Category: Sermons

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A new day, but will we tell anyone?

Jeff Garrison
Bluemont and Mayberry Churches
Easter Sunday 2021
Mark 16:1-8

Sermon recorded at Bluemont Church on Friday, April 2, 2021

At the beginning of worship: 

Why do we come here this morning? Do we come because it’s the thing to do on Easter Sunday? To get all dressed up for church. Do we come because we’re excited about the empty tomb and wonder what will happen next? Or do we come because we realize how empty Easter will be if we allow the holiday to be completely commercialized?  

The Commercialization of Easter

A number of years ago, there was a cartoon on the opinion page of a newspaper that caught my attention. The words at the top read the “Commercialization of Easter.” Down below it showed a kid who had bitten into a giant chocolate Easter Bunny. The kid then looks into the bunny that’s empty on the inside and shouts, “It’s hollow!” He’s right. I often felt that way about those chocolate Easter bunnies. They’re deceiving. You think you’ve hit the chocolate jackpot and find it thinly disguised.

But think of this seriously. If today is just about Easter Bunnies and spring dresses and flowers (many of which were killed in the freeze over the past few days), the holiday is hollow. Yet, the boy’s also right in another way. For the tomb is hollow, which is another way to say it’s empty. An empty tomb and Jesus set free makes all the difference in the world. The empty tomb in which we hear the hollow echo of our voices, provides hope.

Taft and Coffin 

Supposedly, back early in last century, William Howard Taft, the President of the United States, and Henry Sloane Coffin, one of the great preachers of the time, discussed the League of Nations. In case you don’t remember, the League of Nations was an attempt after the First World War to establish a United Nations type of organization. In discussing the League’s demise, Taft reportedly said to Coffin, “You ought to know that in this world the best things get crucified; but they rise again.”[1]

Personally, I don’t think that’s always true. It goes against logic, which makes Easter all the more important. I believe and know that Jesus was crucified, died and was buried, and he rose again. And that’s why I come here on this morning. That’s why we worship on the first the day of the week. I hope this is why you come. We come because the tomb is empty. Christ is risen. Even though it seemed on Friday that evil had its way, as it so often does, we come here this morning to celebrate good over evil, life over death.

Sunrise, a few weeks ago

After the Reading of Scripture: 

Mark has an interesting way of telling the Easter story. Just after the sun rises, two women, Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Salome, come to the tomb for the sole purpose of anointing Jesus’ body. They want to prepare the corpse for its eventual decay. They’re ready with spices and bandages. They do this because they were friends of Jesus; in a sense they were a part of his earthly family. It’s their duty and also a way to say goodbye and to put this part of their life behind them. Furthermore, because Jesus died late on the day before the Sabbath, he had to be quickly placed in the tomb before the Sabbath began at sunset. So, there wasn’t time to prepare the body for the grave.

Not everything could be done on Friday 

These women are going to do what they were not able to do on Friday. Yet, they head to the tomb with faith, for they know someone will have to roll away the stone. Along the way they discuss this problem. But they are unable to come up with an answer.

The Surprise at the Tomb

 Then, when they reach the tomb, they find the unexpected has happened. The stone has already been removed. And when they look inside, instead of finding Jesus, they see a young man who obviously is an angel, a messenger from God, dressed in white. Mark tells us they were alarmed, which seems to be an unnecessary bit of information. Of course, they are alarmed. We’d be, too. The dead don’t rise from the grave. 

This young man acknowledges that they are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who had been crucified. Certainly, those who suffered on the cross don’t rise from the grave. Yet, that’s what he said has happened. Jesus has been raised. They are to go and tell the disciples that Jesus will meet them in Galilee. 

A Natural Reaction

And what do the women do? Scared to death, they flee, and they don’t tell anyone what happened. That, by the way, is the original ending of the book of Mark.[2] And it’s where I am ending the text we’re wrestling with today. 

Mark’s gospel verses John’s

There is a reason Mark’s gospel contains the least favorite resurrection story. Most of us prefer John, with its beautiful language and storytelling. There, we’re told Mary Magdalene comes to the tomb alone, before sunrise. It’s still dark. She comes, probably wanting some quiet time with Jesus, only to find the stone rolled away and Jesus missing. She runs and tells the disciples. Next, there’s the foot race between Peter and John. 

While Peter and John check out the tomb, Mary Magdalene hangs around outside. A strange man comforts her. She takes him as the gardener. But when this man calls Mary by name, she recognizes him. Out of a deep devotion, she calls him Rabbi… Jesus has made his first resurrection appearance.

Attempts to “Clean Up” Mark’s Ending

But Mark, he ends his story with the women running away and so distraught that they cannot tell anyone. It doesn’t seem right. A century or so later, in the end of the second and early in the third century, we have two additional endings of Mark’s gospel. One is short, the other is long. The long one contains a number of interesting appearances of Jesus along with a commissioning that speaks of them handling snakes and drinking poison, something not mentioned in the other gospels and certainly not done in most Presbyterian Churches. 

Why Did Mark End His Story this Way?

Why did the original ending of Mark leave us with frightened women who can’t tell what happened?[3] Did Mark run out of time to finish his gospel? Perhaps he suffered an early martyrdom. Dragged away with his pen still wet? Or perhaps he meant to end the story here, leaving us hanging. That’s a common literary technique. Movies do this. The reader is left to ponder what happened. 

The Caine Mutiny

Some of you may remember the book, movie or Broadway play, “The Caine Munity.”[4] In was about the crew of a minesweeper in the South Pacific during World War 2. The captain, acting irrationally, forces the other officers aboard the ship to relieve him of command. This results in their court-martial. 

There was a remake of the play, which I saw in 2003. The original movie and play concluded with the acquittals of the officers and the reaction of others crew members at a party afterwards. But in this remake, the play ends after both the prosecution and defense rests their case. In the remake, it’s left up to the audience to decide the guilt and innocence of the defendants. 

Mark’s Saying, It’s Up to Us

In a way, the original ending of Mark’s gospel is like that. We’re left to wonder, to finish out the story. Do we believe it? And, if so, does it make any difference in our lives?

Where Jesus’ Meets Us

Another way to understand the ending is to consider what the women were told. They were to tell the disciples that Jesus was going to meet them in Galilee. Why Galilee, we might wonder? Well, Galilee is where they’re from. They’re tourists or pilgrims in Jerusalem. They grew up in Galilee. It’s where they work, and their families are at. In other words, Galilee is their ordinary life. 

And where does Jesus meet us? For some, it happens in church, but most often, I suggest, Jesus meets us where we live and work. In other words, Jesus meets us in the ordinary. 

Ann Lamott’s Conversion

One of the most moving conversion stories I’ve heard is from Ann Lamott. In her book, Traveling Mercies, she writes about being totally down and out. It was 1984 and she lived on a small houseboat in the San Francisco Bay. Because the father was married, she recently had an abortion. A few days after the procedure, something went wrong. She began to bleed. Instead of seeking help, she drank and did drugs and wanted to die. 

Throughout this time, she felt someone sitting at the foot of the loft where he had her bed. She turned on the light to see and no one was there. But she was sure it was Jesus, watching over her. He was gone in the morning. However, for the next few days, she felt as if Jesus was following her like a cat. And, like a cat, she knew if she ever let him in, she could never get rid of him. After about a week, she relented. She accepted Jesus into her life.[5]

Jesus Will Meet Us in Galilee

Jesus meets us in the Galilees of our lives. Like Lamott, we may be down and out. We may be filled with grief. Or we may be looking for direction. And then Jesus shows up. Sometimes, like with Lamott, he’s by himself. Other times he shows up through the actions of another believer who reaches out to us. And Jesus offers hope. The tomb is no longer the end. Life is beautiful and continues on. “Come, follow me, let me show you,” he says. 

The Empty Tomb Gives Hope

We gather here today as Christians have gathered over the millenniums, because the empty tomb gives us hope and provides us with possibilities of what life is all about.  We gather because once we look into the empty tomb, our lives are changed. No longer do we need to look back, like the women did when they were ready to anoint the body with spices. 

We can now look forward into a new and exciting future that God is creating. On Easter, we’re reminded not to only enter the tomb in sadness, but to pause and look around in awe and then leave amazed at what God can do.   

Power Over Death

God’s power extends over death, so we no longer have to be afraid of dying. God’s power extends over evil, so we no longer have to be afraid of what might happen to us in this frightening world. God’s power extends over our lives so that we don’t have to live in fear that we’ll mess us.  Do not be afraid, the angel to the women, for the tomb is empty. Halleluiah! Christ is risen! Amen.  

 [1]As quoted by Richard Dixon in the Presbyterian Outlook, 15 January 1996.

[2] There are several possibilities according to Bruce Metzger: 1. The evangelist intended to close his Gospel at this place. 2. The Gospel was never finished. Or 3. The Gospel accidentally lost its last leaf before it was transcribed. See Bruce M. Metzger, A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament (1971, United Bible Societies, 1975), n7.  

[3] For a detailed treatment on Mark’s ending, see Morna D. Hooker, The Gospel According to Saint Mark (London: A & C Black, Publisher, 1991), 391-394.

[4] Herman Wouk, The Caine Munity, 1951. It was made into a movie in 1954 (Staring Humphrey Bogart) and as a 2 act Broadway play in 1954. The adaptation I saw in 2003 was at Hope College in Holland, Michigan. 

[5] Anne Lamott, Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts on Faith (New York: Anchor Books, 1999), 48-50. 

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The meaning of Palm Sunday

Jeff Garrison
Bluemont and Mayberry Presbyterian Churches
March 28, 2021
Mark 11:1-11

Sermon recorded on Friday, March 26 at Mayberry Presbyterian Church

Thoughts at the Beginning of Worship

Palm Sunday! A triumphant day when we recall Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem. Jesus arrives at the royal city, greeted by a cheering crowd. From a strictly earthly viewpoint, this is the highwater point of Jesus’ ministry. Crowds storm after Jesus. However, as we know, things change quickly. Later in the week Jesus stands alone before the authorities. 

Where do we see ourselves in the story today? Are we in the crowds cheering him on? If so, where will we be later in the week? Or perhaps we’re one the disciples, sent on the mundane task of arranging transportation. Although not a glamorous task, it’s one that receives a lot of attention in our story. If we see ourselves as a disciple, do we do our jobs with joy? Ponder these thoughts today. 

Read Mark 11:1-11

Palm tree at daybreak on Little Tybee Island, Georgia

After the reading of Scripture

Everyone loves a parade. That’s a cliché. I’m not even sure it’s true. As one who enjoys driving the backroads, coming into a small town when a parade is ongoing throws your timetable out the window. Yet, we have to admit, there’s something intoxicating about crowds. It’s addictive to be a part of something larger than ourselves. For good or bad, most of us are lured by the masses.

Jerusalem in the First Century

It’s an exciting spring day in the imperial city of Jerusalem.  Pilgrims pour in. They want to celebrate. This creates a wonderful setting for a parade.

Jesus and his gang have left Galilee and traveled to Jerusalem for Passover. I image the disciples are both excited and nervous. They hope this will be when Jesus reveals himself as the Messiah. When Jesus takes his seat on David’s throne, they want one of the cushy seats. Along the way to Jerusalem, they’ve argued over who gets the best seats.[1]

Other Parades in Jerusalem

But the disciples are also afraid of the dangers. Pilgrims have gathered from all around. Because things are so tense, Pilate, the Roman governor, leaves his home in Caesarea and sets up office in Jerusalem during the holidays.[2] He wants to be there, just in case there’s trouble. And he brings along extra Roman soldiers, again just in case. The Roman conquerors want to keep control. 

Procuring the Colt

When only a few miles from town, Jesus sends two of his disciples into the next village in order to procure a colt for his entry. We’re not told which two disciples were sent, but this probably wasn’t the best assignment. The disciples, who have these grand ideas of what they’ll be doing, find themselves working the transportation pool.[3]

Interestingly, Jesus provides precise instruction as to where to find the colt. They’re even told what to say if challenged. Jesus doesn’t want to take any chances.  He’s covering all the bases. 

