Day 31, Fri., 16th Mar.: Heb. 8.3-8, 13

We continue puzzling over the Letter to the Hebrews, a few chapters further on. The author's discussion has been focussed on Jesus' status as a High priest of the order of Melchizedek. However, the New Covenant is a much better arrangement, "a more excellent ministry...enacted through better promises.

Here is something else to puzzle about: Why did the framers of the Revised Common Lectionary leave out all but a verse of the quote from Jeremiah 31 which we looked at a few days ago? Anyway, at this point the writer to the Hebrews is trying to establish that the Old Covenant was faulty; otherwise there would have been no need to establish the New Covenant that Jeremiah described. The apostle Paul tackled the same question. They clearly had to if they were trying to convince interested Jews and Jewish-background followers of Jesus. Paul used images such as the law being like a babysitter; there until the time of majority arrived.

Verse 13 summarises the writer's point:
"In speaking of ‘a new covenant’, he has made the first one obsolete. And what is obsolete and growing old will soon disappear."

We live in the time of the New Covenant. Our place is to live out this New Covenant, to trust that god will bring into being all that god means to by it, and to help God , each in the way that God has in mind for us.

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