in the whole creation, to serve the Creator. God has also chosen you, one person in the whole creation to serve, too.
Biographical Information
Mairi Renwick is in her second year at Union-PSCE. She grew up in Lexington, Kentucky, but also claims Spartanburg, South Carolina as home. She is the daughter of a preacher and never thought that God’s plans for her would have her writing a devotion for a seminary, let alone attending seminary.
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