The disciples find the animal. Everything goes as Jesus had predicted. Some bystanders question their taking the colt but seem satisfied with the answer that the Lord needs it. We can picture them returning to Jesus, leading the animal by its reins.  

Riding an Unbroken Colt

Brave Jesus, he’s one tough hombre, jumping up on an unbroken beast. Some scholars think this piece of information is a subtle hint to Jesus’ royalty, as no one was allowed to ride the king’s horse.[4] However, I think it shows Jesus’ bravery.

Palm Branches

The disciples, without being asked, place their cloaks on the animal as a saddle. Other followers start placing their cloaks on the ground as the procession begins. The crowd grows.  Someone runs off to cut branches—Mark doesn’t say Palm Branches, just branches cut from the field.[5]They begin to wave them along the road. The road fills as people crowd in waving branches. 

Psalm 118

And they begin to chant Hosanna, which means “Save us.” And someone starts singing the 118th Psalm as they join in:  

       Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.
 Blessed is the coming kingdom of our ancestor David!
Hosanna in the highest heaven!

As I’ve said, the crowd is filled with pilgrims. They’ve come to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. It’s the highlight of their life. It’d be like us getting a chance to celebrate New Years on Times’ Square or Mardi Gras in New Orleans. 

The Hope of Recalling God’s Acts of the Past

As they come to Jerusalem, they recall God’s great acts of salvation in the past, of how God freed the Hebrew people from Egyptian slavery and saved them from Pharaoh’s army. It’s always hopeful to reminisce about God’s past activity, for it suggests the possibility that God will act again. Who knows? 

The 118th Psalm proclaims victory. Perhaps God will act again. Perhaps God will grant victory and Israel will be restored to her former glory. So, they gather with hope. Will this be the year?

Many hope this Jesus they’re heard about is the one God will use to shake off the Romans shackles. Jesus, however, doesn’t fulfill their expectations. 

Mark’s Differences in Telling the Story

Mark has the sequence of events a little different than the other gospels. Mark says that after Jesus arrived, he heads to the temple, looks around and leaves. There are no big scenes or even a public pronouncement.[6]

Since it’s already late in the day, Jesus travels out into the suburbs, to Bethany, where perhaps the room rates are cheaper. There he spends the night with his disciples and followers. And most who had cheered him on have probably already forgotten their excitement. Since this party petered out, they search for another.

A Mini Message within the Story

There’s something important being said here. Jesus looks around then retires for the day. The next day Jesus will return and clean house. This is when Mark tells us Jesus throws out the money changers and such. But Jesus doesn’t do that right away. He first looks around and then sleeps on it. This is a lesson for us, here.

I’ve heard many people try to justify their anger with Jesus’ example of cleansing the temple. In Mark, Jesus doesn’t fly right into a triad. He first sleeps on it. Don’t be too rash; think about what you’re going to do. Again, good advice.

Of course, the next day, Jesus comes back. He’s kind of grumpy because he curses a barren fig tree and then boots the money changers out of the temple. And his public popularity begins to slide. By the end of the week, his royal welcome is forgotten. A royal execution takes place. 

What Would Our Response Be?

We’re left to wonder what our response would have been if we were there? Would we have been in the crowds shouting “Hosanna?” And if so, would we’ve also been in the crowds shouting “Crucify?”

What is it about our nature which allows us to get excited when things appear to go our way and then to back away when things seem to move in a direction with which we disagree? We forget. God’s ways are not ours. 

The crowds on Palm Sunday cheer Jesus, hoping he’ll throw Herod off the throne and become king. On Friday, after it was clear Jesus was not leading a zealous political overthrow, the same crowds cheer on the authorities, encouraging the Romans to crucify Jesus…  

Faith Verses Religion

And aren’t we the same way?  Don’t we still seek a religion which supports our beliefs and ideologies?  By the way, I call this “religion” because I do not believe it has anything to do with a faith…  Faith implies that we believe, but that we don’t have empirical proof. Faith involves trust, a willingness to admit that we, as individuals and as societies, have a sinful nature and our opinions may be wrong. 

As I heard this week, “If your god never disagrees with you, you might just be worshiping an idealized version of yourself.”[7]

Being Open to What God is Doing

Only when we are willing to be so open, can we truly be “born again.” We have to be open to God to be transformed. For you see, real transformation takes place at the cross, not in the hype of the parade. A religion which only stresses “feel good emotions,” is a Palm Sunday religion. It does not take seriously our human condition. A religion based on “feeling good,” will always mislead us.

Palm Sunday and Politics

Palm Sunday is about politics. It’s about Jesus making a mockery of those other political entrances into Jerusalem. As Jesus was coming into Jerusalem, there were two other significant political figures either already in the city or soon to be there: Pilate, the Roman governor, and Herod, a Roman puppet king. You can bet there was a parade for them, too. Tyrants like to make a show of force. We can image fancy horses and soldiers with shiny brass and spears that sparkle in the sunlight. For such parades, all the symbols of the empire’s powers on display. 

Jesus, however, displays the power of mysterious kingdom, not of this world. Yes, Palm Sunday is about politics as it reminds us of where we’re to place our allegiance. We’re not to be lured by the fancy horses and war chariots of the kings and politicians. Nor are we to be lured by mass of the crowds. Instead, we follow the humble man on a colt.    

Our Challenge

We’re called to reflect the values of this man who rode into Jerusalem on a colt some 2000 years ago. And his values constantly challenge us as to who we are and to whom we belong. Do we conform to how others want us to be, or do we strive to conform ourselves to the example of our Savior Jesus Christ? Are we intoxicated by the crowds, or by a desire to stand by the one who is the way and the truth and the life?

We hear the crowds… We’re drawn toward Jesus… Will we just hang around for the fun of the parade? Or will we to continue to follow him as his journey moves toward the cross upon which we’ll be called to sacrifice our wills and desires for his? Amen

[1] Mark 10: 35-41.

[2] Caesarea was the home for the governor. See Acts 23:23, 33 and 24:1.

[3] This idea about the “donkey detail” came from a sermon on this text by William Willimon. See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CG51eZJoYk  

[4] Morna D. Hooker, The Gospel According to Mark: Black’s New Testament Commentaries (Hendrickson’s Publishing, 1991), 258.

[5] We learn of the Palm Branches from John 12:13.

[6] In Matthew 21 and Luke 19, Jesus immediately begins to cleanse the temple following his entry into Jerusalem. John places the temple cleansings at an earlier visit to Jerusalem. See John 2:13ff. 

[7] Tim Keller (@timkellernyc) posted on Twitter on March 27, 2021.

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Hebrews 10:19-31: Worship

Jeff Garrison  
Bluemont and Mayberry Presbyterian Churches  
Hebrews 10:19-31 
March 21, 2021  
c2021

Recorded at Bluemont Church on Friday, March 19, 2021

Information at the beginning of worship

We’ve spent the last three months making our way through the first three quarters of Hebrews. Last week, I mentioned we were at an end of a section of the book that involved some serious theology and Christology. Now the author turns to practical applications, first of which is a renewed call for his listeners and readers to remain steadfast in their faith and worship. 

As I’ve spoken of many times in this series, there are many hints in the book that the intended audience may be pondering the idea of leaving their faith in Jesus behind. After developing a strong theology around what Christ has done for us, the author again pleas for the people to remain faithful. 

A summary of today’s text

 The late F. F. Bruce, a British Biblical Scholar, sums up the passage this way:  

In view of all that has been accomplished for us by Christ, [the author of Hebrews] says, let us confidently approach God in worship, let us maintain our Christian confession and hope, let us help one another by meeting together regularly for mutual encouragement, because the day which we await will soon be here.[1]

Read Hebrews 10:19-31

After the reading of Scripture

There was a time when a good part of the population looked down on bikers. But over time, once you started having lawyers and bank executives trading their pinstripe suits for leather on the weekends, that changed. 

Think of other weekend activities for adults. You have guys playing Mountain Men, or Civil War soldiers, or the men and women who get all excited about life in Renaissance. The latter hold fairs and dress as if they lived in the 15th Century, only with the benefits of the 21st Century, such as modern medicine. 

Professional Hoboes

However, until I read William Vollmann’s book, Riding Toward Everywhere, I hadn’t realized there was another group of professionals who enjoy taking on a different weekend identity. These guys become hoboes. 

Of course, jumping on a train is illegal. Vollmann defines hoboing this way: “the unauthorized borrowing property of others.”[2] I’m not sure what to make of his adventures. There is something not quite right about using cell phones to communicate between friends as you try to dodge railroad police while looking for an open car and a good place to jump onboard.

Furthermore, unlike true hobos, it doesn’t seem fair that Vollmann and his companions have additional advantages. When things get unpleasant, such as riding in an open gondola car in the rain or snow, they jump off near an Amtrak station and take the train back home. Or, if they have more time on their hands, they check into a hotel, clean up and go out to dinner. Why cook a can of beans over an open fire when you have a credit card. It also helps having medical insurance. 

For these dudes, riding the rails is a game. In one adventure, Vollmann flew on a commercial airline halfway across the country just to hop a train back to California.

Importance of friendship

But it’s more than a game. Friendship also plays a role. You have friends with shared interests that you trust. That makes all the difference. Friendship binds us in our mutual interest. This sentence from his book struck me. “It is a fine luxury to trust oneself to a friend’s strength and help him in his weaknesses, all without negotiations or resentments.”[3]

It’s nice to have friends! And with Jesus, we have a friend in high places. But we also need friends here on earth. As we see in our text today, that’s part of the purpose of gathering for worship. 

Exhortation

Our passage begins with an exhortation. Remember how I told you earlier in this series, Hebrews sifts back and forth from exposition to exhortation.[4] We just gone through an extensive exposition, an advance class in Christology. Some of you may be asking, “so what?”[5] Well, the Preacher of Hebrews now tells us why. 

Therefore

This section begins with a “therefore.” What has been previously said directs what comes next. 

In the opening three verses of this passage, we’re reminded of what has been just been covered. We now have confidence to approach God and to enter into the most holy of places because of Jesus. He’s both our High Priest and our sacrifice. Jesus’ blood has been shed for our sin. He creates a path that we might follow into a new life that takes us behind the curtain that has shielded previous generations from God. 

Jesus makes authentic worship possible

When we approach God, we’re called to worship. As people of faith, worship is necessary. When we worship, we acknowledge that God is so much bigger and stronger and better than us. We admit our limitations while proclaiming God’s glory. For Jesus has made authentic worship possible. 

I like how The Message translates verse 19, “we can now-without hesitation-walk right up to God, into “the Holy Place.” In worship, we boldly come into God’s presence. 

But worship involves more. Not only are we drawn near to God, and hold onto the promise, worship involves others. And worship isn’t just singing of hymns and listening to scripture or sermons. Verse 24 reminds us to “provoke one another to love and good deeds.” In other words, from our worship we work for the well-being of others. 

Worship as gathering

But first, we must gather. Worship isn’t something we do as individuals. Yes, as an individual, we can pray and connect to God, but worship requires others. Jesus said he’ll be where there are two or three gathered, not one.[6] And when that happens, we are transformed as we move into the presence of God. 

So, because of what Jesus has done for us, we can worship in joy and be full of hope. Our worship can transcend where we gather as we’re ushered into God’s presence. That’s the good news. We need to hold tight to this hope. 

