1:1 Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by
the prophets,
1:2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he
appointed heir of all things, through whom he also created the
worlds.
1:3 He is the reflection of God's glory and the exact imprint of
God's very being, and he sustains all things by his powerful word.
When he had made purification for sins, he sat down at the right
hand of the Majesty on high,
1:4 having become as much superior to angels as the name he has
inherited is more excellent than theirs.
2:5 Now God did not subject the coming world, about which we are
speaking, to angels.
2:6 But someone has testified somewhere, "What are human beings that
you are mindful of them, or mortals, that you care for them?
2:7 You have made them for a little while lower than the angels; you
have crowned them with glory and honor,
2:8 subjecting all things under their feet." Now in subjecting all
things to them, God left nothing outside their control. As it is, we
do not yet see everything in subjection to them,
2:9 but we do see Jesus, who for a little while was made lower than
the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because of the
suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death
for everyone.
2:10 It was fitting that God, for whom and through whom all things
exist, in bringing many children to glory, should make the pioneer
of their salvation perfect through sufferings.
2:11 For the one who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all
have one Father. For this reason Jesus is not ashamed to call them
brothers and sisters,
2:12 saying, "I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters,
in the midst of the congregation I will praise you."
In Hebrews 2:6 it is writtern, "But someone has testified
somewhere...."
I'm glad that I'm not the only one who has trouble remembering who
said what and from what book, chapter, and verse!
DSS
DSS- Ditto! Hope that you adn I are not the only ones thinking about
preaching from Hebrews this week. Maurice Boyd wrote a sermon on vs.
1- about the fact that the Bible and God in Jesus are a continuous
revelation- on-going still today. I like that prespective. Could
tlak about revelation throughout the Bible continually opening up to
new realities adn perspectives- never stagnant- and also revelation
in our own time and lives. rrr
rrr and DSS: Thought I would be one of few preaching from Hebrews
this week with such rich texts from Job and Mark as well. I am
really focused on verse 11: Jesus is not ashamed to call us brothers
and sisters! llg
Hi Everyone. I'm here too. I've never had an opportunity to preach
from Hebrews, being somewhat new and all to my pastorate, but since
it is time to start thinking about stewardship and all, I like this
pericope, especially verses 6-8. But I also am drawn to "pioneer of
their salvation," and bringing "many children to glory." Lots of
good things. I'm looking forward to studying and hearing what you
all have to share about it.
Jude in Wash
Come on everyone, let's have a discussion!
I'm focusing on a larger theme that's running through the full
lectionary passage.
Jesus is divine because He was with God at the beginning and is now
with God forever more. Yet, the writer of Hebrews points out that
Jesus came and suffer with us. Therefore He is fully human.
That makes Him the perfect go between for God and humans. He is the
perfect priest, sacrificing Himself as an atonement for us. He is
like a pioneer, leading the way in how to live. He is a mediator,
interceding for us before God.
All this for our salvation.
I don't have my notes with me so I'm writing all this from my memory
so it doesn't sound complete.
rrr and llg, flesh out your ideas. Maybe I could steal some of your
ideas! ;-)
stpastor
The verse that stands out for me is "what are human beings that you
are mindful of them, or, mortals that you care for them? I remember
a movie, Angel on My Shoulder> Does anyone remember that old 40's
movie, in which, if I am correct, Satan has a scene in which he
rants at God, while looking at the stars and says something like,
"Why do you love them? They don't love you, they betray you, and
yet, you love them. Why?" Who are we that God should be mindful of
us? Does anyone remember that movie? Stan in TENN.
I am going with a theme of "God is love". First, as the letter says,
God sent his prophets into the world to preach the word of God.
Prophets are figures like Samuel, Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel. Think for
a moment how wonderful this is! Think of the riches we have to gain
from these inspired words. Playback in your mind the line, "What are
mortals that you are mindful of them?" We must mean quite a lot to
God. He sent the prophets to us after all.
But then it all becomes ifinitely richer, for God sends his own Son
to us. This is the one who has all that the Creator has, the
authority to judge and raise us, the authority to rule on heaven and
on earth, the authority to govern our lives right now. God must love
us very much to give us first the prophets, and then second his Son.
Alex in Ohio
Friends, I'm thinking about "who's in charge". God has left nothing
outside human control. He's given us "dominion". What does it mean
to be in charge? When I come up with an answer--I might have a
sermon.
LHS in GA
LHS in GA, Think about who owns creation. Although we have been
given "dominion," we don't have total say in what to do with
creation. We are just stewards of creation.
Since we are stewards, what is our task? Especially since we are
taking care of creation for God.
