From Why Me? to Why Not?
You and Jesus?

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.”

Read just Hebrews 5:5 & 6.

I don’t know about you, but the imagery of the high priest didn’t speak to me at all at first. If the recurring theme for this week of readings was the humble and lowly being trusting despite their powerlessness, the high priest has come in on the wrong cue. Some study helped me see that the functions of high priest included that of teacher and interpreter of God’s will. So then I can read this passage to mean that God’s intention for Jesus was to teach others about a different vision of life, God’s vision not our own. In the world that Jesus inhabited it was no easy task to speak of a different way of seeing the world. That puts perspective on our charge to teach and interpret an alternative vision for life in our worldwide community. Just as Jesus as God’s son was appointed to this priestly task, we as children of God are appointed for the same witness. We, too, must ‘lift up the lowly’ and ‘fill the hungry’, ‘be the ones of peace’.

Prayer:  Author of Justice and Peace, strengthen me for the teaching and interpreting of Your vision. Amen.