Today’s reading is Hebrews 3

Tom writes:

He is talking to Jews. As the name of the letter shows, it was the Hebrews that he was addressing. And their temptation was great - they could so easily just drop this Jesus-bit out of their religion and it would make life so much more comfortable. People were getting persecuted for the Jesus-bit. People were getting ostracised for the Jesus-bit. People weren’t getting let into the synagogue because of the Jesus-bit. So maybe it would just make sense to nudge the Jesus-bit somewhere to the back of the draw and instead focus on the faith-bit and the love-bit and the God of Abraham-bit. There is a similar temptation today. We can be tempted not to talk about God as a person called Jesus, not to assert that there is more to our faith than a vague spiritual reality. We can face a strong temptation to speak of Jesus as a fluffy friend (or a “spiritual” belief) rather than a real person with defined opinions, who is opposed to some stuff and in favour of other stuff. It can be tempting to compromise or fit in or just tone down what makes us stand out. But then we depart from the bible. Then we err from this call to fix our thoughts on Jesus. Then we lose sight of the greatest part of this whole thing.

Jesus is the worthy one because he is so unusual. Jesus deserves the greater honour because he is so much more than a “religious figure” or a subject of belief. Jesus is the faithful one who is building us into his house. Jesus is the one in whom we share life and all that is right. If we get this then we know that we can’t just hold loosely to Jesus. Everything in Christianity must be from Jesus, about Jesus, towards Jesus… or it isn’t Christianity at all. And Christianity is the only faith that Yahweh is endorsing. That is the core conviction in this epistle to the Hebrews. You can’t nudge Jesus to one side of your Christian faith. You can’t go back to Judaism and think Yahweh will give you a high five. And for us the point is this; you can’t be a cultural Christian. We need to not even just talk generally about Christianity and church and the bible. We need to have Jesus as our prime focus, our Way, our light of life. So I leave this passage wondering whether Jesus does indeed get the bulk of my focus? Am I really a Jesus freak? Does he punctuate my days and fill my thoughts in the night? I really want him to. Everything else just doesn’t seem to satisfy. Come Lord Jesus and become everything to me.

Question for reflection

How often do you think about Jesus?

Hebrews 3 - Monday 16th September