A warning against sin

In the second half of our passage, we’re given a warning. If we continue to sin when we know better, we’re told in verse 26, God’s not going to like it. We should ask ourselves what kinds of sin does the author of Hebrews speak? After all, we’re all sinners. Even Paul refers to himself as the greatest of sinners?[7]

There are a couple of things we should understand here. We’re not talking about just any old sin. First of all, it has to be a sin willingly committed and we must have known that it was a sin. And even if we’ve committed sin, we shouldn’t lose hope. Earlier in this chapter, as we saw last week, Jesus’ sacrifice covers our sin.[8]

Apostasy

Sin is a part of the fallen human condition, which is why we have to depend on Jesus. So, here, the author refers to more than just an act, doing something against the law. It appears the sin here is apostacy or the abandonment of the hope we have in Jesus Christ.[9] When we experience God’s good news, and then abandon the faith, we have good reason to fear. Such sin “profanes the blood of Jesus,” we’re told. 

Drawing again on the Old Testament, the author of Hebrews reminds us that “vengeance belongs to God.” God will repay those who profane the good work of Jesus. We should be reminded that it’s not up for us to judge someone else, but at the same time we should examine ourselves and make sure we hold fast to the faith we have in Jesus.

Faith, Hope, and Love

One commentary summarizes this passage with Paul’s three-fold ideal of “faith, hope, and love.”[10] All three appear here. We have faith in what Christ has done for us, hope in our confession, and finally love that’s shown in how we relate to others.[11] The writer of Hebrews encourages his readers to remain faithful as they inspire one another to love and do good. 

Worship

Let think for a minute what the author might say to us not attending church. Granted, we’ve been in a difficult time for the past year with COVID and trying to avoid catching the illness. But as we come out of such a time, we need to quickly get back into the habit of gathering for worship. Interestingly, it appears from this letter, there were those who skipped church back in the first century. That still doesn’t make it right. 

However, I think Hebrews reminds us something important here. Coming to church isn’t about us. Too often we think it’s about what we get out of worship, but that’s to miss the point. First of all, we direct our worship toward God, not toward those in the pews. 

Secondly, as we’re told here, we come together to encourage each other. I am not to be the only one offering encouragement on a Sunday morning. All of us are to be encouragers. And sometimes, to encourage, we just have to show up and smile. Or maybe we catch someone doing good and acknowledge their efforts. 

Concluding hope

Because of what Jesus has done for us, may our lives be filled with worship, and may you encourage one another and have many good friends. Amen. 

[1] F. F. Bruce The Epistle to the Hebrews (Grand Rapids, Eerdmans, 1964), 224.

[2] William T. Vollmann,  Riding Toward Everywhere (New York: HarpersCollins, 2008), 50.

[3] Vollmann, 13.

[4] Luke Timothy Johnson, Hebrews: A Commentary (Louisville, KY: WJK, 2006), 254-255.

[5] Thomas G. Long, Hebrews (Louisville, KY: John Knox Press, 1997), 103-104.

[6] Matthew 18:20. 

[7] 1 Timothy 1:15. See also Romans 7:24-25. 

[8] See Hebrews 9:28, 10:10.

[9] See Long, 109.

[10] 1 Corinthians 13:13

[11] Hugh Montefiore, The Epistle to the Hebrews (NY: Harper & Row, 1964), 174-175.

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Hebrews 10: Sacrifice

Jeff Garrison  
Mayberry and Bluemont Churches
March 14, 2021  
Hebrews 10:1-18  
c2021

The sermon was taped at Mayberry Church on Friday, March 12, 2021

At the beginning of worship

Over the past few weeks, as we’ve worked our way through the Book of Hebrews, we have been in an advanced Christological class. We’ve experienced Jesus as our High Priest. We have learned of Jesus establishing a new covenant. And we’ve explored the differences between earthly and heavenly sanctuaries. 

Ideal verses the shadow

Much of this discussion in this part of Hebrews which we’re in, parallels a Platonic idea that compares the ideal with the shadow. We often mistake the shadow as reality.[1] In such, we see this sanctuary as a real place. But Hebrews makes the case the case that our earthly sanctuaries are only an imperfect representative of the heavenly reality. Through Jesus Christ, God casts off our sinfulness, which allows us to come into God’s presence. When our time here is over, to enter the real sanctuary.

Sacrifices in the First Century

The preacher of Hebrews has one last theological point to finish making before he moves into the section of this book dealing with ethical implications of what we believe about Jesus. He’s been talking about sacrifice all along. This would have been on the minds of many first century Jews. Even pagans sacrificed. This was seen as a reality in that era. But as we’ve already seen, the sacrifices witnessed at the temple were imperfect. They could not perfect those making the sacrifice. But Christ, who sacrificed himself, who paid the price of our sin once and for all, can perfect us. 

Next week, we’ll hear the preacher’s call to persevere. Because of what Christ has done for us, we should stick with him. But before that, we’ll delve into the sacrifice Jesus made. 

What does it mean to sacrifice?

So, let me ask you, what do we mean by sacrifice? Frederick Buechner describes sacrifice as “something that is made holy by giving it away for love.”[2]  And that’s what Jesus does for us. He gives away his life out of love for the world.  Such a definition should also help us understand our calling to sacrifice.  

Read Hebrews 10:1-18

After the reading of Scripture

Warm Radiators 

I was ordained in Ellicottville, New York. I spent three and a half years there, enjoying the life of a ski bum. While there, I lived in an old house, built in the late 1890s. My favorite thing about the house were the cast iron radiators. They were wonderful. Before Donna and I was married, it was just me and Happy, my cat. Happy loved those radiators, especially in the fall and spring. In the winter, because the weather was often very frigid, the radiators got too hot for her to sit on. But the rest of the year, they made a great perch for her to observe the neighborhood.  

In the winter, while Happy stayed off the radiators, they were a perfect place to dry socks and gloves and to warm up a jacket or towel. I assure you, there is nothing like getting out of a shower and wrapping yourself in a towel that’s been warmed on a radiator. Likewise, there is nothing like heading out into the cold while wearing a prewarmed jacket or gloves. Such warmth just makes you feel good inside. 

The warmth of God’s love

We should have similar warmth when we think about what God does for us. We’ve been created by God who loves us, who wants the best for us, and who adopts us as his own children. We’ve been redeemed by a God who doesn’t give up on us even when we think we’ve been just a big disappointment. 

God’s love for us is so strong because he was willing to offer up his own life, in Jesus, to atone for our sin. We are cared by a God whose presence is with us always. Think of God’s love as that warmed towel or jacket, wrapping itself around us, warding off the cold. 

Jesus is the reason we can be warmly drawn to God as opposed to hiding in fear. In him, we find forgiveness. We are cleansed. We are able stand boldly before God, not having to be shielded by a curtain like our Hebrew ancestors. 

Jesus’ obedience to God meant he took up his cross. Jesus’ self-surrender to God was total. “Not my will but Thine,”[3]he prayed to his father. This prayer is “the climactic expression of a life of complete openness to God.”[4] As we learn in our text this morning, Jesus has made the ultimate sacrifice for us.

The meaning of “sacrifice”

Let’s think for a few minutes how we use the term “sacrifice.” It’s a noble term. In baseball, there’s the sacrifice fly. You hit a deep fly ball, which allows a runner on third base to make it home before the throw can reach the plate. While the batter doesn’t end up with a run on their record, he does the job necessary to help the team win. 

Parents speak of their sacrifice for their kids. It may be so that they can have a better educator or a better experience with childhood. Depression era stories of parents who refused to eat until their children were fed touch our hearts. 

We speak of sacrificing for our country. A soldier or sailor might be required to sacrifice their life. Think of the one who jumps on a live grenade in order to save his buddies. John F. Kennedy best described such sacrifice in his inaugural address, “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” 

In church, we often speak of sacrifice when we go beyond in giving. Maybe it’s to build a new community center or to give up one’s life of comfort and become a missionary.

The one thread that holds all these types of sacrifices together is that they are done for someone else. It’s not a sacrifice if you’re doing it for yourself. 

The Buechner definition I used earlier rings true here. “A sacrifice is something made holy by giving it away for love.”

Jesus’ sacrifice

Jesus speaks of his sacrifice in this way: “Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”[5] And Jesus shows us what sacrifice really looks like. The cross is the ultimate symbol of sacrifice. 

Martin Luther King realized the deep meaning of the cross when he said: “[W]hen I took up the cross, I recognized its meaning… It is not something that you wear. The cross is something that you bear and ultimately that you die on.”[6]

While that is true, and our faith demands our lives, the good news is that we don’t have to die for our sin. Jesus did that. But a sacrifice means we do something for the well-being of another.

Today’s text

In our morning reading, we hear two extensive quotes from the Old Testament.  The first, from the Psalms, reminds us that God doesn’t need our sacrifices.[7] Why did God need those animals that were sacrificed? After all, they belonged to God to start with. In a way, everything we have belongs to God and God can claim it at any time. Not in need of sacrifices as such, God is pleased to sacrifice for us. This sacrifice, through Jesus, is eternal. It does not need to be made day in and day out, like the old sacrifices. 

The second quote, which we’ve already heard in Hebrews,[8] comes from Jeremiah. We are reminded that in the new covenant, God writes his law in our hearts and minds.[9] Having been freed from sin, we are open to hear God’s word and to live in a new way. 

The importance of sacrifice

In many ways, we don’t like talking about sacrifices these days. We’re conditioned to want what we think is best for us. I remember how, after 911, instead of us as a nation being called to sacrifice to win the war against terror, we were encouraged to go out and continue spending to keep the economy going. 

But sacrifices are important. By sacrificing, we demonstrate the love Jesus calls us to have for others. Likewise, by Jesus’ sacrifice, we experience the incredible love that God has for us.[10] Furthermore, our sacrifices commit us to the faith we proclaim. 

We are so blessed that we should feel God’s love wrapping us up in warmth. And because we’re blessed, because Jesus sacrificed for us, we’re to be a blessing to others. Amen.  

[1] While I point this out, we must understand that Christianity isn’t a Platonic faith and there are teachings within Plato that are contrary to Christian theology and more akin to the Gnostic heresy. The classic teaching of Plato on the differences between the ideal and the shadow are found in Book Seven of The Republic, with the analogy of the cave. 

[2] Frederick Buechner, Wishful Thinking: A Theological ABC (New York: Harper and Row, 1973), 83

[3] Luke 22:42.

[4] Geoffrey Wainwright, Doxology: The Praise of God in Worship, Doctrine, and Life (New York: Oxford University Press, 1980), 22

[5] John 15:13. 

[6] Quote from James H. Cone, The Cross and the Lynching Tree (Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 2011), 84. 

[7] Hebrews 10:5-7; Psalm 40:6-8.

[8] See Hebrews 8:8-12.

[9] Hebrews 10:16 & 17; Jeremiah 31:33-34.

[10] Romans 5:8.

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Hebrews 9: The True Sanctuary

Jeff Garrison
Bluemont and Mayberry Churches
March 7, 2021
Hebrews 9 
 c2021

Taped at Bluemont Church on Friday, March 5, 2021

At the beginning of worship: 

So far, in the book of Hebrews, we have seen that Jesus is superior to everything. He tops angels and folks like Moses as well as the temple priests. He’s divine, having come from and returned to God’s heavenly throne.

Last week, the author returned to a previous topic, Jesus as High Priest. This week and next, we’ll see what this means in terms of the sanctuary and the need for a sacrifice. 

Journey to the holy lands 

This past week I read a book that was part devotional and part historical. Lisa Deam, a medieval historian, authored 3000 Miles to Jesus.[1] She follows several pilgrims to the Holy Lands in the 13th and 14th Centuries. 

Traveling to the Holy Lands was quite a journey in those days. Think about someone coming from England. They’d cross the channel and walk or ride a horse across France. They had the Alps to climb. Then they’d head to Venice, where they’d secure passage on a boat to the Holy Lands. 

During this era, it goes without saying, there were no plush cruises. No umbrella drinks on the veranda. Sea travel was tough. And then, once they arrived along the coast of Palestine, they had deal with customs and hire a guide. They usually rode a donkey to Jerusalem. At this time, the Holy Lands were under the control of Muslims, which also created challenges. 

It goes without saying that many died on this journey, but a many made it and they inspired others.  

