Jwquaker's Blog
Sermon
Who Will Stand for You? And With Whom Do You Stand?
By Jared Warner
Willow Creek Friends Church
October 24, 2021
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Hebrews 7:23–28 (ESV)
23 The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, 24 but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. 25 Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. 26 For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. 27 He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself. 28 For the law appoints men in their weakness as high priests, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect forever.
The writer of Hebrews again is writing during a period of stress within the early church. They are in an identity crisis. Are they Jewish or are they Christian? Is there a difference or is it the same? And what does that mean to the people within the community of the faithful?
I want us to really consider what the implications are to this question. We too are in an identity crisis. We too must come to terms with our profession of faith, and what that means in the wider community around us. What does it mean to be a follower of Christ in Kansas City, in Missouri or Kansas, in the United States, and in this era of history of the world? Do you see how important this question truly is? What does it really mean to be a follower of Jesus Christ? And what does it mean to be and Evangelical Friend?
I hope that those questions are a bit unsettling to you. I hope that those questions cause you to pause and examine what you think and what you believe. We need to wrestle with our faith, we need to think about it, and come to terms with it. We need to identify areas where our words and actions do not necessarily align. We need this struggle so that we can grow.
Last week I mentioned that struggle and suffering is important, it is necessary for us to endure stress and struggle so that we can grow and mature. It is in the struggle we become who we are. We see this throughout scripture, but we see it early on in the stories of the Patriarchs. Abraham is the father of faith, it is through his son Isaac that the blessing of the world will emerge. Isaac had two sons, Esau and Jacob. Jacob was a deceitful character, but it is through that deceitful man that God reveals himself to the world. Jacob stole the birthright from his older brother Esau. He convinced his brother to trade his inheritance for a bowl of soup.
I want us to really consider that for a moment. Esau traded his future, for fleeting satisfaction and lived with regret. Jacob took advantage of his brother’s whims and opportunities and when faced with the prospect of returning, Jacob lived in fear. The night prior to this homecoming we are told an interesting story.
Jacob sends is family and his possessions into the land in waves. He does this because he is afraid of his brother, and rightfully so. Esau has every right to be upset. Not only was Esau taken advantage of, but Jacob disrespected and deceived his own father for personal gain. This is not exactly a stellar report of righteous living. The entire family had crossed the river and had been received by Esau, only Jacob remained. We are told that that night Jacob had a visitor, and all during the night Jacob and this stranger wrestled. He struggled all night. We are told that the visitor Jacob wrestled with that night was the Angel of the Lord, which many believe to be a physical representation of Jesus, prior to the actual incarnation. This angel as dawn brakes and the struggle has been completed speaks to Jacob and gives him a new name. The nation from which our salvation emerges from is called by this new name that Jacob received, Israel.
This name, Israel, means to contend, struggle, or to strive with God. Our faith is built on a foundation of struggle. Jacob’s original name means the deceiver so the struggle of our faith is to overcome this deceptive nature of who we are. Are we a people focused on ourselves or do we struggle or strive toward God?
This is the place religion finds itself. Jacob struggled with and against God. It is a human focused struggle. What can I do to become more acceptable? What offering can I give to make myself worthy of divine attention? Will I ever be able to measure up?
We have all struggled with these concepts and ideas. This is part of the problem that we faced while discussing the letter written by James. Is faith based on grace or is it works? James often is treated with less respect than the writings of Paul because many people will often interpret that James promotes an idea of faith that is based on our personal striving for salvation. Hopefully over the past few weeks you have come to realize that we often misinterpret James, and that James does not believe that we must work for our salvation but that we respond to the work God has done in us through how we live our lives.
There is a reason we struggle with these concepts. It has been a struggle within religion from the very beginning. It goes back to the very origin of the faith of Israel. Jacob was a deceiver, that was his identity, it was what he was known for. His father-in-law knew that Jacob was deceptive in his dealings and that is why he treated him in the manner he did. Jacob struggled because of this. He wanted to follow God like his father and grandfather before him, but he was filled with this ambition that seemed to get the better of him. He lived with this. He struggled with this. He would often face the consequences of his action, and at times lived in fear of those consequences. But there was something else that he had going for him. He was passionate about his God.
