Scripture Text (NRSV)
10:11 And every priest stands day after day at his service, offering
again and again the same sacrifices that can never take away sins.
10:12 But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for
sins, "he sat down at the right hand of God,"
10:13 and since then has been waiting "until his enemies would be made
a footstool for his feet."
10:14 For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who
are sanctified.
10:15 And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us, for after saying,
10:16 "This is the covenant that I will make with them after those
days, says the Lord: I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will
write them on their minds,"
10:17 he also adds, "I will remember their sins and their lawless
deeds no more."
10:18 Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any
offering for sin.
10:19 Therefore, my friends, since we have confidence to enter the
sanctuary by the blood of Jesus,
10:20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the
curtain (that is, through his flesh),
10:21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God,
10:22 let us approach with a true heart in full assurance of faith,
with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies
washed with pure water.
10:23 Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering,
for he who has promised is faithful.
10:24 And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good
deeds,
10:25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but
encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day
approaching.
Comments:
I like what you said about being rescued as community. does anyone
know the story about the guy who turned down what looked like heaven
because they wouldn't take his dog and he said he didn't want to go to
a place that wouldn't take his best friend. i think I got it here a
few hyears ago but i am in a new congregation and could use it agian.
We get too individualistic about salvation. it reminds me of when I
started out premed. People would practically cut your throat for a
higher grade than you because they knew you were competition.
Mspastor in RI
The letter to the Hebrews presents an extended discussion of how
Christ offered himself as a sacrifice so that sinners, cleansed by his
blood, might have life. Therefore, the writer concludes, our life
together should be marked by confidence, assurance, hope, and
encouragement.
Hebrews contrasts the repeated offering of the priests with the
once-and-for-all offering of Christ. Yet while that sacrifice endures,
patience is involved. The text speaks of Christ's waiting for the
subduing of his enemies, even as it affirms our own "holding fast" to
hope without wavering. The author asserts we may hold fast to hope
because of God's faithfulness. Difficult times cannot outlast the God
revealed in Jesus Christ. In trusting God, we find not only
encouragement for ourselves but also strength and insight to encourage
others.
Mspastor in RI, I didn't read the story you're referring to online,
but it sounds like an episode of the Twilight Zone from around
1959-61. As I remember it, a man living in a cabin in the woods takes
his bloodhound with him as he hunts for food. He dies while hunting (I
can't remember the cause of death), but he finds himself walking down
a road with his dog. They come to a cutoff where a man is standing by
a gate. The gatekeeper invites the man in, saying it's heaven, and the
hunter is about to go in with his dog, but the gatekeeper tells him
dogs aren't allowed in. The hunter argues that the dog is the best
hunting dog a person could want, and he was very tame and wouldn't
bother anyone; but the gatekeeper still refuses the hunter entrance
unless he leaves the dog. The hunter says that if his dog's not
welcome, he doesn't want to go in himself, even if it is heaven. He
sets off down the road and comes after a bit to another cutoff with
another gatekeeper, who also invites him in. The hunter tells him he
won't go in unless he can bring his dog, and this gatekeeper tells him
the dog is welcome, too. The hunter tells him that the gatekeeper down
the road wouldn't let his dog go in with him; and this gatekeeper
tells him that the other one is a liar, since that cutoff led to hell
and not to heaven. This cutoff, however, really leads to heaven, so
all are welcome.
The theology might be suspect, but in a limited way, the story has
some good illustrative possibilities.
Doug in IL
Both William Willimon in his "Pulpit Resource" and Eugene Peterson in
his intro to Hebrews in the "Message" have some wonderful thoughts on
the dangers of religion, especially if religion is seen as a way for
us to get right with God. We can't get right with God no matter how
hard we try. All attempts are doomed to failure. The only way for us
to get right with God is for God to make it happen, and he did in
Christ. I'm going to use Jeremiah 31:31ff to help illustrate the point
as God promises to engrave the law/his will upon the hearts of his
people. Redemption/reconcilliation/salvation is never because of our
action. It is always and only because of God's love and grace. We
can't earn it or perform enough sacrifices to get on God's good side.
