Sermon
A few years ago I bought my mom a kind of cool advent calendar. The calendar was a long string, 30 mini clothespins, and 30 artsy cards. Maybe not 30 – an advent quantity. The calendar was called The Names of Jesus. Each of the cards was painted on one side, and the second side had a name of Jesus printed on it. For advent then, each day you would choose a card, turn it over to see which name was listed, and pin the card to the string. It was fun to see that many names for Jesus. Names like, “The Way” or “The Light” or “Savior” or “Source of life.” Two names we often use for Jesus are “King” or “High priest.” You and I don't promise our allegiance to any king, currently. And unless you want to call your pastor a high priestess, we don't have those either. But, in Old Testament times, there were plenty of both, usually two different people.
The author of Hebrews quotes both Genesis 14 and Psalm 110, likening Jesus to the ancient King Melchizedek because Melchizedek was both a king and a high priest which was unusual. Genesis 14 and Psalm 110 each refer to Abram (or Abraham) and King David respectfully. Also, the bible does not include dates for King Melchizedek's birth or death. These three things – connection to Abraham and King David, being both high priest and king, and being timeless, or forever, are the reasons our text today explains who Jesus is by using references to Melchizedek.
And yet, even more than these three connections to great persons in the history of the Hebrew people, Jesus was still superior. The book of Hebrews unique point of view is that the letter refers to what Jesus did, more than who Jesus was. The functions of Jesus's life, much like the words of my mother's advent calendar are the focus of this letter to the Hebrews. The function used for comparison in today's text is that of high priest.
In ancient times a high priest had the only direct access to God. Our text today tells us that the high priest was “chosen from among mortals” and is “put in charge of things pertaining to God on their behalf.” That meant that the high priest was the one who offered gifts and sacrifices for sins. Being human the high priest was also capable of sin, so that the high priest offered “sacrifice for his own sins as well as for those of the people.”
We will be reading through the letter to the Hebrews for the next month. Each of the texts to follow in the next weeks bring us closer and closer to something that has led to a great deal of pain for Christians. The idea that what is meant by the phrase “Jesus died for us” is that Jesus is dead because of us. And more personally, and more painful, the individual thought that some of us have felt, “I killed Jesus.” Known as “substitutionary atonement” the subject has a few thousand years' worth of discussion on the topic. I will be referring throughout the month to an article by Martha Tatarnic, in March of this year.
Let's read again, the text that comes in today's passage, that is the first time this notion of the reason for Jesus' death is mentioned in Hebrews:
In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered; and having been made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him, having been designated by God a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.
Jesus did indeed offer prayers, made requests, for himself and on behalf of others during his entire ministry. The connection between Jesus and God and us is what all of our Christian faith is about. The next lines about learning obedience through suffering, being made perfect, and becoming the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him, is the laying of the groundwork for the texts that we will read for the next month.
The question arises then, what does it mean to learn obedience through suffering? What does it even mean to obey? What kind of suffering? How exactly did Jesus become the source of eternal salvation for all? What does “salvation” mean? Those answers don't come in today's text, but it will become clearer and clearer throughout Hebrews that the author wishes to bring it home to his listeners that Jesus was far superior to any high priest they have ever thought of before.
There are many what my mom would call “sticky wickets” just in this short passage. The word atonement is a concept not found in the bible. Atonement is a translation of a Hebrew word that contains implications of forgiveness. The notion of atonement in the new testament is only referred to by metaphor and examples, not direct statements. The idea of atonement being a punishment is a theory expressed beginning with 2nd century Christians, and is a topic that early Church fathers wrote about and discussed. Eastern Christianity does not use atonement in explanations about Jesus and the resurrection. Western Christianity began to use this theory in early writings coming from Aquinas. Within all of these discussions is discussion of ideas about how Jesus' death has anything to do with us. How did Jesus conquer death, conquer evil, take our sins away from us, free us from sin and bondage? These things have required interpretation from the beginning. By now, theories of human behavior, psychology, brain science, social sciences and also specifically American culture have all weighed in. Current conversations are varied.
There are many Christian thoughts that I can believe are right or wrong. Some I have to say don't make sense to me given my human experiences and what I've come to believe about how God and humans and human-made Churches intersect. I think all of us come to our deepest held beliefs through our own experiences, and owe it to ourselves to ask questions, have doubts and wrestle with meanings. We should do our best to make sense of our faith. The things that keep our faith solid, are the things that make up our own theology.
It is important to note that theologians way above my or your pay grade and throughout centuries, do not agree about atonement. You and I though, considering our own lives and our own lived faith, are probably the best theologians, and will also have differing opinions. We could have a class about this. The discussion probably would be lively and very interesting. Maybe that's what we're doing by tackling most of Hebrews this month. The conversation is one-sided though if the only words about it are mine.
What matters most is how we use what we believe, to further God's kingdom in our world. How do we share what we believe with others? By our actions? In discussions? In words like poems, songs, novels, scripts? How we use our beliefs in the world matter because they have an impact on others. If that impact is not about love, we need to think again. I'm not only talking about mushy sweet statements for cross stitching – and those are great. I'm talking about love that stands up for those who can't; love that makes good trouble; love that builds up lives and systems that are life-giving, not life-destroying. Building up God's kingdom based on love doesn't mean that we all live baby-bear lives where everything is just right. When things are not equal, when there is not equity, when harm comes through one's actions, someone or somethings will crumble and fall. Insomuch as you and I are a part of systemic inequity you and I will fall.
We are all participants in our world either in our own little patch, or in a global way. We have to consider exactly what we are demanding of others, and exactly what are impact is. We won't all do all the right things, and we don't all have the same choices. But we do all have Jesus and the relationship with God that comes through Christ. We can lean on that and be our best selves.
Let us pray,