The story of the struggle that night shows us this. Jacob wrestled, but why did he spend so much time in that struggle? It is a picture of faith. Jacob knew that he was not struggling with something from the realms of man, he knew that the battle he was engaged in was supernatural in origin. God was showing Jacob the reality of his condition. We will constantly struggle between our will and the will of God. Jacob was just like us in this case. But there was something that Jacob can teach us, he did not give up. He stayed in the struggle, he rolled around in the dust all night, he held on and grappled with this angel demanding one thing for a blessing. He held tight until the very end. But that struggle had consequences, he struggled with God and limped because of it.
We struggle in our lives. We struggle because we live our lives without complete knowledge. God created humanity to rule over creation. We were to be God’s representatives, his advocates, within this physical existence on this planet we call Earth. We think of rule from a governmental or hierarchical perspective because that is often what we see. But I want us to change our perspective a bit. There are different types of leadership. And when we are to rule with God, we are not to be tyrants but stewards. We are to care for what we have. We are supposed to encourage each acre or unit to perform to its greatest ability within a symbiotic system. We struggle because we do not always know the consequences of our actions. Is it wrong to drive a car? No. Is it wrong to drive a car that pollutes the environment? This is where the struggle begins. The answer is a bit gray, because exhaust is pollution, period. Air without exhausts is 100 percent better than air with any exhaust fumes. That pollution does have consequences no matter what we think of Global Climate Change. And we should always strive to find a better way to power our world so that we encourage they symbiotic relationship we find ourselves in. We must steward our world’s resources.
We want to adapt and live within our environments in such a manner that we can support our lifestyles an promote a healthy and diverse ecology. To do this we have to admit that we do not know everything. And we have to strive for answers.
Life is filled with struggles. Many of these struggles we are not fully aware exist or even where they came from. We strive to make our world into a better place, and we are often met with opposition. We want to be able to provide for our families and retire comfortably and struggles emerge even when we thought things were going fine. When we rely on only ourselves the struggle can become overwhelming.
This is where today’s passage comes in. There is a division between God and humanity. This division, the virus we know as death, was contracted by our first parents when they were deceived by a being that should have been assisting us in our work for God. Death, or separation from life, affects us all. We will all at some point come to terms with that aspect of our human condition in some manner. Yet even though we failed to live according to God’s commandments, he did not give up on us. God believes for us when we do not have the strength to believe ourselves.
God instructed Moses and those early religious leaders within the nation of Israel to develop a system where through careful and thoughtful dedication we could approach God and have a glimpse of that union that was lost. God instructed them in this because he wanted us to approach. He wanted and wants us to return to his throne, but he also wants us to know that we can only do that on his terms. We do not get to tell God what is acceptable, we can only respond according to his decree.
“The former priest were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever.” Have we ever really thought about the priesthood in this way? The priest were appointed by God to serve, yet they are only temporary. They are plagued by the same limitations as everyone else. This is why we should not put our full trust in human agents. Presidents come and go. Even kings will only last a generation. Their rule and authority will always come to an end. This should give us hope, as well as concern. In all things devoted to human achievement, they are temporary. The most benevolent or evil systems of men will eventually change, because we as humans are mortal beings. The only way anything survives is if we teach our ways to the next generation.
The priesthood of ancient days is also temporary. It will and did only last as long as there was a temple to occupy. That temple was staffed by people that were filled with the same weakness and corruption as we are all filled with. They were subject to their own selfish desires just as we are. It is interesting, the children of the greatest priests and prophets may have filled similar roles as their fathers, but often they were corrupt. Aaron’s sons died in the tabernacle for introducing strange fire into the presence of God. The second generation of priests failed. And they failed because we are all lacking in some way. I might be able to give a wonderful sermon that will inspire deeper faith, but I am not the best at organizing a party. I do not have the gift of hospitality, which is just as important to the health of the community as sound teaching. We are finite beings, we are corrupt beings. We all have strengths and weaknesses.
But it is fitting that we have a such a high priest as Christ, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. He knows our weaknesses because he is the Son of Man, and he knows what is necessary to bridge the divide between humanity and the divine because he has passed through the heavens. Jesus is our high priest. He stands at the gap for us, forever.
The priest of old would offer sacrifices daily for themselves and the community, because they had to cover their own weaknesses and sin. Jesus offers himself. He God incarnate made it his responsibility to restore humanity. He lived to show us what true life with God is. He died to endure the curse of separation that we all suffer from because of the actions of our first parents. And he rose again to release us from that curse and to provide the way for restored humanity.
