Hebrews 7:26-28: Trading My Weakness For His Strength

One of the toughest elements of trust is an admission of weakness.  We need to trust because we need help. We need help because we are not the rulers of the universe. That places us in the awkward position of having to depend on someone else. How much of the "silent, independent man" stereotype is based on a presumption of competence; a belief that a men and women can be a master of their environment, themselves and their destiny.

We trust our health to our doctors. We trust our water supplies to hydraulic engineers. We trust our public safety to police and fire specialists. We trust our government to officials who are held accountable for their performance. But who do we trust with our own salvation?

If we were competent to deal with our own moral failings, our own offenses against God and others, this wouldn't be an issue. You would sit down at a bargaining table, a fine would be levied after intense negociations, and you would work off your fine.  But the truth is that we are not capable. We make our best efforts at appeasing God, but end up offering slop.

So we try any number of strategies to reduce our culpability: minimizing the offense ("it's not that bad"), bribing the judge ("I'll do this to make up for it."), slandering the one offended ("it's really his fault") or conveniently ignoring the problem.

But, if we are not capable, then who do we trust? In the Old Testament, there were specialists: priests--men who were set apart by God for special service. The author of Hebrews notes:

Such a high priest meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself. For the law appoints as high priests men who are weak; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever. - Hebrews 8:26-28

These priests were called in at specific times to represent people before God, taking an offering, preparing it in the manner specified by God, so that the relationship is restored. It was not enough to choose any offering, any day, any place. Cain didn't bring the right offering and attitude (Gen. 4:4-8), Aaron's two sons tried an unauthorized altar (Lev. 10:1), the people of Israel kept trying various high places instead of the temple in Jerusalem.  Each of these was rejected.

What does it cost when you hurt someone else? What is enough for that person to feel repaid for that? Do you get to decide, or do they?  This is important. Why? Because forgiveness is not free. Rather, in the act of forgiveness, the cost of the offense is transferred from the offender to the offended.

So what would God accept? The specialists, the priests, that had been appointed, were "weak" They had their own sins. They died. But Jesus needed no sacrifice for his own sins, leaving his offering untainted on our behalf. And Jesus was raised, a high priest needing no successor. 

Can we come to grips with our own weakness? Can we trust another to be our competence--our strength?
We spend so much energy struggling to prove ourselves right, with God and others. Resign as high priest. Admit failure. Trust Jesus. The kingdom of God needs your energy spent elsewhere.