How's that?
stpastor
I thought about the number of people who have enjoyed and
appreciated the Angel series on TV: Touched by an Angel, Highway to
Heaven, etc. They are good, but disappointing for us as Christians
because they never go far enough. The writer of Hebrews is saying
that the angels had their place in revelation, but now Jesus has
come to give the full revelation of God. Jesus is superior to the
angels, and perhaps, we can take the current interest in angels and
point these people to the superior mesage of Jesus. The writer of
Hebrews definitely points them to Jesus and His Salvation. The
Hebrews author also gives us a chance to address Yom Kippor, which
will be Monday, and describe how Jesus completed that Atonement with
the "foolishment" of the Cross.
Pastor John in NH
I am going with the theme, "Does God care?" We live in a society
today where people feel as if no one cares about them. People are
crying out and hungering for someone who can identify with where
they are at or at least someone who will take the time in this
hurried world to listen (truly listen.)
What a wonderful God we serve for He cared enough to send the very
best, His own Son, who came and experienced the world in the flesh.
Our God is One who knows our hurts and our pains. Our God cries with
us when we cry and rejoices with us in our times of celebrations. It
is so amazing to know a God who is both fully human (experiencing
the pain, the joy, the suffering, and the excitement that we
experience, and yet He is fully Divine (knows every aspect of our
lives and has not abandoned us to walk through this life alone.)
Does God care? Oh yes, He does!!! He loves us more than we could
ever know! Praise the Lord who knows our very being and loves us and
cares for us still!!!
Yooper Pastor
Fred Craddock preached a magnificent series on Hebrews. He believes
that it is a plea from those who have remained in the church now
persecuted to those who are leaving. One of his sermons titles is "A
Plea From the Parking Lot" In reference to the fact the the church
parking lot is often where the real dialog takes place. Just some
food for thought
Rev Pump in Denver
Double dittos to DSS. I too, often fall back on "somewhere it says".
Probably just laziness on my part. I own several concordances. I
could look it up, but find that, from the pulpit, talking to folks
who recognise a verse as one they have heard, or if not, who trust
that you are not going to lie to them, they will trust you without a
citation. Too many times I've heard or read a discourse with
numerous scripture references in close order, and the insertion of
book, chapter, and verse after each one detracts from the flow of
thought. So, good for the Hebrews author and we who follow form!
Like stpastor, I'm looking at a theme touching all the lections, but
a different one. I'm focusing on the first three verses- God has
spoken in many ways before, but now the best way has come, Jesus.
This picture of God is superior to others. so much so, that he is
the "exact imprint of God's own being". All other understandings of
God are incomplete and inferior.
Take the story of Job, please!(sorry) Job's author paints a picture
of a God that allows the death of ten children just to win a wager
with Satan. I'm glad I had outgrown that conception of God before
two of my own children died. I knew God doesn't discount children
because of how Jesus treats them in the Mark passage(and elsewhere).
While on the Mark lection I'll just mention that Moses granted
divorce because of Man's(mostly men's) hard hearts but God's purpose
all along was for something permanent. So most commands of the O.T.
were not statements of the good, but limitations on the bad. "Eye
for eye" was not to shows God's vengence, but to limit ours. And so
on.
These commandments, while aiming humanity toward God's goals allowed
folks like Job and the psalmist of #26 to pride themselves for being
"Good" merely because they hadn't been bad. Job mistakenly thinks
himself equal to arguing with God. The psalmist thinks himself
better than "those evil people". Both become "I" centered. Contrast
with Jesus, who humbles himself to our plane of existence, and so
becomes proud to call us (warts and all) his brothers and sisters.
His not the pompous superiority that seperates him from the hoi
paloi, but the love that gathers we "little ones" and commends us to
God. tom in TN(USA)
Ninth hour pastor here... with some thoughts/questions. Are we faced
here, in Hebrews, in dealing with the topic of "Angels" and their
place in "the world" and God's realm, on a very real and ongoing
historical struggle -- about how the Divine meets the Human?
(Remembering the "created in our image" here of Genesis... the
argument that the people of God have always struggled to "sort out"
myth and "gods" from faith and GOD. ...If anyone can help me unravel
this more? I'd be grateful! *S*
In God's Grace and Glory,
Pastor Pam'la Pennsylvania
When I start this scripture, I think "Once upon a time..." and after
verse ten it should read, "And they lived happily ever after." Why
doesn't it? Because we do not live what is inbetween! When Jesus was
born, God breathed the same breath of the Holy Spirit in him as he
did in Adam, as he did in you and me. And I think of Jesus being
below the angels and I wonder why. Angels are created to watch over
us frail humans, not do our work for us. Jesus was sent to work,
educate us in the ways that God wants us to live, to show us the way
to eternal life, to die on the cross for our sins to make our way
easier. We think we have it so tough being Christians, how much
harder would it be if Jesus had not made our salvation possible?
"Listen! And I will tell you a mystery, we shall not all die, but we
shall be changed." Hallelujah! That is the "and they lived happily
ever after." I sure wish more of us were preaching this so we could
get more discussion. This scripture is like a box of Lady Godiva
Chocolates, too rich to have all at once, but to be savored verse by
verse. WVToni
