Scripture Reading for Sunday, March 9th

Reading: Hebrews 2:10-18

So That we Would be Made Holy

A term often associated with holiness in scripture is perfection. In this passage Paul speaks of God perfecting the offering that was Jesus Christ, specifically through his unjust suffering. Jesus' perfect sacrificial offering extends to us, even in our sin, the hope of God's mercy and the hope of a restored life.

We can often get hung up on the concept of perfection, especially if we see the job of perfecting as ours. Confession: my default beliefs can lead me to try and perform for God so as to prove my worthiness, and by this good work somehow negate the need for salvation altogether. As you can expect this type of self driven perfection can lead someone into a very neurotic form of spirituality in which we are always playing catchup to our own misdeeds, a fairly miserable spiritual existence.

Salvation is not a process of sin management, it is about grace and healing.

The perfection Paul writes of here does not begin within us; rather the perfection/holiness is brought about in us because of what our Father has already completed for us in and through Jesus Christ. Ironically the harder we try to perfect ourselves the further we move away from God's embrace of grace. Certainly Jesus expects us to take up our cross; however effecting a way for our own salvation is not part of that, he's already done that.

Thoughts for reflection or journaling

How do we try and perfect ourselves, and get in the way of God?
What would it look like if we trusted in God's ability to work out his perfected will in us?
Why/how does unjust suffering perfect?

Prayer

Father, you have brought about a means by which we can be made whole and perfect again. Through your Son's life, death, and resurrection you have cleared the path for us to join you! Guide is in your ways that we might become a holy and set apart people with your word on our lips.

Amen