We can only humbly accept it and rejoice in it. I think that is the
purpose of our gathering weekly for worship. We do not gather to have
the priest offer sacrifices for us, we gather to celebrate the true
sacrifice that God provided in Jesus Christ. In my tradtion (PCUSA) we
have a corporate prayer of confession each week. I think that is an
important aspect of worship as it proclaims that we do not and cannot
get it right, but that as Paul writes, "While we were yet sinners,
Christ died for us," and reconciled us to himself. Worship is our
opportunity to rejoice in God's grace as well as to "stir up" or
provoke one another to love and good works, to hold one another
accountable, to encourage, support and build up one another that we
might live according to the hope and life God has given us in Christ.
Tom in TN
The verse that reached out and grabbed me this week is v 24, "Let us
consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds." It's easy
enough to provoke someone to do something bad, but how do we go about
provoking good. I like the concept and am still in the mulling-it-over
stage. Something of more substance than merely Random Acts of Kindness
and Senseless Acts of Beauty. When we provoke someone to do good, what
does it look like?
Joye in Baltimore
Joye in Baltimore,
I, too, was grabbed by v. 24 -- so much so, in fact, that my sermon
title on this Sunday (when we will be consecrating the commitment
(both cards and people) of the congregation) is "Provoking Thanks."
How many people get disgruntled when gifts they send to others are not
acknowledged? (I have a niece who never acknowledges gifts and that
really irritates her grandmother.) How magnificent a gift does it take
to provoke a thankful response from the recipients of those gifts?
Yet, how often do we have to be provoked into thanking God for all
that is ours through God's mercy by some unusual condition in our
lives?
Early in the week, but this seems to be the gist of the message put
upon my heart this week.
Robbie in Kansas
Joye & Robbie,
If you go with the "provoking" image, think about using the Hannah
story as Peninnah's provoking of Hannah provides an interesting
contrast to Hebrews calling us to provoke one another to love and good
works. The NRSV uses "Stir up" instead of provoke which brings all
sorts of images such as a coach "stirring up" his/her team for the
game, of encouragement for one another, etc.
Tom in Tn
Hi, umm, i'm doing a children's talk and sunday school for our service
this sunday, and i have absolutely *no idea* of what to do,i was
hoping that someone on this board knew something that is quick and
simple to set up?
thanks in advance
I want to focus on the issue of access to God through Jesus Christ and
talk about our direct line to God. Does anyone remember the humorous
story about a phone line to heaven that ends in a location where the
phone call is a local call? I have forgotten a part of the story line
leading up to that punch line. Thanks for the help if you can. TN Mack
I'm not sure where I'm going with it yet but what caught my eye was
12-13. When Christ had offered for all the perfect sacrifice "He sat
down and has been waiting......" His wait for us is never over but our
waiting for salvation was over when Christ died for us and changed all
the rules, (vs. 14) "For by a single offering he has perfected for ALL
TIME those who are sanctified. Sandy in TX
Doug in IL - the Twilight Zone's theology, in this case, is not
suspect! It's the "beware" that Jesus was talking about!
Sally in GA
v. 23 - "let us hold fast to the confession of our HOPE."
I wonder what it would look like if we confessed our hope? Yes, I
understand, when we confess faith, there is profound hope in that, but
this verse says "hope." It may not be wise to interchange these two
words as easily as we often do.
I made a confession of hope today.
Sally
On the provoking - how does one go about provoking someone to good
works? And who's to say what a "good work" is? By whose definition?
Sally in gA (yeah, I'm still here, and still thinking)
I should say, by whose interpretation of the definition of "good
works."
-S
Sally - Christ is our "confession of hope without wavering." It seems
to me confessing our hope is not as important as our "approaching (and
accepting) with a true heart in full assurance of faith" in that
"hope". Sandy in TX
To TNMack This is the first itme I've written in- but have been
reading for a couple of years. Regarding your request. I was reminded
of the song "Operator" sung by Manhattan Transfer in 1975 (among
others), written by William Spivey. It goes something like this:
Operator, give me information. Information, give me long distance.
