Saturday 01 November 2014

Background

All Saints' Day is one of the great celebrations of theChristian year, when we remember all those saints who have walkedthe path of faith before us. Perhaps today you'll have theopportunity to sing, or listen to, William Walsham How's hymn 'For all the saints who from their laboursrest', to the great tune by Vaughan Williams. Those saints arenot just the men and women whose names we remember down theChurch's long history, but all those who have been faithfulChristians, those whom Paul addresses as saints of the Church atthe beginning of so many of his letters (eg 1Corinthians 1:2).

The writer to the Hebrews has been listing men and women ofcourage, whose lives were marked by faith (Hebrews 11). Now in this chapter he turns toChristians of the present day, surrounded by so great a cloud ofwitnesses (Hebrews 12:1), those who have faithfullyendured suffering for the sake of the Gospel. Were the recipientsof this letter failing in their faith (Hebrews 12:3-4)? If so, the writer seeks toencourage them by reminding them of the glory that they alreadyshare.

The writer contrasts Mount Sinai and Mount Zion. When the peopleof Israel met God at Sinai, it was a terrifying experience, themountain wrapped in cloud, the presence of God overwhelming (Exodus19:12-16). In contrast, what awaits us on Mount Zion is thecelebration to end all celebrations, with all the angels in partyclothes (verse 22), with God, who has judged the righteous and madethem perfect, and with Jesus, who has brought all this aboutthrough the covenant of his blood.

A further contrast with "the blood of Abel" (v. 24), crying outfor retribution for his murder (Genesis 4:10), reminds us that when Jesus'blood was spilt, it was to save us, not to condemn us. As theIsraelites met God at Mount Sinai, to hear the words 'You shall befor me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation' (Exodus19:6), so God's people now meet God at Mount Zion to celebratetheir identity (verse 23) through the covenant relationship inJesus.

To Ponder

• Today's Church tends to concentrate on the problems of today'sworld. Should we pay more attention to the promise of heaven? Why,or why not?

• Who are the saints who inspire you? (These may be saints fromhistory, or may be Christians from your own church or your ownpast.)