God did this for us. He stands in the place where we cannot and could not stand. And he stands in that place forever. Christ lives! He has no need to offer any more sacrifices because God himself stands in the gap for us, and all that profess his name and believe are covered by his word.
He speaks and intercedes for us. He stands with us in our struggles. He believes, he strives, he endures, and he prays for us and with us forever. Because Christ lives!
We struggle. We strive. We make attempts to make the world a better place. We do all of this but we deceive ourselves. All we do and all we say are only temporary, unless Christ stands for us and we stand with him. All of our wrestling and suffering is empty without Jesus.
For the law appoints men in their weakness as high priests, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect forever. Who will stand for you? And with whom do you stand?
If you would like to help support the continued Ministry of Willow Creek Friends Church please consider donating online:
https://secure.piryx.com/donate/nlcsJT87/Willow-Creek-Friends-Church/
To help support the personal ministry of JWQuaker (Jared Warner) online and in the community click to donate.
Strength through the Struggle
By Jared Warner
Willow Creek Friends Church
October 17, 2021
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Hebrews 5:1–10 (ESV)
1 For every high priest chosen from among men is appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. 2 He can deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is beset with weakness. 3 Because of this he is obligated to offer sacrifice for his own sins just as he does for those of the people. 4 And no one takes this honor for himself, but only when called by God, just as Aaron was. 5 So also Christ did not exalt himself to be made a high priest, but was appointed by him who said to him, “You are my Son, today I have begotten you”; 6 as he says also in another place, “You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.” 7 In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. 8 Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. 9 And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, 10 being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.
The past couple of weeks we have spoken about God’s plan to restore humanity. I want us to consider this more deeply this week. We often look at scripture and the stories within scripture from a very human focused perspective, and rightfully so since humans are the ones to whom this revelation was given. We also tend to look at scripture through the lenses of our experience, and our religious traditions as well. As much as we would like to say that we are open to the context of the text, even the most devout follower so sola scriptura fails to completely pull themselves away from tradition.
I am just as guilty a anyone on that point. I love the history and traditions of the Society of Friends. It is the best expression of faith that I have come across, that is why I am a minister within this tradition. But I must admit that we do at times read things through our tradition and our preferences, just like everyone else. It is part of our human existence. We are social beings, and our societies develop cultures, and it is through those cultural constructs that we learned to understand the world around us. We look at the world from an American perspective, which is different than the perspective that the students I taught in Ukraine looked at things. We look at the world from a Christian perspective, which is different from the way other religions look at things. And we look at things from a Friends perspective which is different than the way other Christians look at things. We can even break that down further. Even states within the United States have a distinct perspective as to what American is. And Friends Churches within the same yearly meeting from different states or even across town might differ slightly because the experiences of the people within have slightly different cultures.
I mention this because Hebrews is a difficult book. There are cultural, aspects to it that we might miss if we do not understand the context not only of words but also the people. And we even see glimpses of different understandings of things from within Jewish traditions. Contrary to what we might think the Hebrew religion was not, and still is not as unified under one understanding. There is a joke that if you ask a group of four rabbis a question you will get five answers. I do not think that is something unique to them as a people group, it just proves the point that all people have a variety of opinions and perspectives. Even within the teachings of the Gospel we see three if not four different perspectives of faith within first century Jewish practices. They are all Jewish but just a bit different. United on some aspects, but willing to argue endlessly on others.
The point of this general letter is to provide an apologetic, a theological defense to the supremacy of Jesus, over the traditions of old. The letter was written during that transitional period of Church history where there was a debate over identity. Are we Christian, or are we Jewish? Can you be both? Can you be one without the other? We might not fully grasp this struggle. For most of us, we have not had to struggle with the concept of identity. We are just what we are. I was born into the Friends Church, for me this expression of faith is not strange but natural. I cannot look at another expression of faith without comparing it to what I already know. Many of you were not born into this meeting, you came here from somewhere or something else. Some of you remember quite well what that experience was like. Some of you might have struggled with our expression, some might still struggle, while others of us may have just seamlessly melded into our community of faith so easily that it might be difficult to pinpoint the exact moment this became your home.
