Hebrews 5:1-10 (NRSV)

Saturday after the First Sunday in Lent

Every high priest chosen from among mortals is put in charge of things pertaining to God on their behalf, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. He is able to deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is subject to weakness; and because of this he must offer sacrifice for his own sins as well as for those of the people. And one does not presume to take this honour, but takes it only when called by God, just as Aaron was.

So also Christ did not glorify himself in becoming a high priest, but was appointed by the one who said to him, ‘You are my Son, today I have begotten you’; as he says also in another place, ‘You are a priest for ever according to the order of Melchizedek.’

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.

When reading this portion of the letter, it’s hard for me not to immediately hear, “you are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek,” and not have it resonate back to the readings used at the service of my own ordination to the priesthood in December of 2007. Before that, when this passage from the letter to the Hebrews was ever read, that particular part seemed to be glossed over, even sometimes struggling to even pronounce the name Melchizedek. 

The long obscure name means something, especially if the writer of the letter is saying that Jesus is himself a “high priest,” an honor reserved only for those who were Levites and the line of Aaron. However, Melchizedek's priesthood predates Aaron and the Levitical line. Melchizedek shows up in Genesis and is referred to as a priest prior to the covenant with Abraham and prior to the Torah being given to Moses. 

When Jesus is called a High Priest, it is with reference to both of these previous priesthoods. Like Melchizedek, Jesus is ordained (set apart) as a priest that comes before the Law given to Moses on Mount Sinai. Like the Levite priests, Jesus offers sacrifice to satisfy the Law when he offers himself as a sacrifice for our sins. However, the difference is that Jesus only had to offer sacrifice once, for all, redeeming everyone who will come to God through him. Therefore Jesus is our great intercessor and mediator (our priest), the ultimate one who reconciles the creation to the creator.

It is good for us to take a minute to think about important the writer to the Hebrews thought it was to connect Jesus’ sacrifice to the priesthood, especially the priesthood of Melchizedek. In modern times, we realize that the sacrifice for our sins is completed. The saving work was done by Jesus on the cross. We are called, therefore, as his followers to make sacrifices of praise in thanksgiving, sacrifices of money to provide for the forgotten and those in need, and sacrifices of time for prayer. 

In the season of Lent, a time for preparation and introspection, we can ask the question, “what in our life are we willing to sacrifice in order for God to be glorified?”

Hebrews 4:11-16 (NRSV)

Friday after the First Sunday in Lent

Let us therefore make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one may fall through such disobedience as theirs.

Indeed, the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And before him no creature is hidden, but all are naked and laid bare to the eyes of the one to whom we must render an account. 

Since, then, we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

The first thing that jumps out at me as I read through this portion of the letter to the Hebrews is, “the Word of God is living and active.” How many times have you thought that the word of God was the Bible and the Bible was a closed volume? You know, Genesis to Revelation, the canon complete, done! However, to me, what makes it Holy, what makes it scripture, is its ability to speak across generations and across cultures as a living and active work. It isn’t a completed volume, but it’s one that is just began as it writes your book and your chapter of the faith. We are continuations of the word.

The “Word” of God isn’t just what you read on the page. I would also like us to think of the “Word” how the Evangelist John thinks of The Word. The Word that became flesh and dwelt among us. It being the Incarnation of God in the person of Jesus. Then the piece of the passage takes on deeper meaning by saying it is living and active. Jesus continues to be living and active in this world. He is made relevant to this broken world by those who know and love him. Jesus is our defender and healer, but he is also our judge, and in his judgment of us, our true nature is revealed. We can never hide our true self from God.

The writer reminds the Hebrews that Jesus is the connection. He is the Word that is living and active. He is the “High Priest” that is interceding on our behalf. Jesus is fully God and fully human, therefore knows what struggles we encounter in this world. He makes God accessible and approachable. Therefore, we are called to hold fast to our connection with Christ in the midst of our struggles. In our time of need, we are able to find God’s understanding, favor and forgiveness because of Christ.

1 Corinthians 1:17-31 (NRSV)

First Sunday in Lent

For Christ did not send me to baptize but to proclaim the gospel, and not with eloquent wisdom, so that the cross of Christ might not be emptied of its power. For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, ‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.’

Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, God decided, through the foolishness of our proclamation, to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling-block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.

Consider your own call, brothers and sisters: not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not, to reduce to nothing things that are, so that no one might boast in the presence of God. He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption, in order that, as it is written, ‘Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.’

I often struggle with the idea that someone, namely Jesus, had to die so that I might have life. That a benevolent creator would require a blood sacrifice of the creation. I’m sure I’m not alone. I’m sure that when Paul wrote to the Corinthians, he faced similar push-back from the people he spoke with. He went to proclaim the good news of Christ and Christ crucified for the sins of everyone and was ignored by the ones who thought it was absurd or foolish. This was usually the people, who in a Hellenistic world, were quick to judge things as rational and irrational based on reason.

In today’s reading, I love the phrase, “For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” Corinth was a port city and a cultural melting pot in this world. So, I’m sure that Paul was bombarded from all sides when he tried to present the idea that Jesus came into the world to die for the sins of anyone who would repent and believe. It’s an absurdity.

To make his case, Paul points out that God takes what is foolish in this world and makes it meaningful. God rights the wrongs and makes the weak strong. God raises up the low and brings down that which the world has raised up. The whole understanding of the socio-economic system and everything rational in society according to the world is turned on end when viewed through the lens of the Good News. God’s news of love and reconciliation and truth revealed in Jesus Christ.

People through the ages have thought about over and over again, trying to wrap their heads around the things of God. It’s not easy, nor is it very complicated. What I am trying to say is, if we continue to contemplate the creator through the lens of the creation and the created order, the deeper and more complex it becomes. However, if we fully accept and return the love so freely displayed for us by God in the person of Jesus, then it makes the complicated and complex start to fall away. What is left is love. Love is what connects us to our creator. To know we are loved and to know our life has meaning is what I think it’s all about. God loved us so much that God gave of himself that we might be reunited with God and dwell in the presence of the creator forever. It remains the only perfect sacrifice.

Titus 3:1-15 (NRSV)

Saturday after Ash Wednesday

Titus 3:1-15

Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarrelling, to be gentle, and to show every courtesy to everyone. For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, despicable, hating one another. But when the goodness and loving-kindness of God our Saviour appeared, he saved us, not because of any works of righteousness that we had done, but according to his mercy, through the water of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit. This Spirit he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Saviour, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. The saying is sure.

I desire that you insist on these things, so that those who have come to believe in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works; these things are excellent and profitable to everyone. But avoid stupid controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless. After a first and second admonition, have nothing more to do with anyone who causes divisions, since you know that such a person is perverted and sinful, being self-condemned.

When I send Artemas to you, or Tychicus, do your best to come to me at Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there. Make every effort to send Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their way, and see that they lack nothing. And let people learn to devote themselves to good works in order to meet urgent needs, so that they may not be unproductive.

All who are with me send greetings to you. Greet those who love us in the faith.

Grace be with all of you.

In the conclusion of his letter, Paul reminds Titus that Jesus saves us, “not because of any works of righteousness that we have done, but according to his mercy, through the water of rebirth (baptism) and renewal by the Holy Spirit (confirmation).” Like yesterday’s reflection, Paul assures that salvation is open to everyone. And he’s reminding Titus that it is God’s grace justifies us through these sacraments. All we have to do is accept it.

It is easy for us to be sucked in to being “do gooders.” Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with doing good, but doing good works just for the sake of doing good works is a slippery slope. It can lead to feelings of self-salvation. I feel that Christians (those who have come to believe) should do good works as a response to our gift of salvation. We need to remember that good works alone will never save you. We are saved by grace.

As I think about the litany that Paul offers us today (Paul loves litanies): avoid stupid controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, I think we can understand what he thinks Titus may be up against. By the list, I am thinking that he may be battling a culture of self-serving people. You know that type. People that ask the same question of everything, “what’s in it for me!” These are the folks out to “follow the law” and be good and do all the right cultural things, thinking that it will somehow save them. However, they remain spiritually lost because the second piece (the reason) of the puzzle is missing. Jesus gives the believer a reason and a purpose.

