The essence of the Letter to the Hebrews Mon. 12 Jan. 2015 – Heb. 1:1-6; Ps. 97; Mark 1:14-20 The letter to the Hebrews was not written by St. Paul. It was probably written by Apollos, “a man well-versed in Scriptures” (Acts 18:24-28). This letter was addressed to the first Christian communities of Palestine who were being persecuted for becoming followers of Christ. Many of them had lost their possessions. These people, who were familiar with the Old Testament, may well have been Jewish priests who believed in Jesus but were going through a crisis of faith. Indeed, up until then, the Temple had been their whole lives: there, they offered sacrifices and received part of the sacrificed animals in payment. Now, not only had they been excluded and removed from the temple by the Jews, Christ had also replaced them as the New Temple, the perfect victim pleasing to God, and the only Priest capable of putting people right with God. Thus, Jesus, a layman, had relegated the Temple of Jerusalem and its cult, and overturned the priesthood of the “sons of Aaron.” In effect, he had taken their work from them, as well as their means of survival. At times, these men, who had known the human side of Jesus, had their doubts: was it certain that everything had changed because of this man? This is primarily why the Letter to the Hebrews was written. This letter showed the Jews that the Jewish religion, with its imposing ceremonies in the Temple of Jerusalem, was but the image of something greater. The pardon of sin and the spirit of religion – the aspiration of the entire Old Testament – was to be the work of the authentic priest of all: Jesus, the Son of God. There was no other sacrifice but his. It began on the Cross with agony and ended in glory. There are many “Hebrews” in our world today. They include persecuted Christians, the sick who no longer have hope, those jobless through no fault of theirs, and those who oppose the injustice and mediocrity of the society in which we live. Although many of them do not understand all the notions and quotations in the letter of Hebrews, they feel encouraged in the faith. They understand that God is constant, faithful and merciful. They understand that suffering purifies and prepares them for Gods blessings. Accordingly, they persevere in hope and faith, and ultimately, triumph over evil. May this be so for all believers, in Jesus’ Name.
Posted on: Sun, 11 Jan 2015 22:35:21 +0000
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