Long distance, give me heaven. Oh, opertor , information give me Jesus
on the line. Oh, operator, information I 'd like to speak to a friend
of mine. Prayer is the number, Faith is the exchange, Heaven is the
street, and Jesus is the name. Oh, operator, information give me Jesus
on the line. ... Tell me why. ... Don't try to tell me where I wanna
go. ...My monmma used this number when I was very small, and every
time she dialed it she always got a call. ...please hurry...please
connect with heaven...Don't worry 'bout the money I will pay the
charge, just give me a party line I'm calling from the hall. Hope it
helps. C2 from WS
To TN Mack regarding phone line to God, I think the story has a
man/woman wanting to call God and in various places (you pick the
locale) the charge is enourmous. It continues this way until he/she
goes to another locale and finds that the call is only 25 cents.
She/he asks why, and the person answers, "Well it's a local call." Of
course being a fellow Tennesseer, the local call is from south of the
Mason/Dixon.
Tom in TN
I'm playing with a "works" vs. "grace" theme, I think. "Just What Does
It Take" is something we wonder sometimes as we try to please our
father, our mother, our parishoners. We do and we do, making lots of
dodo, sacrificing every day trying to be justified and have peace. So
what's this sacrifice, once and for all, that means we don't have to
work and earn approval? The criticisms bite into our soul, belittling
our sense of self-esteem - even if we've received lots of other
compliments. And we do more, not really thinking what Jesus did
provides us any real peace because we really don't feel justified in
our existence?
"when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins"
....the new and living way that opened for us"... "let us approach
with a true heart in full assurance of faith"..."let us hold fast to
the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised
is faithful."
Bill in Austin
Someone was looking for this joke, and though I'd heard it before, I
couldn't remember it, either. As luck would have it, a friend of mine
sent it to me in an e-mail today! And who says there's no such thing
as Providence?
-Sally in GA
** THE PHONE LINE TO GOD **
A man in Topeka, Kansas decided to write a book about churches around
the country. He started by flying to San Francisco, and started
working east from there. Going to a very large church, he began taking
photographs and making notes. He spotted a golden telephone on the
vestibule wall and was intrigued with a sign, which read "$1,000 a
minute." Seeking out the pastor he asked about the phone and the sign.
The pastor answered that this golden phone is, in fact, a direct line
to Heaven and if he pays the price he can talk directly to God. The
man thanked the pastor and continued on his way. As he continued to
visit churches in Seattle, Austin, St. Louis, Chicago, Milwaukee, and
around the United States, he found more phones, with the same sign,
and the same answer from each pastor. Finally, he arrived in South
Carolina. Upon entering a church in Spartanburg, SC, behold, he saw
the usual golden telephone. But THIS time, the sign read "Calls: 35
cents." Fascinated, he asked to talk to the pastor. "Reverend, I have
been in cities all across the country and in each church I have found
this golden telephone and have been told it is a direct line to Heaven
and that I could talk to God, but, in the other churches the cost was
$1,000 a minute. Your sign reads only 35 cents a call. Why?"----- Just
love this part -----The pastor, smiling benignly, replied, "Son,
you're in the South now....It's a local call."
Mspastor in RI &Doug in Ill. here is the story you are speaking of: A
man and his dog were walking along a road. The man was enjoying the
scenery, when it suddenly occurred to him that he was dead. He
remembered dying, and that the dog walking beside him had been dead
for years. He wondered where the road was leading them. After a while,
they came to a high, white stone wall along one side of THE ROAD. It
looked like fine marble. At the top of a long hill it was broken by a
tall arch that glowed in the sunlight. When he was standing before it
he saw a magnificent gate in the arch that looked like Mother of Pearl
and the street that led to the gate looked like pure gold. He and the
dog walked toward the gate, and as he got closer, he saw a man at a
desk to one side. When he was close enough, he called out, "Excuse me,
where are we?" "This is Heaven, sir," the man answered. "Wow! Would
you happen to have some water?" the man asked. "Of course, sir. Come
right in, and I'll have some ice water brought right up." The man
gestured, and the gate began to open. "Can my friend," gesturing
toward his dog, "come in, too?" the traveler asked. "I'm sorry, sir,
but we don't accept pets." The man thought a moment and then turned
back toward the road and continued the way he had been going with his
dog. After another long walk, and at the top of another long hill, he
came to a dirt road which led through a farm gate that looked as if it
had never been closed. There was no fence. As he approached the gate,
he saw a man inside, leaning against a tree and reading a book.