On our journey through the season of Lent, it is a time for us to be reminded that our gift of salvation is a precious one. It was paid for by the work of Jesus on the cross. We have been made worthy only through Jesus dying for us. Worthy to be reconciled to God, our creator, who loves us more than we can understand. We need to also remember that we can’t get through this life alone. We can only do it by God’s grace and help.

Titus 2:1-15 (NRSV)

But as for you, teach what is consistent with sound doctrine. Tell the older men to be temperate, serious, prudent, and sound in faith, in love, and in endurance.

Likewise, tell the older women to be reverent in behaviour, not to be slanderers or slaves to drink; they are to teach what is good, so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be self-controlled, chaste, good managers of the household, kind, being submissive to their husbands, so that the word of God may not be discredited.

Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled. Show yourself in all respects a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, gravity, and sound speech that cannot be censured; then any opponent will be put to shame, having nothing evil to say of us.

Tell slaves to be submissive to their masters and to give satisfaction in every respect; they are not to answer back, not to pilfer, but to show complete and perfect fidelity, so that in everything they may be an ornament to the doctrine of God our Saviour.

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all, training us to renounce impiety and worldly passions, and in the present age to live lives that are self-controlled, upright, and godly, while we wait for the blessed hope and the manifestation of the glory of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ. He it is who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify for himself a people of his own who are zealous for good deeds.

Declare these things; exhort and reprove with all authority. Let no one look down on you.

I am always skeptical when someone claims to have all the right answers. And, it would be presumptuous for me to claim that I know the answers. Therefore, I think it is my job, as pastor, to help people live with the questions within the mysteries of God. I like to let God reveal the truth to others through my faith, in love, and endurance.

As I sit and think about this portion of the letter to Titus, I struggle with some of the imagery that swirls around in my head. Images of slavery, subjugation, and other old world patriarchal images. They are all there. However, if we look deeper at what Paul is trying to tell Titus, then the message (the sound doctrine) starts to surface above the social condition of the times.

If we take out all the literal and specific men, women, and slave talk, then several things that Paul says to Titus resonates with me. Paul lists a litany of behaviors for Titus: Consistency, temperance, seriousness, prudence, a sound faith in love and endurance… reverence, not slanderous, sober, self-controlled, committed to family, keepers of the house, a model of good works, teacher of integrity, confident speaker, humble, servant of others… These behaviors in any society would be considered correct or upright behaviors or traits for anyyone. Traits that would apply to all, not just men or women. Everyone, regardless of class or condition. The first sentence in the last paragraph drew me to that conclusion. Paul says “The grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all!” If salvation is brought to all, then God has made God's self accessible to everyone.

I wrote on Ash Wednesday about the “Spiritual Training Camp” that the writer of the letter to the Hebrew’s was describing. I saw the image of the season of Lent as being a time devoted to spiritual training. Today, Paul's words to Titus help guide us in our training, reminding us to continue to prepare ourselves because we are still a work in progress. We don’t have all the answers. We may never have all the answers. Nevertheless, part of not having all the answers, (part of living with the questions) makes ourselves open to the Holy Spirit and ready for anything that God might be doing with us. So, we should order our lives, be strong in the faith, and prepare. For the Glory of God has yet to be fully revealed in us.

Titus 1:1-16 (NRSV)

Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God’s elect and the knowledge of the truth that is in accordance with godliness, in the hope of eternal life that God, who never lies, promised before the ages began— in due time he revealed his word through the proclamation with which I have been entrusted by the command of God our Saviour,

To Titus, my loyal child in the faith we share:

Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Saviour.

I left you behind in Crete for this reason, that you should put in order what remained to be done, and should appoint elders in every town, as I directed you: someone who is blameless, married only once, whose children are believers, not accused of debauchery and not rebellious. For a bishop, as God’s steward, must be blameless; he must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or addicted to wine or violent or greedy for gain; but he must be hospitable, a lover of goodness, prudent, upright, devout, and self-controlled. He must have a firm grasp of the word that is trustworthy in accordance with the teaching, so that he may be able both to preach with sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict it.