These pilgrims in the medieval era put up with all kinds of hardship for an opportunity to walk where Jesus’ walked. Some of them had euphoric experiences in Jerusalem, others were disappointed. I can understand such disappointment. They had this hope of connecting in a tangible way to Jesus. But 12 or 13 centuries after Jesus, Palestine wasn’t what they expected. 

We are pilgrims

Deams, throughout this book, reminds her readers that our lives are a pilgrimage. We long for an encounter with the divine. But we have to have faith and realize that such an encounter may only occur in the next world. We do not live in a perfect world. We are not called to be citizens here. We are not called to set down roots for sooner or later, we’ll have to move on. Instead, we’re called to live out our pilgrimage, whatever shape our journeys might take, knowing that our eternal destination is within another kingdom.  Even the church is transitory.[2] It’s a vehicle to help us reconnect with God. 

Today, in our text, we’ll see that while there is a purpose in earthly sanctuaries (like this one), the perfect sanctuary where Jesus works is beyond the present.

After the reading of Scripture: 

I am nothing.
I have nothing.
I desire nothing except the love of Jesus alone. 

This mantra came from Walter Hilton, a 14th Century Augustine monk, who wrote what might have been the “Lonely Planet Travel Guide” on pilgrimages, had such things existed back then.[3]

I am nothing.
I have nothing.
I desire nothing except the love of Jesus alone.

Remember this mantra. How many of us live up to it? We only come to such faith by believing in the superiority of Jesus. Even then, it’s hard. But, sooner or later, our pilgrimage on this earth will come to an end and we’ll stand before the throne of God. At such a time, we’ll be naked. I’m not talking about the lack of clothes so much as being totally exposed. Our only hope will be in Jesus.

The old tabernacle 

In our passage today, we learn of a comparison between our earthly sanctuaries and the true sanctuary in heaven. When the covenant was made with Moses and the Hebrew people at Sinai, God gave them instruction on how to create a tabernacle.

This was one large tent. Portable, they could take it with them as they journeyed in the wilderness. The plans for this “tent-shrine”[4] is laid out in the 25th through the 27th chapters of Exodus. I encourage you to read through this at some point. The detail is exact. The type of wood to be used in construction is detailed. The “furniture” that occupied the tent, and the fabric that adorned the walls are specified. 

The design called for a curtain created out of blue, purple and crimson yarns and twisted fine linen. Woven into this curtain was a cherubin. It hung by golden hooks from a gold clad acacia wood rod, held up by silver posts.[5] Behind this was the “Holy of Holies,” which was only to be entered by the High Priest, once a year. 

An imperfect image of a perfect reality

But this tent/sanctuary was only an imperfect image of a perfect reality. That holy chamber, where earthly priests sought forgiveness for our sin, with dried blood of animals all around, wasn’t able to make them good or perfect. According to verse 7, its effect was only on unintentional sin. But the heavenly counterpart to the early tabernacle is able to provide, not a once-a-year cleansing, but eternal redemption because Christ himself offered his own blood for our behalf.

Now this doesn’t mean we shouldn’t strive not to sin because Christ has forgiven us. In the next chapter, our preacher will strongly condemn such thoughts.[6]

Thankfully, our hope is not in the tent of the first covenant, but in the new covenant. We need access to this truer tent, which Christ supplies. We also need to be aware that when we accept the first tent, the early one, to be the real tent, “our human hopes are misplaced.”[7] The tent, like the church, can become an idol. 

The Church

This passage has something to say to the church, of which we’re a part. Like the tent of the first covenant, the church we see on earth has been created by humans. It started with the Apostles being sent out by the resurrected Jesus to tell world of the good news. And it’s done a lot of good in the world, but our slate isn’t exactly perfect. Our ancestors fought wars over what Jesus meant by one statement or another. We are often quick to condemn those who don’t see things like we do.  Sadly, our churches often lack grace. 

We need to take ourselves less seriously. And we need to realize that salvation isn’t from the church itself. Jesus provides salvation. The church is just a messenger, and an imperfect one at that. However, our marching orders are important. The church is the vehicle Christ instituted through the disciples to continue his work in the world. 

The Church isn’t to be worshipped

So, while it is important for us to be in the church, we must not worship the church. We should acknowledge that there is no perfect church on the earth. This goes for Bluemont and Mayberry and all other churches in our neighborhood. 

Sadly, we don’t have to look very far to confirm the church’s imperfection. After all, look at all the major ministries that have shown us such truth: In the last few years, there’s been Mars Hill in Seattle, Willow Creek outside of Chicago, Hillsong in the northeast, Menlo Park out West, among many others. 

We need to realize that this side of glory, we’re never going to be perfect. And we need to be thankful that our salvation isn’t in our doing but in the atoning work of Jesus Christ. 

A longing for God

At best, the church gives people a longing for God. God’s book, the Bible, must be central. Our lives must be gracious and godly. If we can give people a taste of God, God’s Holy Spirit can take care of the rest. While our worship fails to live up to the heavenly glory we read about in Revelation,[8] that’s not a reason for us to give up. Instead, we help people have a small taste of what’s to come. We know Jesus has gone before us, pulling back that curtain that shielded us from coming into God’s presence.  

Baseball and being close to the action

Let me tell you a story. Baseball season is almost here. Spring training is underway. When I was a seminary student in Pittsburgh, I enjoyed going to the old Three Rivers Stadium and watching the Pirates. Wednesday night games were a favorite. If you were willing to sit up in the nosebleed section, where you actually had a good view of the whole field, it was only a buck. A buck to watch the Bucs.[9] This was back in the ‘80’s. 

One Saturday afternoon, I was willing to pay the big bucks. The Dean’s secretary and I were going on a date to a game. Back then, the Pirates were so bad, you didn’t have to buy tickets in advance. When I picked her up, she asked if I had tickets. “No,” I said. “We’ll get ‘em at the stadium.” She smiled and handed me two tickets. I looked down and couldn’t believe it. The seats were right behind home plate, just five rows up. These seats weren’t available to just anyone. I was shocked, humbled, and impressed. 

Her brother, who was in management at the William Penn hotel in downtown Pittsburgh, heard we were going to the game. Since the hotel had these seats reserved for the season, and nobody had claimed them, he gave them to us. It was exciting to be brought so close to the action. 

As a church we are to bring people closer to God. Just as I was brought close to the action that Saturday in Pittsburgh, in our own limited ways, we are to help people come closer to Jesus. But we will still remain separated until that time, to continue with this metaphor, when we find ourselves not just inside the park but on the field with Jesus.  

Conclusion

So, don’t worry that your church is not perfect. Jesus will take care of it. The same goes with us. Don’t worry that you’re imperfect. Jesus will take care of that, too. Of course, this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try to be better. Yes, we are all to strive to be better while we depend on the love of Jesus. For in the end, when our pilgrimage is over, we must strand there exposed before the throne. Hopefully, at such a time, we can say (can you say it with me?):

I am nothing.
I have nothing.
I desire nothing except the love of Jesus alone.  Amen. 

[1] Lisa Deam, 3000 Miles to Jesus: Pilgrimage as a Way of Life for Spiritual Seekers (Minneapolis: Broadleaf Books, 2021). 

[2] See Revelation 21:22. There is no need for a temple in the New Jerusalem with the presence of God. 

[3] Deams, 20, 68.

[4] The term “tent-shrine” is used in the footnotes for this passage in The New Interpreter’s Bible: NRSV. 

[5] Exodus 26:15-37. 

[6] See Hebrews 10:26. See also Hebrews 6:4-6 and Luke Timothy Johnson, Hebrews: A Commentary (Louisville: WJK, 2006), 223. 

[7] Johnson, 225. 

[8] See especially Revelation 7:9-17.

[9] The nickname for the Pirates, “Bucs,” is shortened from Buccaneer.

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The New Covenant

Jeff Garrison  
Bluemont and Mayberry Churches
February 28, 2021
Hebrews 8 
c2021

Recorded at Mayberry Church on Friday, February 26, 2021

At the beginning of worship

Today, as we’re continuing our work through the book of Hebrews, the author turns toward a topic he mentioned in the previous chapter: a new covenant. A covenant is a contract between two parties, in this case, between God and humanity. 

The Covenant of Works

The author of Hebrews also speaks of the earlier covenant, one of works, made with Moses and the Hebrew people at Sinai. The covenant of works required obedience. But it didn’t work. The Israelites couldn’t live up to the covenant. As the Westminster Standards states, “God freely offered a second covenant, the covenant of grace.” Even while we’re in sin, God offers us life and salvation. Our requirement is that we respond with faith in Jesus Christ.[1]

The Covenant of Grace

In the covenant of grace, we witness God’s good intention for humanity. God provides a way for us to reconnect to our Creator and restore the relationship that was broken at the fall. Such an act by a gracious God fulfills John 3:16, “for God so loved the world.” Think back to the image I used two weeks ago. God has us on belay. Even if we fall off the cliff, God holds the rope. 

Of course, a covenant requires the approval of both parties. God offers us a covenant, but do we accept this offer? Do we agree with the terms that we trust fully and only in Jesus Christ? Today, our scripture will be Hebrews 8.

After reading the scripture: Trying to impress others

How often do we do things to earn the approval of others?  There may be a few people who are so disconnected from what other people think who don’t, at least occasionally, try to earn the approval of others. But most of us are like Charlie Brown, trying to get the attention of the Little Red-Haired Girl. 

Sometimes we do silly and stupid things. The kid in school who gets in trouble as a way to be seen by a girl or get a laugh from friends. Who would do that? These kinds of attempts to earn approval are a gold mind for sitcoms and humorous movies. It rings true. We’ve all been there. 

Trying to impress God

On the one hand, it would be nice if we spent such energy trying to impress God. After all, God has created us with great potential. We should want to make something out of that potential. In a way, if we do, we have something to give back to the Almighty. But that’s the wrong approach. 

Let me tell you a story. When I was working for the Boy Scouts in Eastern North Carolina, we were trying to create more support for the program within the African American community. The funeral director in this town was a leader of that community and I approached him for help. Beyond the funeral home, he’d gotten Amway and saw me as a potential target for another member of his team. He swore to me that once he made a million dollars, he’d send every kid in this community to camp. I quickly realized I was not going to change his mind. 

The idea that we have to “make it” to be able to give back is flawed. First of all, we will never make it which is why there are so few self-proclaimed rich people in America. We will always be pushing for more and more. 

We have to learn to use what we have. When it comes to impressing God, it’s not about making and sacrificing a big fortune. Instead, as we’re told by the prophet Micah, God wants us to do justice, love kindness and to walk humbly with him.[2]

We can’t impress God

On the other hand, instead of trying to impress the Almighty, we should know we can’t impress God. To attempt to impress God is the wrong way to approach the being that knows all and sees all. Instead, our approach to God has to be with humility, gratitude, and kindness, not just toward God, but to those whom God has created. 

It’s okay, we have Jesus

Furthermore, we don’t have to impress God. We have a high priest who, as Tom Long describes, “is placed on the heavenly altar, once and for all, not only for his life but—astonishingly—ours, too.” Jesus “gathers up our hunger for approval and lived a life truly pleasing to God.”[3]Jesus takes us off the hook for having to impress God. 

As the Preacher of Hebrews proclaims, everything about Jesus is superior to what we can do. Not only does Jesus sit “at the right hand of the throne of Majesty in the heavens,” he ministers in a sanctuary that is greater than what we could have constructed. 

Today’s text

In the opening of today’s passage, the Preacher briefly goes over what he has just concluded teaching in the previous chapter. Jesus wouldn’t have been a priest on earth as we saw last week.[4] His ministry is more excellent than that. Earthly priest, who at the time labored in the temple, were mortals and limited in what they could do. They were bound by the old covenant, the covenant of works, which means that over and over again they’d have to offer sacrifice for sin. There were flaws in the first covenant. We, the human race, couldn’t hold up our end of the bargain!  