"Excuse me!" he called to the reader. "Do you have any water?" "Yeah,
sure, there's a pump over there". The man pointed to a place that
couldn't be seen from outside the gate. "Come on in." "How about my
friend here?" the traveler gestured to the dog. "There should be a
bowl by the pump." They went through the gate, and sure enough, there
was an old fashioned hand pump with a bowl beside it. The traveler
filled the bowl and took a long drink himself, then he gave some to
the dog. When they were full, he and the dog walked back toward the
man who was standing by the tree waiting or them. "What do you call
this place?" the traveler asked. This is Heaven," he answered. "Well,
that's confusing," the traveler said. "The man down the road said that
was Heaven, too." "Oh, you mean the place with the gold street and
pearly gates? Nope. That's Hell." "Doesn't it make you mad for them to
use your name like that?" "No. I can see how you might think so, but
we're just happy that they screen out the folks who'll leave their
best friends behind."
kate/pomona
Mspastor in RI &Doug in Ill. here is the story you are speaking of: A
man and his dog were walking along a road. The man was enjoying the
scenery, when it suddenly occurred to him that he was dead. He
remembered dying, and that the dog walking beside him had been dead
for years. He wondered where the road was leading them. After a while,
they came to a high, white stone wall along one side of THE ROAD. It
looked like fine marble. At the top of a long hill it was broken by a
tall arch that glowed in the sunlight. When he was standing before it
he saw a magnificent gate in the arch that looked like Mother of Pearl
and the street that led to the gate looked like pure gold. He and the
dog walked toward the gate, and as he got closer, he saw a man at a
desk to one side. When he was close enough, he called out, "Excuse me,
where are we?" "This is Heaven, sir," the man answered. "Wow! Would
you happen to have some water?" the man asked. "Of course, sir. Come
right in, and I'll have some ice water brought right up." The man
gestured, and the gate began to open. "Can my friend," gesturing
toward his dog, "come in, too?" the traveler asked. "I'm sorry, sir,
but we don't accept pets." The man thought a moment and then turned
back toward the road and continued the way he had been going with his
dog. After another long walk, and at the top of another long hill, he
came to a dirt road which led through a farm gate that looked as if it
had never been closed. There was no fence. As he approached the gate,
he saw a man inside, leaning against a tree and reading a book.
"Excuse me!" he called to the reader. "Do you have any water?" "Yeah,
sure, there's a pump over there". The man pointed to a place that
couldn't be seen from outside the gate. "Come on in." "How about my
friend here?" the traveler gestured to the dog. "There should be a
bowl by the pump." They went through the gate, and sure enough, there
was an old fashioned hand pump with a bowl beside it. The traveler
filled the bowl and took a long drink himself, then he gave some to
the dog. When they were full, he and the dog walked back toward the
man who was standing by the tree waiting or them. "What do you call
this place?" the traveler asked. This is Heaven," he answered. "Well,
that's confusing," the traveler said. "The man down the road said that
was Heaven, too." "Oh, you mean the place with the gold street and
pearly gates? Nope. That's Hell." "Doesn't it make you mad for them to
use your name like that?" "No. I can see how you might think so, but
we're just happy that they screen out the folks who'll leave their
best friends behind."
kate/pomona
I am trying to go with vs 16. I remember hearing a story about a man
who was hostage in the Middle East somewhere for many years. He said
what kept him sane was the fact that in Sunday School and in other
studies, he had memorized scripture. Because he had those scriptures
in his heart, he was able to claim the promise of them, even though in
prison. Does anyone remember who this was?
I was also thinking about the Ten Commandments. As we know, the first
five are about worshipping God, the next five are about human
relationships. What kind of a world would this be if even the
unchurched, non-believing, even unsaved people started following just
the last five commandments?
What would it mean if we would put these laws in our hearts? I have
even observed times on this forum where we, those called to preach do
not "love our neighbor as ourself". Talk it and walk it! Dick Wills in
his book, "Waking to God's Dream", says that until we move God from
our heads to our hearts nothing will happen. In 16, the Lord is saying
that the law has to be both places, I think because we need to know
the law but we have to love the Lord enough to follow it.
I sure wish I could do this earlier in the week to get more feedback,
but I know there are several of us who seem to finish up on Saturday
nights. BTW, I thank all of you for often "provoking" me to dig deeper
into the scripture. Toni