There are also many rebellious people, idle talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision; they must be silenced, since they are upsetting whole families by teaching for sordid gain what it is not right to teach. It was one of them, their very own prophet, who said, ‘Cretans are always liars, vicious brutes, lazy gluttons.’ That testimony is true. For this reason rebuke them sharply, so that they may become sound in the faith, not paying attention to Jewish myths or to commandments of those who reject the truth. To the pure all things are pure, but to the corrupt and unbelieving nothing is pure. Their very minds and consciences are corrupted. They profess to know God, but they deny him by their actions. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work.

How many times have we heard someone say about someone else, “They profess to know God, but they deny him by their actions.”  I personally think that is why the Christian Church suffers. It's because the leaders don't live up to the standard set by society. It is important, as Christians, that we show who we know God to be by our actions, lest we be counted with the hypocrites. I am reminded of the old camp song, We are One in the Spirit with the line "They will know we are Christians by our love!" However, we must keep in mind that we are ALL human, with all the brokenness that goes along with that. That's not an excuse, but more an overall assessment of the human condition and why we need Jesus. Jesus is the one who reconciles and restores the world to God.

The introduction of the letter from Paul to Titus is full of encouragement for Titus. But, with his newly appointed position in Crete, there comes much responsibility and accountability. Paul sets the bar high in his description to Titus of what it means to be an elder or a bishop. He sets the description in contrast to those of a lesser caliber; those he calls rebellious. Paul doesn’t hold back and warns Titus of the deceivers and rebellious people, especially those who could be sitting right next to him! Nobody is exempt from ridicule.

How do we know the others are? Who are the false prophets, idle talkers, or deceivers? I would say that we know them by their actions…  There’s an old saying that if it walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck then it’s probably a duck. However, if it doesn’t, then it’s probably not. So beware of those who “profess to know God, but deny him by their actions."

In relation to our Lenten journey,  this reading begs the question, “are we showing the world who we know God to be by our actions?” If not, we probably need to use this season to take a long hard look at ourselves and at what we are doing (or what we are not doing). Lent is the season of change, repentance, and turning around. In Greek, it's called metanoia. It’s never too late to turn around and get going along the right path.

Hebrews 12:1-14 (NRSV)

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that 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, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.

Consider him who endured such hostility against himself from sinners, so that you may not grow weary or lose heart. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as children—

‘My child, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,

   or lose heart when you are punished by him;

for the Lord disciplines those whom he loves,

   and chastises every child whom he accepts.’

Endure trials for the sake of discipline. God is treating you as children; for what child is there whom a parent does not discipline? If you do not have that discipline in which all children share, then you are illegitimate and not his children. Moreover, we had human parents to discipline us, and we respected them. Should we not be even more willing to be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share his holiness. Now, discipline always seems painful rather than pleasant at the time, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed. Pursue peace with everyone, and the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. 

As we enter this season of Lent, we have a time set aside by the church calendar for self-preparation that is directly in front of us. A whole period of 40 days in which to be intentionally introspective and clean the 'muck' out of our lives. The phrase that immediately jumps off the page from the Hebrews reading in this context is “let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us.”

I never thought of Lent as a race before and I can't remember how many years it's been since I enjoyed running. However, I know what it means to train. In any kind of training or discipline, there are periods of discomfort and hardship that help condition our bodies so that they can be stronger, go faster, endure longer, etc… (no pain, no gain!) In this respect, we can look at the whole season of Lent as a sort of spiritual training period. The things that we intentionally do, or take on, in this season should be to make us spiritually stronger and healthier, but they are not always easy.

The training metaphor covers the whole reading…  It seems like the writer to the Hebrews is acting like a coach, giving a pregame locker room pep speech as he explains that Jesus is our MVP and team captain that holds the playbook for us. Jesus is the one who first won the prize after enduring the pains of the cross. Then we have God who is our personal trainer, who disciplines us like children (as any good parent would) preparing us, nurturing us, and training us.

It is interesting to think of Lent as our spiritual training camp where we are provided with the best coach and trainer available to run the race of our lives. That is where we are, here today, at the beginning of our journey through the season of lent, ready to begin our training.

Blessings for Holy Lent!