New Covenant grounded in the Old Testament

So, Jesus offers a new covenant.  But this covenant isn’t one out of thin air. The Preacher quotes a passage from Jeremiah which shows this new covenant has long been a part of God’s plan.[5]

I find a lot of meaning on these words from Jeremiah. Years ago, in an article I wrote for the Presbyterian Outlook, back when our nation battled over having the 10 Commandments posted on public property, I referred to this passage. If we let God write his law upon our hearts and instill them within our minds, no one can take them away. 

Don’t make an idol out of the law

Furthermore, by internalizing the law, we can be constantly reminded of what God wants from us. Otherwise, we just are reminded by this when we look at a chiseled granite monument.[6] We’re not to make an idol out of the law, as it happened at times with Israel. The law is to be living internally within us. 

Also, a new relationship with God

But the greatest promise in Jeremiah’s word isn’t about the law, but a new relationship with God. Because of the work of Jesus, we can know God. It’s not a matter of teaching us what to do that is important, but us having intimate knowledge of God. Then, we can experience God’s mercy and forgiveness. Then we can live in a way that’s honorable, just, and kind. This new promised covenant provides us the freedom to live up to our full God-given potential. When we accept this covenant, we no longer need to fear the vengeance of God.

What we have with this new covenant is a shift in how God relates to the human race. And the good news is that the whole tragic history of the human race, the sin and shame, the guilt, the broken promises and the torn relationships are not the last word. In this new covenant, God promises a new day of mercy.[7] As one theologian sums up this chapter, “The age of the prophets and law is past; the age of the Son is here.[8]

What were the problem with the old covenant

Let me say a little about the old covenant. It’s easy for us to walk away and to think there was something wrong with it. The only wrong thing with the old covenant was our inability to abide by it! The cliché from a Pogo comic, “we have met the enemy and he is us,” once again rings true.

But the old covenant wasn’t bad. As Scripture points out, the new rises out of the old.[9] We shouldn’t condemn the old. In fact, God’s law (which was revealed in the old covenant) helps us in several ways. The law shows us our need for a Savior. And once we accept the salvific work of Jesus, the law shows us how we are to live in a way that’s pleasing to God.[10]

What does it mean to live in the new covenant?

So, we give thanks for both covenants as we live into the new. This covenant provides us freedom to grow in Christ. To grow in Christ means that our hearts are tenderized so that we are gentle and gracious, loving and kind. In other words, we are Christ-like. And our lives will bring him glory and praise. Amen.

[1] Presbyterian Church USA, “Westminster Confession of Faith,” Chapter 8. See Book of Confessions, 6:037-039.  The Westminster Confession refers to the first covenant being with Adam, while the author of Hebrews is referring to the covenant made after the Hebrew people left Egypt and were in Sinai. 

[2] Micah 6:8.

[3] Thomas Long, Hebrews (Louisville, JKP, 1997), 90.

[4] See https://fromarockyhillside.com/2021/02/hebrews-71-22-christ-as-high-priest-part-2/

[5] The quote is from Jeremiah 31:31-34. Hebrews is quoting from the Greek Old Testament (the Septuagint). See Long, 92. For a difference between the Septuagint and the Hebrew text, see Luke Timothy Johnson, Hebrews: A Commentary (Louisville, KY: WJKP, 2006), 206-207. 

[6] See Jeff Garrison, “What Commandments Mean Is More Important than a Slab of Granite,” The Presbyterian Outlook, September 29, 2003.

[7] Long, 92. 

[8] F. F. Bruce (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1964), 179.

[9] See Presbyterian Church USA, Book of Confessions, Second Helvetic Confession, XII, “The Law of God” (5.080-5.085)

[10] John Calvin speaks of three uses of the law: 1. Brings us to repentance, 2. Helps our sanctification by showing us what’s pleasing to God, and 3. The fear of it keeps the reprobate from becoming worse and being a menace to society. 

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Hebrews 7:1-22, Christ as High Priest, part 2

Jeff Garrison
Bluemont and Mayberry Churches
February 21, 2021
Hebrews 7:1-22
c2021

Recorded at Bluemont Church on Friday, Feb. 19, 2021

Thoughts at the beginning of worship

Today as we continue working through the Book of Hebrews, I want to get off on the right foot and remind you of the doctrine of Total Depravity. There’s no place better to start than at the bottom. We can work our way up. This doctrine of the Reformed Tradition helps us understand our need for a High Priest. 

I’m reminded of the old theologian who had enough humility to thank God for the doctrine of total depravity. His students were shocked, especially when he acknowledged it to be the only doctrine of the church he could admit to having lived up to. 

We are flawed with sin which breaks our relationship with our Creator. We need of someone to plea our case and represent us before God, the best advocate we can find. That’s why it’s good to have Jesus as our High Priest. Think of Jesus as our lead counsel in a high-profile legal proceeding.  

What is Total Depravity?

That said, the doctrine of total depravity doesn’t mean we’re as bad as we can be. Sadly, we can always be worse as is often demonstrated. What this doctrine means that sin has tainted everything in our lives and world.

Paul, in his letter to the Romans, acknowledges this when he speaks of creation itself groaning from the bondage and decay it’s under because of sin.[1] Our only hope to get out of the mess we’re in is to have a Savior like Jesus. Jesus pulls us up out of the muck, pleas our case before God, and covers us with his own righteousness. This sums up the message of Hebrews. It sums up the gospel. Our faith is all about Jesus. We trust in him. We follow him. 

Insight into Hebrews

In today’s text we learn about several things which have already introduced. 

Melchizedek

First, we have this dude named Melchizedek, a mysterious figure who takes up a few verses in Genesis. He also appears once in the Psalms.[2]That’s all we know about him until we get to Hebrews.[3]

Perhaps because much of Melchizedek’s history is shrouded in the past, he’s an intriguing character. We know from literature of the New Testament era, Melchizedek was frequently mentioned in Jewish rabbinical teachings.[4] This means, those who first heard this message, would likely to have been familiar with him. In Hebrews 7, the author spends a third of the chapter writing about old Mel. But even here, this isn’t a chapter about Mel. The author wants to exalt Jesus and Mel becomes an archetype for Jesus’ priesthood.


The second theme already introduced to us earlier in this book is Jesus’ role as a high priest (Click here to read the first sermon on this topic). We might recall that the author mentioned this earlier (in the 4th chapter[5]). But the topic was lightly covered. Think of it like drinking milk[6]. Now he develops this role of Jesus more fully. He’s grilling steak. We’re getting into the solid food, now.

High Priest

Today we’re looking at the first two-thirds of Chapter Chapter 7. I’m going to read the text from The Message translation, to give you a new way to hear this passage. I would encourage you to listen to it being read. If you think about it, Scripture was first heard as most people couldn’t read. So, listen. As we get into the text, use you Bibles or the sheets in the bulletin to follow along.   

Click here to read Hebrews 8:1-22 (The Message)

After the Reading of Scripture

One day, Calvin (the boy who used to be in the comic strips) stood before a mirror. Wearing only underpants, he admires his physique. Pumping his biceps, he proclaims, “Made in God’s own image, yes sir!” Hobbes, lounging on the floor, looks up and mutters, “God must have a good sense of humor. 

I like Hobbes. He keeps us from taking ourselves too seriously. The truth is, although created in God’s image, we have digressed from God’s original intention.  Thankfully, God provides a way for the stain of sin to be removed through the saving work of Jesus Christ.

Christ: Prophet, Priest, & King

As I’ve shared before, the church teaches that Christ has three positions: Prophet, Priest, and King.[7] As King, he has ultimate authority over our lives and the world. The other two positions, Prophet and Priest, complement each other. 

Think of it this way. The prophet is like God’s transmitter, broadcasting God’s word to the people. The priest is like God’s receiver, collecting the people’s concern to present to God. As prophet and priest, Jesus is like a transceiver, a radio that does both functions. Today our focus is on Jesus as priest.

Jesus as High Priest

As I pointed out at the beginning, this is the second time the Preacher in Hebrews delves into the role of the High Priest. On January 31, the sermon you had to watch or read online because of the snowstorm we were experiencing, I spoke about how as High Priest, Jesus was our advocate. Because he’s lived among us, he knows our weaknesses and identifies with us. 

The Non-Linear Nature of Hebrews 

As we’ve already heard about Jesus as High Priest, let me say more about the structure of Hebrews. The author often introduces a subject, sometime even deals with it on one level, then returns to it later for a more detailed treatment. 

We see this at the end of today’s passage with the mention of a better covenant. But the author doesn’t pick up this theme until the next chapter. This scattered style can drive those of us educated in the West crazy. We’re used to linear arguments. This book, to us, seems scattered. One theologian writing on Hebrews makes this useful analogy:

Hebrews has been compared to an intricate crocheted piece which picks up a new thread again and again, but then carries all the threads through the piece, weaving them into the pattern. Thus, to take hold of one thread is to have hold of the whole piece. Those schooled in the ways of Western literature and seeking an ordered progression of ideas will seek in vain in Hebrews. What is always true of the Bible is emphatically true here: texts must be read in context.”[8].  

Old Testament background

To fully understand Christ’s role as our High Priest, we must spend some time in the Old Testament and grasp what the priesthood meant to the Hebrew people. We almost get the idea that someone spoke during this sermon, asking how Jesus could be a High Priest. After all, Jesus was from the tribe of Judah. The priests were Levites (which, by the way, had nothing to do with wearing jeans).

The Levites received the assignment of all priestly functions for Israel.[9] So, Jesus, who was not from the Levite clan, the preacher insists, belongs to a higher priesthood. This is where King Melchizedek comes in. He was identified in Genesis as a priest of the God Most High.[10]  

Melchizedek’s role

Melchizedek becomes an archetype for Jesus’ priestly role for several reasons. First of all, he received a tithe from Abraham, a tenth of the spoils of war that Abraham had collected after he had released Lot and his family who were hostages of war. Second, the author points out Melchizedek’s name, which implies righteousness. And his city is named for peace. Peace and righteousness are attributes of Jesus. And he notes that he has no genealogy. 

You know, genealogy is important in Scripture. Even Jesus, at the beginning of Matthew’s gospel, has a genealogy.[11] This may seem to conflict with what we are told in Hebrews. But the preacher in Hebrews, at this point, is focusing on the divinity of Christ. He’s already made the case for the timeliness of Jesus, who was at creation.[12] We have seen throughout this book how Jesus leaves heaven and comes to earth and then returns, which emphasizes his eternal reign, instead of his life as his earthly son of Mary and Joseph. 

The role of the tithe 

Interestingly, the preacher in Hebrews even shows how this priesthood of Melchizedek is superior to the Levite priesthood because through Abraham, Levi gave a tithe to Melchizedek. We may see this as a stretch. Levi’s father is Jacob, which makes Abraham his great-grandfather. In other words, Levi won’t be born for a couple of generations. But since he comes from Abraham’s line of descendants, the author makes the case that Levi was in Abraham’s loins.  

Limitation of Levite Priests

The second reason for the superiority of Christ’s priesthood is the limitations of the Levite priests. They die and have to be replace. They are sinful and have to make extra sacrifices for their own sins before they can take care of others. But Jesus, as our High Priest, is eternal and sinless. He can focus on our needs. 

What this has to do with us:

Sooner or later, we’re all going to die and will have to answer for our lives and what we’ve done with them. We have a choice. We can defend ourselves, but you know the old adage, “A man who is his own lawyer has a fool for a client.” 

Or, we can try to find some ambulance chaser, but remember, they’re only in for the money. They won’t have a reason to help us after death. Our only hope is to accept the gracious offer of the best counselor available. We let Jesus him defend us with his own righteousness. His offer is the only one that makes sense. 

Let us pray:

Almighty God, we know we are sinful. Sin has crept into our world and taints our lives. Unable to pull ourselves out of this state, we depend on Jesus Christ, our lead counsel, our High Priest, who covers us with his righteousness. Freed of sin, help us to we live for him. Amen. 

