Today’s scripture: Hebrews 9:11-22 (NRSV) (The Message) (KJV) What might God be saying to me?
My thoughts (Vivian Wyatt):
“But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that are now already here…”
In today’s passage, Jesus is referred to as a high priest; this can be seen as a little odd because the qualifications or requirements for a high priest are made known throughout the Old or First Testament. In Numbers, God chooses Aaron and his sons to be priests and says, “Bring with you also your brothers of the tribe of Levi, your ancestral tribe, in order that they may be joined to you, and serve you while you and your sons with you are in front of the tent of the covenant.” Jesus was not from the family of Aaron of the tribe of Levi, which was chosen to serve as priests in the Tabernacle. Nor was he from the tribe of Levi, the tribe designated by God to serve. Jesus was from the tribe of Judah. No one from the tribe of Judah had any claim to the priesthood in Israel within the Law of Moses.
Why should this be important to us? Because in 1 Peter 2:9, we are called to be a part of a royal priesthood: “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of [God] who called you out of darkness into [God’s] marvelous light.” We are called to be priests, mediators, the ones who bridge the gap between heaven and earth; and we don’t meet the qualifications or requirements to be priests either.
But isn’t that the way of God? We have no excuse to not be that example that God wants us to be. We have no excuse to not be a loving, kind, and generous person. We have no excuse to not fulfill our calling. The only qualification we need is: God called us.
Prayer for the day: God, let me never use my limitations as a reason to not do what you have called me to do. Amen
We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to get started, consider the suggestions on the How to Pray page.