I want us to think about that struggle. The fact that you are still here means that there is some reason you stayed. If you are new, I encourage you to ask questions and to seek answers because that is part of the journey of faith. A church is more than a place to worship, it is part of who you are. It is the place you come to draw close to God, and the group of people you are called to share ministry through. It is like a marriage in many ways. And like every relationship, the best relationships require a great deal of work.
Life in many ways is a series of struggles. Some might say that life requires struggle for us to truly live. It is through suffering and struggles that we gain the strength to endure. In the early 1990’s there was a scientific ecological experiment called Biosphere 2. They named it that because they believed Biosphere 1 was the earth, and because the scientists involved believed we were doing harm to the planet they wanted to create an environment that would be self-contained and supporting. So, this group of scientists built a facility that would seal itself completely off from the rest of the world. And those involved in the study would live completely eating only what was in this environment. They quickly faced struggles that they never imagined. The oxygen levels within the sphere began to drop, and soon the scientists were required to pump more breathable air into the facility. Then something strange happened. We are all told that the rainforests are the lungs of the earth. That the Amazon Forest is supplying the world with breathable air. So, they planted rainforest trees. Only to find that the trees would fall over before they even matured. Through this experiment we learned that the oceans are much more important to the ecosystem than the forests, but we also learned that struggle is important to survival.
The biosphere experiment showed us that the tree needs to struggle against the wind so that it can grow to bear stresses of life. If a tree grows without the forces of wind pushing on it, it will not have the strength to handle maturity. We need struggle to survive.
We need struggle to survive. We do not like hearing this do we. I think that I could do without a little stress. I would love to be able to live life without some of the things that cause stress in my life. But the truth is we would not be who we are without those struggles. Everything we face in our lives allow us to become the people we are. We endured the struggles and now we can face tomorrow, even though we may not believe we can.
Even our faith needs struggle. The church at the time of the writing of Hebrews faced great struggle. They believed that Jesus was the Messiah, and that the Messiah was going to usher in the kingdom. But as time went on and the kingdom as they expected did not manifest around them, they began to reconsider what they believed. There was a movement that we often see within the letters, urging the Church to go back to the traditions of the first century Jewish faith. They wanted them to come back to the temple, to follow the law, and to offer sacrifices again. If you grew up in that tradition, it would be easy for you to look back on that life and lifestyle with nostalgia. You knew where you stood. You knew what was expected of you. It was easier, than the stress you now face. They did face stress. The church, face persecution by both Jews and Gentiles. They faced struggles because the church often contradicts the wisdom of men.
This goes back to the very beginning. I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that God had the responsibility to restore humanity to our rightfully created position. I want us to realize that God only had this responsibility if He wanted it. God could have chosen to just walk away and start over, but God wanted us to fulfill our purpose. The only way for us to be capable of this task is if God took the responsibility of restoration on himself.
The first books of the Old Testament speak of this covenant that God made. Our first parents were deceived. We may have acted with incomplete knowledge but all actions have consequences. We live with those consequences, and God uses that struggle to bring about better things. I once listened to a podcast by a Jewish Rabbi speaking about the sin of Adam and Eve as being a good thing. That Eve made the right choice in eating the fruit, because God knew that we needed to face struggles before we could become the people, he needed us to become. I do not know if I agree with his interpretation, but I find it interesting because we need struggle to mature. Either way the reason we struggle is because it is a consequence of that action. We now have the knowledge of good and evil, and we must muddle our way through.
God knew that this was going to be difficult so He encouraged some along the way. Scripture is filled with these people. And then he calls one man to form a nation through which God would reveal the truth through. This is the nation of Israel. God chose. God ordained. But even Abraham struggled with his life of faith. We must choose to follow because God will not force us, we must work in cooperation with God, just like the wind works with the tree.
The problem is that the fall of humanity separated us from God. We moved from life to death. That is the curse of sin. We were born infected with death; theologians call this original sin. I do not like that thought process because if the baptism of infants were to alleviate the curse of original sin then why do we still face death, even if we have faith in God. Death will still greet us one day. We have this infection of death. Death is the corruption of life. It is the cancer of life. When a body develops cancer, it means that cells have become corrupt, they no longer do what they are supposed to, instead they spread the corruption until eventually the corrupt cells overcome the healthy cells.