[1] Romans 8:22.

[2] See Genesis 14:17-20 and Psalms 109:4. 

[3] He’s already been introduced. See Hebrews 5:6, 5:10 and 6:20.

[4] Luke Timothy Johnson, Hebrews: A Commentary (Louisville, WJKP, 2006), 181-183. In Excursus 4, Johnson provides detail into the Jewish writings on Melchizedek. 

[5] See Hebrews 4:14-5:6. 

[6] See Hebrews 5:12-13. 

[7] Westminster Confession 8.1, Westminster Larger Catechism questions 41-45,  Westminster Shorter Catechism questions 23-26.

[8] Stanley N. Olson, “Wandering But Not Lost,” Word and World, 5/4 (1985) St. Paul, MN: Luther Seminary, page 429.  Seehttp://wordandworld.luthersem.edu/content/pdfs/5-4_Gender/5-4_Olson.pdf

[9] Numbers 3:5-13.

[10] Genesis 14:18 (and this reference to the God Most High occurs twice again in this short passage about Melchizedek. 

[11] Matthew 1:1-17.

[12] Hebrews 1:2

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Anchored by Jesus

Jeff Garrison
Bluemont and Mayberry Churches
Hebrews 6:13-20
February 14, 2021
c2021

Sermon recorded on Friday, February 12th at Mayberry Presbyterian Church

At the Beginning of Worship:
Today, as we continue working our way through the book of Hebrews, we’re reminded of the certainty of God’s promise. Christians are people of hope because God has given us his word. Our hope is not in our own doing, it is in Jesus Christ. As I’ve said all along, this book is about Jesus’ superiority in all things, including our hope. In the early days of the World Council of Churches, they expressed our Christian hope with this statement: 

The hope of which we speak is something different from what [people] usually means when they speak of hope. In common speech “hope” means a strong desire for something which may be possible but is not certain. What is spoken of here is something that we wait for expectantly yet patiently, because we know it can never disappoint us.[1]  

As faithful followers of Jesus, we place our hope in him and not in our own works or actions. We know of the promises God has made. We are securely anchored in such hope by our faith in Jesus Christ. That’s our message for today, and every day.

After the Reading of Scripture: 

When I was younger and working for the Boy Scouts of America, I was involved with a national team to increase high adventure activities in council camps. Our goal was to encourage older scouts to return to camp by providing them an interesting program. Named Project COPE. (for Challenging Outdoor Physical Experience), we developed high ropes courses and taught the scouts the basics of rock climbing and teamwork. Of course, with scouts, safety was foremost. Having a scout climb up a vertical wall or cross over a two wire bridge some thirty or forty feet in the air involves risk. 

On Belay

Such risk can be mitigated by using a top belay. A belay is a rope attached to harness of a climber. This rope will catch the scout if he falls. For beginning climbers, you always use a top belay, in which the safety rope runs directly above the climber so that the belayer can keep the rope taut. Often, if climbing on a short cliff, the belay rope would run around a stout tree and back to the ground below climber. There, the belayer watched and was ready if the climber slips. By keeping the rope tight and running it through a braking device, if the scout slips, he wouldn’t fall far.  

For you see, if the scout weighed 125 pounds fell 10 feet, he’d create 1250 pounds of pressure. That’s a lot of stress on the rope, on their insides (where the harness is attached), and onto the belayer. It’s enough force to cause serious injury. But if the belay line is taut, the climber should not fall more than a few inches. They won’t experience extreme pressure and should be able to continue with their activities. 

Belayed to God

There is a comfort to being belayed when there is a danger of a fall, whether climbing on rock or a roof. Metaphorically, this can also be applied to living faithfully as a disciple. The Preacher of Hebrews speaks of our souls being anchored to God. If God holds us, we should fear nothing. As the Psalmist proclaims:

For God alone my soul waits in silence,
    for my hope is from him.
He alone is my rock and my salvation,
    my fortress; I shall not be shaken.[2]

Jesus Christ is our hope. Jesus is our belayer. There is no one else in whom we can place our trust. Yes, ever a good friend can disappoint us. If the one we trust to belay us in this life gets distracted, we can be in peril. But there is certainty about God’s promise as shown in Jesus Christ. 

Confirmed with an Oath

Before getting to the part about the anchor to our soul being secured to God, the Preacher in Hebrews begins with a promise God made to Abraham. This was God’s third promise to Abraham, made after Abraham showed his willingness to sacrifice Isaac.[3] Speaking to Abraham, God secures his oath by his own name, because there is nothing higher.

When we think of someone making an oath, we raise the bar of what we expect from them. We often take an oath on a Bible, as with someone being called to testify in court or someone being installed into a position of authority. The one making the oath promises truthfulness or faithfulness. An oath taken with God’s name means that if we do not live up to our commitment, God can and should deal with us. For this reason, scripture warns us not to take such an oath lightly. It’s serious business.[4]


God, in order to comfort Abraham, takes an oath on his own name. As mere mortals, we make our oaths on God, that which is larger than us. But there is nothing above God. Hence, he makes the oath in his own name. 

God wants Abraham to know that his word is good.  By this point in his life, Abraham is up in his years. He has a twelve-year-old son, Isaac. God promises that through Isaac, a nation will be born. This is Abraham’s hope. He can go to his grave knowing that God will see through on his promise. 

Oaths in our world

In our world, especially in Western Culture, we often have a much shorter timeframes than Abraham. It would be over 400 years before Abraham’s nation would be realized. We always want things to happen immediately, and easily forget that God plays the long game. The promise will be kept, the Preacher of Hebrews proclaims. But God has his own timeline. 

God holding our anchor

The important thing is to remember that we’re secure in Jesus Christ. The anchor rode which safeguards our soul runs behind the holy of holies. Jesus, himself, has secured our anchor behind the veil. God holds our anchor. 

You know, on a boat, when you drop anchor, you have to check and make sure it’s secured on the bottom. Most times, the water is not clear enough for you to see where your anchor is secured on the bottom. You only see the rope descending into the depths of the water. You tug the rope to makes sure the anchor is secure and you look at the angle of the line to makes sure it’s at the appropriate angle to best hold. And you have faith. 

With our spiritual anchor rode running behind the veil, or into heaven, faith is also required. However, we can trust that we’re secure because we know Jesus, our high priest, who went behind the veil, has set our anchor. 

Anchors are more important in inclement weather 

Of course, just because we’re secured doesn’t mean that we’ll not have problems. The purpose of an anchor is to hold a boat in all kinds of weather. Likewise, with our spiritual anchor, God promises to hold onto us despite whatever happens to us in this life. Our hope isn’t that we’ll have no problems. Our hope is in Jesus Christ, who know the trouble we endure. Set your sights on Jesus, let him secure your soul so that regardless of what trial or temptation you encounter, your soul is secure.  

Jesus our pathfinder 

In the last verse of this passage, we’re told that Jesus is our forerunner. He’s paving the way for us. So, Jesus not only holds us securely, but he also cuts the path for us to follow. 

Last week, in the previous passage where I spoke about motivation, I talked about a special campfire when I was a Boy Scout. What I didn’t say then, but you probably knew, is that these campfires included a bunch of silly songs. One had to do with the various ways you can’t get to heaven:

Oh, you can’t get to Heaven in an old Ford car,
‘Cause an old Ford car won’t go that far. 

Oh, you can’t get to Heaven on roller skates,
You’d roll right by them Pearly Gates…

And you can’t get to heaven in a limousine,
‘Cause the Good Lord ain’t got no gasoline…

There are an unlimited number of rhyming lines and throughout the summer, others would be added. But toward the end of the song, there were these lines:

If you get to Heaven before I do,
Just cut a hole and pull me through.[5]

Conclusion

Of course, such a song is silly. This idea of someone pulling us into heaven is wishful thinking at best. But there is one who can “cut that hole and pull us through.” It’s our Lord, who has us on belay as we travel this world, holding us tight. We can have confidence in God’s promises made in Jesus Christ. For that, we should be grateful, and live our lives in hopeful expectation. Amen. 

[1]”Christ: The Hope of the World,” report of the Advisory Commission on the main theme of the Second Assembly of the World Council of Churches (1954), in The Christian Hope and the Task of the Church. Quoted by John H. Leith, Basic Christian Doctrine (Louisville, KY: WJKP, 1993), 286.

[2] Psalm 62:5-6. 

[3] God made promises to Abraham three times.  In Genesis 12:1-3, he promised him a great nation, In Genesis 15:5-6, God promised Abraham as many descendants as the stars. In Genesis 22:15-18, God (through an angel) promises Abraham that his descendants will be more than the stars and the sands on the seashore. Here, God swears the oath by his own name, as there is nothing higher. 

[4]See: https://www.ligonier.org/learn/devotionals/jesus-teaching-on-oaths/

[5] For the variety of lyrics along with a link to the tune, see: https://boyscouttrail.com/content/song/cant_get_to_heaven-1339.asp

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Hebrews 6: Motivation

Jeff Garrison
Bluemont and Mayberry Churches
February 7, 2021
Hebrews 5:11-6:12
c2021

With the possibility of more bad weather tomorrow, I am posting this earlier and including an outline of the bulletin along with announcements for both churches. -Jeff

Sermon taped on Friday, Feb. 5, 2021 at Bluemont Presbyterian Church

At the beginning of worship

In our worship today, I want you to ponder a question. What does it take to be motivated? And I want us to grapple with this question in light of a Christian truth. As Christians, we’re called to move.[1] We’re not to be couch potatoes. 

In the Book of Acts, one of the early names of our faith, even before being called Christian, is “The Way.”[2] In the Gospel of John, Jesus speaks of himself as the way, along with the truth and life.[3] The Christian life is a journey. John Bunyan named his classic allegory of the faith, “Pilgrim’s Progress.” As Christians, it’s not enough to just be “born again,” and to leave it at that. We are called to grow in faith. 

In our Reformed Tradition, the theology of the Presbyterian Church, we speak of “reformed yet always reforming” as we’re guided by scripture and the Holy Spirit.[4] As Christians, living in this world, we’re not to rest on our laurels. We’re to strive to better ourselves and to strengthen our connection to God. As long as we’re in this life where sin is prevalent, we can improve. So how do we get motivated to grow in our faith? 

How do we motivate?

We motivate dogs with treats. We speak of dangling carrots to encourage someone to reach a goal. Some people use fear to motivate others, which may get results and may also cause resentment. Employers use bonuses to motivate employees. Groups call for teamwork to get everyone doing their part. There’s lots of ways to motivate people, but what’s the best way to get us focused on “the Way of life?” 

We’ll see in the Book of Hebrew this morning that motivation isn’t a new problem. The preacher in this book uses what we might call “reverse psychology” to encourage his listens to get their butts in gear.  This week, I’m reading the scripture in The Message translation. Read Hebrews 5:11-6:12

After the reading of scripture: 

One of the proudest moments of my life occurred at Camp Tom Upchurch, which I attended when in Boy Scouts. The Wednesday night campfire was a big deal. As the light drained from the sky, a staff member would light an arrow that had been wrapped in cloth in the campfire. He’d then draw back a bow, sending it flying up in the sky only to fall like a meteor into the waters of the lake. Then, in the distance, we’d hear drums. Out on the lake, as if coming out of a mist, appeared a canoe. An Indian chief stood in tall in the center, illuminated by a lantern in the bottom of the canoe. Two braves paddled. Everyone wore native ceremonial dress. We watched, spellbound. 

When the canoe pulled ashore, the chief danced into the crowd of scouts. Turning quickly, he tapped on a shoulder of a boy and lifted him up. One of the braves took him out front to stand. This happened a number of times. When the chief got to me, I was startled when he turned and tapped on my shoulders. He lifted me up off the bench and one of the braves whisked me to the front with the others. We had been selected to become a part of the Order of the Arrow.

