Monday 12 January 2009

Background

The letter to the Hebrews is addressed to a group of Christiansbeing persecuted for their faith, and experiencing a failure ofnerve. Knowing that they are tempted to give up their Christianlifestyle, the writer reminds them of the basics of theirfaith.

Life was difficult and dangerous for them, but the writer remindsthem of the wonder of what has happened to them because of Jesus,God's son. God communicated in times of old through their ancestorsand prophets (in the Jewish tradition), but through 'the Son', Godhas spoken in a decisive and different way. These are the 'endtimes', better times are coming, the signs of the new order of thekingdom of God are breaking through - a kingdom whose values havebeen shown in the life of Jesus, and which the recipients of theletter are called to live out.

Filled with language of awe, wonder and love, the writer describesthe Son as being present from the beginning: in the cosmic orderingof creation. The Son is the 'radiance' of God's glory, asinseparable from God as a sunbeam is from the sun.

The Son bears the very imprint of God in his being. If the Hebrews(the first readers of the letter), or we ourselves want to knowwhat God is like, we can glimpse God's nature in the stories of howJesus lived. The Son present in the very act of creation alsosustains us and holds us in being, perhaps in the way that amother's providential care surrounds her children even in difficulttimes.

Baptism before the ministry of Jesus offered cleansing with waterfrom a disordered lifestyle. But the baptism which is initiationinto the Christian life is also of the Spirit, which empowers andinspires us to participate in the whole new way of 'kingdom living'in Christ.

To Ponder

Does it help you to know that Jesus bears theexact imprint of God's being? In what way?

What does it mean to you to know that you are'sustained in being' by Jesus' powerful word?

What images or language would you use to expressreverence for Jesus?