The deception of Adam and Eve, infected humanity with this corruption that separates us from life. Our understanding of the world around us is infected with this deceptive virus, and this affects our ability to interact with God. Atheist will often argue, if there is a God, why is their so much suffering in the world. They have a point there is a great amount of suffering. But when we look at the world through the virus of deception that is all we see. We cannot see the goodness of God because we are infected with death.
God began to teach us using illustrations we would understand. God chose a nation, and within that nation he chose a tribe, and from within that tribe he chose a family. This priesthood shows us that there is a separation, and that separation can only be bridged in a certain manner to prevent the spread of the corruption.
God appointed priest to act for humanity. This prescription was set up not to divide us even more but to teach us that our ways are not God’s ways. We cannot just do whatever we think is best and expect God to bless it, because we are corrupt people. God appointed priest. These priests could not appoint themselves. If this were allowed then humanity would have power over God, but God continued to keep that wall of separation to prove a point. When priests believed that they were entitled to certain luxuries and forgot or became careless with the rituals God prescribed to Moses, they would be quickly reminded that they are also infected with the disease of Death.
We do not often like to read the books of the law. We love Genesis and Exodus but once we enter the next books, we might decide that the scripture is too hard, and we either stop reading or we skip over to more exciting books. We skip often because the books of the law remind us of how corrupt we are. We like the approachable God, we do not like separation from God. The law shows the separation and it proves to us that we cannot approach God on our own. And neither can the priests, even though God appoints them. They must make sacrifices and offerings for themselves and others before they can approach. But these sacrifices cannot ever completely cover the void. They can only at best provide a brief glimpse through a window. Like when we wipe the fog off a window on a cool morning only to have it return moments later. We are and will always be separated from God, the sacrifice is a momentary glimmer what fades again once the smoke dissipates and the blood dries. We return to that place once again, separated from life dwelling in the corruption of death.
The writer of Hebrews speaks of the weakness of the connection the temple sacrifices provide. The priest must keep the smoke rising, the blood must be applied continuously, we must continue to stay active and work without rest or we return to that place of separation. Quarantined from God. Masked behind the veil.
The priesthood can only be temporary. Just as every effort we make is temporary at best. We cannot be good enough which is why God made it his responsibility to bridge the divide. We see this in our own relationships. The only way to repair a broken relationship is if we get involved. We each must do our part to enact restoration. God gave us the law so that we are reminded of that separation. Our ways are not his ways. But all the activities of the priests are nothing more than someone giving you flowers after an argument without changing their behavior. The flowers of apology will never completely allow the injury to heal, until there is a change of heart
We cannot just claim one day to stop, we cannot proclaim that we are free from corruption, and we cannot approach God in our own strength. God must provide the way. Just as the injured party must define the terms of reconciliation because they are the ones that are suffering the offense. Jesus was brought forth, or begotten. He was appointed to fill that role; he is the terms of reconciliation. He is the perfect priest to stand in that gap because he passed through the heavens, meaning he is of divine nature. And he was born of Mary making him the Son of Man. He knows our weaknesses and has faced our corruption for and with us.
He endured the suffering and injustice of humankind. He experienced our worst, so that we can experience God’s best. He was begotten or brought forth and appointed by God. This does not mean that he is a created being, but he chose to fulfill a role within creation. A role created for the expressed purpose to restore humanity to their place. But the terms are steep. We can only approach God through him. This is what the language of the priesthood after the order of Melchizedek means. There is much to Melchizedek, but it means that Jesus does not draw his position from the traditions of humankind but is a priest of unique roots and origin. We cannot define it only God. God made it happen, God made the role and the position and did not allow it to become a tradition of man. We cannot claim faith of our ancestor for our salvation. We cannot accomplish it by our own works. The means of our salvation is the cooperative relationship between humanity and God. It is that cooperation that is predestined by God through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. And we can only approach God on those terms.
The early church struggled with this concept. And we too struggle. We struggle because life is hard, and the life of faith is harder. We might start off with great hopes and walk away defeated. We might be on fire but the embers cool. We believe and we doubt. What remains? God. It is Christ who continues to believe in us. It is Christ who, while we were his enemy, appointed and embodied that role himself to restore us. It was Christ who stepped down, through, and up where we could not. And he remains. He helps us through our struggles and lifts us up when we fail. The question remains. Where is our belief and trust? Will we work with the winds of struggle to maturity and strength or will we fall?