I wasn’t really sure what was happening. I didn’t know I had been chosen from all the scouts in my troop until the moment the chief turned in front of me. But this was only the beginning of a journey. Yes, we had been chosen. But to be inducted in this fraternal organization, we had to endure an ordeal.  

The Ordeal 

A few weeks later, I was back at camp. The ordeal started Friday night with a campfire. Those of us who were to undergo the ordeal could only bring a blanket, poncho, and knife with us. We were put under an order of silence, for 24 hours, then taken out into the woods where we spent the night by ourselves, accompanied only by mosquitoes. We were ordered to stay at our assign spot till morning. And before we were picked up, we had to carve an arrow. 

It was a miserable night with mosquitoes swarming and the distant flashes of lightning threatening rain that never came. 

The next morning, they gathered us. We were given a string for our arrow to be tied around our necks. If we talked, a notch was carved into the shaft of our arrow. Three notches and you were out. They served us a runny egg on a piece of white bread for breakfast, along with some juice. Then it was time to work. 

Somehow, I ended up on the crew to repair some gullies along the lakeshore. We hauled old mattress springs and staked them into the gullies to deter erosion. Then half of us went to a sand pit where we shoveled dirt into the back end of trucks. The other half of the group unloaded the dirt into the gullies. 

Occasionally, we had a water break. It was hot. Lunch was a slice of bologna between two pieces of bread. There were no condiments. 

The Reward 

That evening, after the work was over, we were allowed to shower and put on our dress uniform. Starved, I enjoyed the best meal I ever had in a scout dining hall. We still couldn’t talk, which was fine because our mouths were busy being stuffed with food. Then there was another campfire. We were given our sashes and welcomed into the fellowship. I was proud. 

Our Order of the Arrow Lodge Flap

When I got back home, I told my mom about the ordeal. She couldn’t believe it. “You mean, all I have to do to get you to work around here is to promise you a reward if you keep your mouth shut and work hard? My pride was tempered. 

Ongoing progress

But you know, there was motivation involved because I wanted to be a member of the Order of the Arrow. I still look back fondly on that experience, but like the Christian journey, it didn’t stop there. There were further levels to go as I moved up in the organization and was able to shepherd others into the fellowship. 

Exploring the text: Reverse psychology 

The preacher in Hebrews has a problem. How can he encourage his audience, some of whom are tempted to leave the faith? How can he rally the troops? You know, we should all desire to please God, but it doesn’t always work that way. Sometimes we need motivation. 

The writer of Hebrews knew this.  He first tries a form of reverse psychology, shaming his listeners. He knows they can be better but suggests that they’re just like infants. They need milk, not solid food. To borrow a term from boxing, that’s a low blow. But as he berates them, he also notes they should, by now, be teachers. They should have the foundation of their faith in Jesus Christ laid and be building up it. So, he encourages them to get busy because he has high hopes for them. 

A warning

But then, after encouraging, he lays out a warning in verses 4 to 8. If they have experienced God’s goodness, if they have a taste of heaven, and then turn their backs on the faith, they will be lost. As a shepherd of the faithful, the preacher of Hebrews undoubtedly knows the tragic feeling of having those who are under his care and guidance, lose their faith and slip away. It hurts. He realizes this just doesn’t burden him, as they metaphorically “re-crucify” Jesus. 

The preacher then moves to a new topic, at least for him. Agriculture metaphors are common in scripture. Jesus speaks of how we’ll be known by the fruit we bear.[5] If our harvest is of weeds, God’s not going to be impressed! We get the sense here of a warning that is similar to the unpardonable sin, the sin against the Holy Spirit.[6] If we ignore God’s call to turn around, sooner or later it’s too late. We won’t have a harvest to show for our discipleship. 

The Preacher’s hope

The good news in this passage is that our author/preacher doesn’t think this will be a problem for his listeners. He senses that the God who knows all will see their love as shown in how they care for the needy. For this reason, they should have hope and continue on the course they’re on. 

The need for truth about our condition 

This passage may seem harsh, in places, but we need to understand the truth about ourselves and about God if we want to enjoy life to its fulness. The Russian writer Anton Chekov, in his notebooks wrote, a person “will only become better when you make him see what he is like.”[7]

There are times when we need to hear the truth. The wake-up call that the preacher gives his audience in Hebrews hopefully is enough to make them sit up in bed and ask, “What should I do.” Not only is the wake-up call harsh, but there is also a high expectation. However, this is tempered with a confirmation that the preacher believes they rise to the occasion. The judgment is tempered with encouragement and hope. 

Hopefully when we hear the truth from someone, it will be done as gracefully as we have in these verses. Furthermore, if there is someone whom we need to give a truthful message to, we should make sure our message is as gracious as the preacher from Hebrews. Amen. 

[1] Thomas G. Long, Hebrews (Louisville: WJKP. 1997), 72. 

[2] In Acts 9:2, those following Jesus were said to belong to “the Way.”  The use of the word “Christian” is first mentioned in Antioch in Acts 11:26. 

[3] John 14:6.

[4] See https://www.presbyterianmission.org/what-we-believe/ecclesia-reformata/

[5] Matthew 7:15-20, Luke 6:43-45. 

[6] See “The Second Helvetic Confession,” Chapter XIV, “Errors” (5.102)in Presbyterian Church USA, The Book of Confession. 

[7] Ideas and quote from “William H. Willimon, Sinning Like a Christian: A New Look at the Seven Deadly Sins (Nashville: Abingdon, 2013), x-xi. 

Bulletin outline

Announcements Bluemont Church

  • Sunday School is each Sunday at 9:30 a.m. in Fellowship Hall.
  • Calendars for February are in the narthex.
  • Continuing on Monday, February 8, at 1:00 p.m., the pastor will hold the “Zoom” Bible study of the previous week’s sermon along with the upcoming week’s scripture readings. It will only be available virtually.  On Monday mornings, you will receive an email with an invite for the Bible Study.  To attend, please send an email to the pastor at parkwayrockchurches@gmail.com. 
  • The Session will meet following the worship service on Sunday, February 14.
  • Communion will be observed on Sunday, February 14. Everyone is invited to participate.
  • Note: The date for the Souper Bowl collection for Carroll County Social Services, which provides medicine and fuel for the elderly, will be rescheduled.



For bulletin announcements, please contact Lil Puckett by Thursday of the week at 276-398-2238 or email her at lillianpuckett@outlook.com.

If you have a need to contact Rev. Dr. Jeff Garrison, you may reach him on his cell number 269-804-9793 or email him at parkwayrockchurches@gmail.com.  His mailing address is:   P. O. Box 140, Laurel Fork VA  24352.   Visit Pastor Jeff’s blog at https://fromarockyhillside.com . 

Announcements Mayberry Church

Today’s bulletin insert describes God’s Souper Bowl “Multiplication Miracle” … Please take a moment to read about its … Presbyterian beginnings, astonishing growth, remarkable impact upon hunger across America, and history here at Mayberry … Then join with members and friends of Mayberry who have generously supported this effort for 20 consecutive years.  Please use the envelopes found in today’s bulletin … and make it 21 yearsa!

Monday (2/8) – Zoom Bible Study – 1:00-2:00 pm

Tomorrow, Pastor Jeff … will be leading our second “Zoom” Bible Study.  Each Monday participants receive an invitation from Jeff that enables them to make the “Zoom” connection.  The invitation also includes questions that will guide discussion of … 

(1) yesterday’s sermon and (2) next Sunday’s scripture passage.

What’s unique about this approach? Well, we receive a deeper understanding of Sunday’s sermon, and we get ready to receive next Sunday’s sermon messages.             

The “Zoom” discussion begins at 1:00 pm and lasts up to an hour. To sign up … please send an email to Pastor Jeff at parkwayrockchurches@gmail.com indicating you’d like to be involved and you’ll be “good to go”! Those who signed up for last week’s study … need not send an email.                                

Monday (2/8) – Addiction Recovery Support Group – 7:00 pm

Persons fighting addictions gather on Monday evenings for prayer and mutual support to strengthen their use of the AA’s 12-step discipline.  Somebody you care about may be fighting an addiction that is limiting the blessings their life with the Lord will bring them.  Call Deborah Reynolds, at 276-251-1389, for more information. 

Tuesday (2/9) – Session Meeting – 1:00 pm

Lots to do for the Lord   See the next announcement for the kinds of things that your session will be grappling with as it continues to deal with balancing our health and our spiritual needs.  Please share thoughts you may have with Pastor Jeff, 

or any of our elders – Richard, Mary, Shep, Martha, or Rick.

February’s Calendar – Lenten/Easter Season

February’s Calendar is included in this morning’s bulletin.  The Lenten Season begins next Sunday (2/14) … Ash Wednesday follows on (2/17) … Palm Sunday and the beginning of Holy Week on (3/28) … and Easter Sunday on April 4th.  

The Session has not yet mapped out our full set of plans for 2021’s Lenten/Easter Season, and is considering how Covid will impact our Easter celebrations.  For example, do Covid restrictions prevent our normal Imposition of Ashes service on Ash Wednesday?  Can we add an Easter Sunrise Service to our Easter Sunday celebrations?  Stay tuned … decisions are on the way!   

 Meadows of Dan’s January 27th Blood Drive Results 

A nice turnout at our January 27th Blood Drive produced 34 units of Blood.  We’re told by the Red Cross that those donations will have a lifesaving impact on 102 persons needing medical care.

The Red Cross also tells us that they have received nearly 300,000 fewer donations since Covid infections surfaced last March.  Our next blood drive will be March 24th.  We hope you will join us that day.  More important we hope you will call 

1-800-RED-CROS and schedule your time for donation.  You can do that beginning as early as March 1st.

                                                                                  

Fishes & Loaves
God’s Multiplication Miracle

This morning … for the 21st consecutive year Mayberry is again participating in the Souper Bowl of Caring’s hunger offering. Over that span of time, $6,234 has been received from folks who worshipped at Mayberry on those Super Bowl Sundays.  And, again this year, gifts received today will shared with hunger ministries right here on the mountain.   

This nationwide “one–Sunday-only” hunger relief effort has Presbyterian roots. 26 years ago a prayer by Brad Smith, the youth group leader at Spring Valley Presbyterian Church in Columbia, SC, gave birth to the idea to use the Super Bowl weekend to collect gifts of food and money for hungry neighbors.  Spring Valley’s youth group invited 22 other church youth groups in Columbia to join their effort. And … “Fishes & Loaves! … God’s Multiplication Miracle !“ 

Those kids raised $5,700 to fight hunger.    

Since then, the idea of fighting hunger on Super Bowl Sunday has become a nationwide movement.  Today church youth groups are joined by entire congregations, unions, businesses, and more; and, in its 29 years of existence, the Souper Bowl of Caring has raised over $100,000,000 for local hunger charities such as back pack programs, food banks, soup kitchens, food box distributions and more.

As we have done in the past, won’t you share your blessings today with nearby neighbors in our mountaintop communities?  Envelopes are in today’s bulletin; and your gifts may be placed in the offering plate as you leave worship.     

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Jesus, the High Priest

As we are expecting bad weather tomorrow, with snow overnight topped by freezing rain early in the morning, worship services at Bluemont and Mayberry Churches are cancelled. I have included copies of the bulletins and announcements from each church at the bottom. Stay safe!

Sermon recorded on January 29 at Mayberry Church

Jeff Garrison
Mayberry and Bluemont Churches
January 31, 2021
Hebrews 4:14-5:10 
c2021

At the beginning of Worship

We’re continuing our study of the Book of Hebrews today. As I have reinforced each week we’ve been in this book, its central theme is the superiority of Christ. Today, we will read that Christ is our high priest, but this is just a way to say that Jesus is superior to the priests of the temple during Jesus’ day. Priests served as the link between a holy God and a sinful people. But as the High Priest, Jesus replaces the need for other priest and opens the door that we all might be in fellowship with the divine. To say this another way as we’ve seen in Hebrews, Jesus adopts us into God’s extended family. 

