One who gets it
One who gets it
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.
Something to think about
Since 1990, Radio 4 has broadcast ‘Moral Maze’, a programme of lively debate about moral issues behind the news. The programme’s longevity and popularity speaks of our human need for ethical wisdom, as we wrestle with age-old questions in an ever changing world. Aside from the alliterative appeal, the name evokes the quest for a route by which we might navigate the issues and come out unscathed by immorality.
The Christian life is much more than a series of ethical challenges, but we are sure to face many a crossroads day by day. When do we speak out, and when do we stay silent? When should we act on our passions, and when should we exercise patience? How can I do right when there only seem to be wrong choices?
Just as Jesus has blazed a trail for us through death, so too has he navigated the rocky roads through life, and emerged battered and bruised but blameless. We might believe that one who has always got things right would be judgemental and scornful of us who get so many things wrong, but the writer to the Hebrews has experienced just the opposite: the kind sympathy of one who really ‘gets it’, and can help us find the right path between a rock and a hard place.
Something to do
Reflect prayerfully on an ethical situation that you struggle with – whether a moral dilemma, or a simple struggle to what you believe to be the right thing. You might like to listen to an episode of Moral Maze if there is one that feels appropriate!