If you would like to help support the continued Ministry of Willow Creek Friends Church please consider donating online:
https://secure.piryx.com/donate/nlcsJT87/Willow-Creek-Friends-Church/
To help support the personal ministry of JWQuaker (Jared Warner) online and in the community click to donate.
Pierced by the Word
By Jared Warner
Willow Creek Friends Church
October 10, 2021
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Click to read in Swahili
Bofya kusoma kwa Kiswahili
Hebrews 4:12–16 (ESV)
12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13 And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account. 14 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Last week, we began to consider the Letter to the Hebrews. This mysterious letter is filled with intrigue that might confuse us. We look at the letter on the surface, but do we really see what is inside?
The letter to the Hebrews was written to the church during that transition period, where the Gentile believes were beginning to emerge as the majority voice within the assembly. This shift in demographics seemed to cause tension within the church. Salvation came to those people of Jewish heritage first; it was through them that the revelation of God revealed himself and it is their messiah that we follow. The church’s heritage, its roots, are in the culture and religious practices of the Hebrew people. We must never forget this. We must always consider the revelation we have received in scripture not only through the lens of our tradition and interpretation of the New Testament, but also through the culture and revelation from the Old Testament.
When the church’s demographic began to shift from Jewish and moving toward Gentile believers those of Hebrew ancestry began to push back. Even though the leaders like Peter and James publicly proclaimed that Christ was for all people, and that anyone that God has made clean is clean. At the council in Jerusalem, the first council of the church, it was James that stood up before those present and said, “Therefore my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God, but should write to them to abstain from the things polluted by idols, and from sexual immorality, and from what has been strangled, and from blood. For from ancient generations Moses has had in every city those who proclaim him, for he is read every Sabbath in the synagogues.”
From the time the first Gentile came to Christ to this day the understanding of the church is that there is no distinction between Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male or female in reference to the grace that we receive from Christ. Yet, as the demographics began to shift many of Jewish heritage began to push back. They began to teach that those that adhered to the teaching of the Torah were greater than those that did not. They began to teach that the Gentiles needed to become Jewish before they could fully experience the promise of God. It is to this ideology that the author of Hebrews speaks.
Like I said last week, we do not know who penned this letter to the general church. Many believed that it was Paul in the first few centuries, but as scholars have analyzed the use of language and style of writing they have nearly universally concluded that Paul was not the author. This does not diminish the value of what is written by any means. It has instead inspired people to study it even more to see what they can find. This quest has led many to believe that because of the writing style it was written by someone that had formal training in the school of Alexandria, because many of the thoughts that are presented reflect the teachings of the great Jewish philosopher, Philo. We see some of that in today’s reading.
How should we live? That is the question going through the collective mind of the early church. We have this rich history of the people of Israel, and many within the community of believers have no biological connection to it. It is easy to understand how or why the idea of converting to the traditions of the religion of Israel would be attractive. Even today there is a great movement of people that want to restore the Hebrew roots of the faith. The Adventist movements, and the Messianic Jewish synagogues all play a role in this movement, I am not saying that they are wrong by any means. But we need to consider what scripture has to say about it.
Today’s reading begins, “For the word of God is living and active,” I have mentioned the ideas surrounding the phrase word of God many times. The term word used in scripture is often associated with divine wisdom and symbolically connected to the term for light. This is important to remember because throughout scripture the uses these terms in both Hebrew and Greek. In the first century the religious understanding of word or the wisdom of God was connected to Torah. In contrast to this, the disciples of Christ used the term word differently, they used this in reference to Jesus.
Right away you can begin to see the struggle within the early church in reference to the word. Those that wanted to maintain a Jewish identity had to come to terms with this dichotomy. What or who is the word of God? Where does wisdom proceed from? Is it the Torah, given to their ancestors by Moses who had received them from the mouth of God on that holy mountain, or did Jesus possess the words of life as his disciples taught?