Let me say give you another tidbit about how Hebrews is constructed. I’ve talked before about how the author builds on what’s already covered to make his case. Another trick the author uses is to drop hits as to where he’s going. While this section is about the role of Jesus as a high priest, he’s already mentioned this role of Jesus twice before.[1]Furthermore, in this section, with Melchizedek, the author drops hints about where he’s heading. He’ll come back to him in the 7th chapter. 

After the reading of the Scripture

Let me start with an interesting footnote on this section of scripture that I just read. I’ve pointed out before that chapters and verses were not originally a part of the scriptures, that they were added centuries after the text were written as a way to help us find things. Because of this, verses and chapters can be somewhat arbitrary. This section, which begins with the 14th verse of the 4th chapter is such a case. Some older translations including Tyndale’s English translation and Luther’s German translation began Chapter 5 with verse 14.[2]  This is a reminder that the new chapters don’t always mean new thoughts, as we see here. 

A True Story

Let me tell you a true story. When I was sixteen, four months after passing the driver’s test and getting my license, I was in an accident. It was early Sunday afternoon. My father was working this day, so mother took us kids to church. On the way home, she let me drive. I felt so big. It was also a blessing that mom was with me, right beside me in the front seat. This mean she knew I wasn’t to blame for the accident. Had she not been there, I’m sure it would have somehow been my fault. 

We were driving down Shipyard Boulevard, which had three lanes heading east. I was in the far-right lane as my turn was only a few streets ahead. Suddenly, a car in the far-left lane made an immediate right-hand turn. The woman driving must have realized she was about to miss her turn. She cut across two lanes of traffic. 

I slammed on the brakes and T-boned her car in the front quarter-panel. This was in 1973. I was driving a car built in 1969, before cars came with shoulder straps. I remember flying through the air, then the waist belt caught me. I was then thrown forward and hit my head on the steering wheel hard enough to crack it. See, I now have an excuse. Any mental challenges I can blame on that accident. 

I was knocked out. A policeman and an ambulance came. I was whisked away to the emergency room. With me gone, our neighbors who were leaving their church, happened to drive by. They gave my mother and siblings a ride home. My mother called my father where he was working. He came to the hospital to check on me. As we were leaving, the police officer came to the hospital with a citation. He charged me with “following too close.” I was furious. I told the cop he was crazy. My father immediately grabbed me and told me to be quiet. 

Dad then asked the officer about the accident and the position of the cars. After explaining that I hit her car in the front passenger quarter panel, my father, very calmly said, “Jeff’s right. There’s no way he could have been following too close.” The officer said, “Well, that’s my findings.” My father response was, “We’ll see you in court.” 

The Neighbor to the rescue 

Now, remember the neighbors who picked up my mother and siblings. The father just happened to be a State highway patrolman. When he heard I was charged with the accident, I think he was even more incensed than my father. That afternoon, he took my father and me to the scene and we measured everything off and took pictures. Then we went to where they’d towed the cars and took more pictures. Then he drew up on a large sheet of paper the accident and wrote up his findings. Because he worked for a different agency, he did not feel he could take this information to the police department. Instead, he told my dad to give to an attorney. And he said if the attorney had any questions, to call him. 

Now, I was a bit upset over the reason he told my dad to obtain an attorney. “You don’t want a sixteen-year-old on the witness stand by himself,” he said. “The DA and the officer could get him (that’s me) confused and the trial might not go well.” So, my father hired an attorney. We met with him for maybe 15 minutes. He took all the drawings and photos and said, “I think I can take care of this.” I didn’t even have to appear in court. Her insurance paid for the accident and the citation was thrown out. 

The Need for an Advocate

While I was a cocky 16-year-old, who didn’t think I needed an attorney, there’s something good about having an advocate, one who can help plea your case. This goes both in a courtroom and before God. That’s why, in the Old Testament, you had a high priest. This dude was to take the petitions and our confessions of the people to God. The high priest was to seek mercy on our behalf.  

Last week, we learned that the Book of Hebrews encourages us to “take a break.” We have the Sabbath which serves as a foretaste of paradise, an eternal rest. We can rest because God is active in our lives and world. Where this activity is best seen is in the life and work of Jesus Christ. Not only can we trust ourselves to take a break because Jesus watches over us, but Jesus has us eternally in his hands. 

What is our confession? 

Because of whom Jesus is and what Jesus has done, the author/preacher of Hebrews calls on us in the first verse of our reading to hold fast to our confession. Now, when we think of our confession, we might think of the Apostles’ Creed, or the even older Nicene Creed. While these creeds flesh out our knowledge about Christ, especially our understanding of the incarnation (God with us) and the Trinity, there’s an even older creed that we see in the writings of Paul. “Jesus is Lord” is perhaps the first basic Christian Creed.[3] Such a creed fits right into Hebrews emphasis on the superiority of Jesus Christ. 

By affirming this creed, that Jesus is Lord, or Jesus is superior, we acknowledge our relationship to Jesus, but we are also acknowledging that Jesus does something for us no one else can do. We get into this special work of Jesus as we look at the work of the High Priest. 

Jesus as the High Priest

There are a number of essential characteristics of the High Priest that’s outlined in the first ten verses of Chapter 5.[4] Such a priest must sympathize with our weakness. This highlights the importance of the incarnation. Jesus had to become one of us, in order for him to understand what we must endure in this life. The High Priest must be a mortal. Jesus, by becoming human, fulfills this. But unlike the High Priests of the temple, who had to do special sacrifices to purify himself before he could offer the sacrifices for the people’s sin, Jesus sinless state allows him to make that sacrifice for us. The author will go into more detail about the sacrifice later in the book. 

Another characteristic is that High Priest position isn’t something for which one can strive. It is a position that must be chosen by God. The Preacher of Hebrews highlights this with two quotes from the Psalms. The first quote, from Psalm 2:7, “You are my son, today I have begotten you.” We’re already heard this quote in the opening paragraph of Hebrews and the opening of this quote is similar to what was heard from heaven when Jesus was baptized by John.[5] In the second quote, from Psalms we’re told that Jesus is a priest forever and we’re reintroduced to this guy from way back at the time of Abraham, Melchizedek.[6] The author of Hebrews doesn’t make a big deal out of Melchizedek at this point. Instead, he’s drops a teaser. We’ll learn more about Melchizedek later, but for now we are shown that Jesus’ role as High Priest was bestowed on him by God the Father. 

Our Need for a High Priest 

The important thing we learn from this passage is not how Jesus became high priest or his qualifications for the assignment. For us, the important thing is that we have a high priest. We have someone who has been where we are in life and knows what we endure, someone who empathizes with our struggles. Because Jesus is our high priest, we can approach him honestly in our prayers, laying our burdens and concerns out before him. We can be assured that Jesus will listen to us and represent us before God the Father. But unlike an earthly advocate, like that attorney my father hired for me, Jesus doesn’t just make sure our side is told. As we dig deeper into this book, we’ll see that Jesus covers us with his own righteousness and pays any penalty we own for our transgressions. 

As a high priest, Jesus offers us more than any earthly priest. Jesus is Lord. That’s our confession. Believe in him. Follow him. Love and worship him.  Amen. 

[1] See Hebrews 2:17 and 3:1

[2] F. F. Bruce, The Epistle of the Hebrews (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1964), 84 n. 1.  

[3] Romans 10:9 and 1 Corinthians 12:3. 

[4] Different scholars outline these characteristics differently. Bruce, 94, splits it into two: 1. Divine appointment and 2. Ability to sympathize with His people.  Johnson breaks it down into 12 parts: 1. Taken from among humans, 2. Behalf of humans, 3. In matters pertaining to God, 4. To offer gifts and sacrifices, 5. For sins. The High Priest must also 6. Deal gently with ignorant and wandering people, 7. Share their weakness, 8. Offer gifts for himself, 9. As well as the people. The High Priest must also 10. not chose himself, 11. But be chosen by God, 12. As was Aaron.  See. Luke Timothy Johnson, Hebrews: A Commentary (Louisville, KY: WJKP, 2006)), 137.  

[5] Matthew 3:13-17, Mark 1:12-13, Luke 4:1-13. At the baptism, the word from heaven is “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.  

[6] Genesis 14:18. Melchizedek was this mysterious “King of Salem” to whom Abraham offered a tithe to. 

Bluemont Announcements

  • Starting Monday, February 1, the pastor will be holding a “Zoom” Bible study looking at the previous week’s sermon along with the upcoming week’s scripture readings. The study will begin at 1 p.m. and last up to an hour.  It will only be available virtually. To attend, please send an email to the pastor at parkwayrockchurches@gmail.com.  On Monday mornings, you will receive an email with an invite for the Bible Study.  
  • The Souper Bowl offering for the Carroll County Social Services for medicine and fuel for the elderly will be taken on Sunday, February 7.  Envelopes will be provided.                               

If you have a need to contact Rev. Dr. Jeff Garrison, you may reach him on his cell number 269-804-9793 or email him at parkwayrockchurches@gmail.com.  His mailing address is    P. O. Box 140, Laurel Fork VA  24352.   Visit Pastor Jeff’s blog at https://fromarockyhillside.com . 

Mayberry Announcements

This Morning – “Two Cents-A-Meal” Offering 

Mayberry’s monthly hunger offering (which addresses hunger right here in the mountains of southwest Virginia) will be received this morning.  Based on Mayberry’s grant applications, the Meadows of Dan Back Pack Program, and Harris Chapel’s Food Distribution ministry have previously received grants from the Presbytery’s “Two Cents” hunger program.  Gifts may be placed in the offering plate using the envelopes found in today’s bulletin.    

Monday (2/1) – Zoom Bible Study – 1:00-2:00 pm  

Something Brand New … Tomorrow, for the first time, Pastor Jeff will be holding a “Zoom” Bible Study looking at the previous week’s sermon … and … the upcoming week’s scripture readings. The study will begin at 1:00 pm and last up to an hour.  

It will only be available virtually. To sign up … please send an email to the pastor at parkwayrockchurches@gmail.com.  Then each Monday morning, participants will receive an email from Jeff with the “invite” for that afternoon’s Bible Study.  

Monday (2/1)  Addiction Recovery Support Group 7:00 pm

Persons fighting addictions gather on Monday evenings for prayer and mutual support to strengthen their use of the AA’s 12-step discipline.  Somebody you care about may be fighting an addiction that is limiting the blessings their life with the Lord will bring them.  Call Deborah Reynolds, at 276-251-1389, for more information. 

Thursday (2/4) – Ruritan Meeting – Via Zoom – 7:00 pm   

February’s Calendar – Ash Wednesday – Lent – Easter, etc.   

February’s Calendar is included in this morning’s bulletin.  The Lenten Season begins on the 1st Sunday in Lent (2/14) … Ash Wednesday follows on (2/17) … Palm Sunday and the beginning of Holy Week on (3/28) … and Easter Sunday on April 4th.  The Session has not yet mapped out our full set of plans for 2021’s Lenten/Easter Season – it is considering how Covid will impact our Easter celebrations.  For example, do Covid restrictions prevent our normal Imposition of Ashes service on Ash Wednesday?  Can we add an Easter Sunrise Service to our Easter Sunday celebrations?  Stay tuned … decisions are on the way!   

Meadows of Dan’s January 27th Blood Drive Results 

A nice turnout at this past Wednesday’s Blood Drive produced 34 units of Blood.  We’re told by the Red Cross that those donations will have a lifesaving impact on 102 persons needing medical care.  The Red Cross also tells us that they have received nearly 300,000 fewer donations since Covid infections surfaced last March.  Our next blood drive will be March 24th.  We hope you will join us that day.  More important we hope you will call 

1-800-RED-CROS and schedule your time for donation.  You can do that beginning as early as March 1st.  

Bulletin Outline for Both Churches