We only begin to see an answer to these questions. “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword.” At this point the term word can take on either form, Torah or Christ, because the author simply means that the wisdom of God is living and active and when we encounter that wisdom it is sharp and dangerous. If you were to read the various narrative accounts within the Old Testament, we would see how dangerous it could be to approach God in a manner contrary to what is specified in Torah. Even priest who had permission to approach the holy sanctuary could meet their end if they were careless. What is interesting in this the grouping of two. Living and active, two-edged sword, piercing to the division of again groups of two: soul and spirit, joints and marrow, discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
I must admit that I was captivated by the illustration of the sword as I studied this week. I spent too much time reading about how this one word was used. It was not a complete waste though. The word for sword in this case does not refer to a sword carried into battle, but something different. Often when I see this word in English, my mind is transported to the battlefield of the Middle Ages, knights riding on their powerful war horses carrying jousts. While clad in complex yet versatile steel armor. And since I am a fan of science fiction, I also think of the movie Highlander, or even the light saber from Star Wars. This is not a sword in this sense, those sorts of weapons are weapons of war, the sword being spoken of in this passage and really throughout the New Testament, are smaller blades. It is a word used for a dagger, a ceremonial knife, or even when used outside of the writings of scripture it could be a surgeon’s scalpel. These are not blades of war. They are the blades used in personal combat or criminal activity; this is the word that Jesus used when he spoke about those that live by the sword die by the sword. I want us to think of that for a moment. This smaller personal blade can be used for self-defense or to threaten others with violence. In both cases the mindset is self-interest, and I am not saying that we should not protect ourselves but we can get into a mindset where we are so focused on protecting ourselves that we immediately respond in violence. That is what Jesus is speaking about, the constant focus on your own self interest at the expense of those around us will often result in violence.
But the word also speaks of a surgeon’s scalpel and a blade used in ritualistic activities. In this sense of the word, the blade is not a weapon of violence but a tool wielded for good. The sense in today’s reading is this type of blade. The word or wisdom of God is living and active, it is piercing with the expressed purpose of dividing.
This is where the influence of Philo is seen. Many of the ancient philosophies had a dualistic thought process. Philo, the Hellenistic Jewish philosopher also took this approach. This is a difference from the traditional though processes of historic religions of Israel. The Hellenistic worldview would often separate the body and spirit. The body remains on earth but the spirit is eternal and will enter the afterlife. The ancient Hebrew faith was often more integrated and integrated to the point that not only were the actions done by an individual important but the whole community.
We are given these groupings of two. And even though there are hints of Greek philosophy within these words, there is still truth. The word is living and active, this means that it is animate and interacts with us. It is sharper than a two-edged blade used by the careful and meticulous hand of a priest or surgeon. Piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and the intentions of the heart. In the philosophical mind, the soul would be the embodied life, where the spirit would be the supernatural or immortal essence. This piercing action of wisdom’s blade divides within us that which lasts forever and that which will be cast away. This continues with the discussion of joints and marrow.
When an animal is offered to the priest for sacrifice, it needed to be a specific type of animal without blemish. The priest would make precise cuts on this animal. At first, they would pierce in one place that would cause minimal pain to the animal yet would pierce a major artery that would allow the life to drain from the animal in a humane manner. Then the priest would use this blade to separate and divide the carcass between the sacred and profane. This division was often made at the joints. It is at the joints where division can be done with efficiency because there is less tissue there. If you have a line of worshippers bringing offerings you do not want to take the time to saw through bone, instead you will simply cut the connective tissues that hold the bones together and make the cuts there. But what about the marrow? After reading about the sword, I began to read about the marrow, because I find it to be a weird word to use since the marrow is on the interior of the bone, and to my dismay scholars match my confusion. They do not know why the author uses marrow instead of bone, most write it off as mere poetry. And it is, it speaks of that inner most core of who we are. Deep within our bones is the marrow. The flesh and connective tissue will eventually turn to dust, but the bones remain long after the flesh has returned to the earth. In my mind what the author is speaking of is dividing that which is temporary and that which remains.
And this brings us to that last dualistic reference, “discerning the thoughts and the intentions of the heart.” This last part is the most difficult to consider from the perspective of a physical blade and brings our mind back from the works of humanity to the place where the spirit lives. We can only see what is before us, but the spirit of God can look deeper within. No one knows what someone else is thinking, nor can we able to discern if their thoughts have been made with good intentions that might have been enacted with incomplete knowledge. From our perspective we can only see the results of actions taken or neglected. We should be slow to judgment, and slow to anger, we need to be able to provide a space where people can express their concerns and be quick to listen to what they are saying, because we have incomplete knowledge.
When I was in school, we worked through a book by Dallas Willard called Renovation of the Heart. This book has made a great impact on me and in this book, Dallas illustrates that our heart is the essence of who we are. Our heart is our true self. Outside of our heart is the mind and emotions. These are the two sources of information that we use the most when we are making decisions. The mind and emotions are the two aspects the writer of Hebrews is point out in this sense, thoughts and intentions. We can react and plan using good intentions but might be lacking in knowledge and wisdom. And we can decide using only wisdom and that decision can be cold and emotionless. We can be right and wrong, and we can be wrong and right all at the same time. I know that sounds ridiculous but our words and actions can have lasting effects on those around us. If I tell my son that his picture is wonderful, I might be wrong in an intellectual manner, but right in an emotional one. If I were to respond as a critic of art and tell him where all the technical flaws are he might never draw again. But is I look at it from an emotional plane, if I were to comment on the passion put into the work, I might be able to inspire him to strive for greater things?
The spirit is discerning where we might not be. Often, I do not inspire people to greatness, often I come across as cold and heartless, even when that is not my intention. God in his wisdom can look beyond that and speak directly to our condition. At times that is painful to hear because we like things the way that they are, and at times God does not convict us in areas that others are concerned with because at that moment we are not ready for the whole truth. God knows what we need to move forward.
This brings us to the last couple of verses. The word of God pierces us and reveals to us the things within us that are lasting and the things that are worthless. We are naked before him completely exposed and without defense because he can show us the full truth without our self-justifications. He can do this because He is the high priest who has passed through the heavens.
Last week we explored the concept that Jesus is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature. The words used in that place tell us that Jesus is God, and that he is the incarnate word of God. He is the essence of God made into flesh. And I mentioned that it was necessary for God to do this because He had a responsibility to restore humanity because his rebellious spiritual beings deceived us to join their rebellion. God is the only one that can initiate that restoration.
Jesus is God incarnate, and since he is God, he is also the wisdom of God made flesh. He is the one being that has the word of God because he came down from heaven or passed through the heavens. Jesus is also the Son of Man. He is flesh, meaning he knows humanity. This brings us to temptation. What is temptation? We often look at this word with a negative perception, but it is not bad. Temptation is a test or being put to a test. This testing proves something about us and we gain knowledge through that experience. Adam and Eve had only experienced the goodness of God in the garden, they did not know evil. When the serpent, or the shining one, came offering a different experience with the promise of greater knowledge, they were intrigued. They knew that they were supposed to bring the entire world into submission and make it like the garden they lived in with God, but how could they do this? The serpent suggested that there might be some knowledge that God did not give them to accomplish that task. And with good intentions and faulty knowledge they took a bite of the fruit that cursed us with separation from God. That is temptation. It is a test where we must discern which direction to go in reference to what we proclaim to believe.
God allows this temptation, but God does not instigate it. We see that also with Job. Satan was out doing his rounds on earth and God gave this accuser or adversary permission to test this righteous man. How do we respond in the test?
Jesus knows what it is like to face the trials of humanity. He is human. He knows the pangs of hunger. He knows the sorrow of loss. He knows the excruciating pain and injustice that others can perpetrate of their fellow men. Jesus knows exactly what it is like to be us, yet he did not sin. He did not sin because he possesses the words of life. He knows the truth, and he knows that suffering last only a while but glory is forever.
“Let us hold fast our confession.” The writer of Hebrews says. Let us not look to our own wisdom, but instead look toward the wisdom that has come down to us from above. Because God himself is enacting our restoration and if we hold to his teaching, if we abide in him and he abides in us we can pass through our trials and stand before God’s through of grace knowing that he has carried us through.
We might ask why all this matters. The early church was very similar to the church today. The church was filled with people. Filled with people that had struggles, joys, passions, and sorrows. Filled with people that had ambitions and people that wanted to encourage others. The church contained people that had faith and with people that doubted their own faith. They just like us, distracted at times, and at other times exhibited faith that would amaze us. The fact is that they and we are not able to do things on our own. We need each other and most importantly we need Jesus. It is only through Him that we can discern true wisdom, the type of wisdom that brings life. As we enter this time of holy expectancy let us consider the living and active word of God. Let us allow that word to pierce us and search us and remove from us all that contributes to spiritual rebellion and death so that we can become encouragers of life.
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