Wednesday of the Second Week in Lent (Hebrews 7:11-21)

¹¹ Now if perfection was through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people have received the law), what further need was there for another priest to arise after the order of Melchizedek, and not be called after the order of Aaron? ¹² For the priesthood being changed, there is of necessity a change made also in the law. ¹³ For he of whom these things are said belongs to another tribe, from which no one has officiated at the altar. ¹⁴ For it is evident that our Lord has sprung out of Judah, about which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning priesthood. ¹⁵ This is yet more abundantly evident, if after the likeness of Melchizedek there arises another priest, ¹⁶ who has been made, not after the law of a fleshly commandment, but after the power of an endless life; ¹⁷ for it is testified,

“You are a priest forever,
    according to the order of Melchizedek.”

¹⁸ For there is an annulling of a foregoing commandment because of its weakness and uselessness ¹⁹ (for the law made nothing perfect), and a bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God. ²⁰ Inasmuch as he was not made priest without the taking of an oath ²¹ (for they indeed have been made priests without an oath), but he with an oath by him that says of him,

“The Lord swore and will not change his mind,
    ‘You are a priest forever,
    according to the order of Melchizedek.’”

Commentary

As you know, the Jews of old offered sacrifices proper to the order of Aaron, using animals as victims. This was a mysterious prophetic sign. The sacrifice of the Lord’s body and blood had not yet been offered; the faithful know about this, as do all who have read the Gospel, and this sacrifice is now widespread throughout the world. Keep both kinds of sacrifice before your mind’s eye, the one after the order of Aaron, the other after the order of Melchisedek; for Scripture says, The Lord has sworn, and will not change his mind: you are a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedek.  Now of whom is it said, You are a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedek? Of our Lord Jesus Christ. Who was Melchisedek? He was King of Salem. Salem was the original city, but the later city in the same place was called Jerusalem, according to the experts. So before ever the Jews established their Kingdom the Priest Melchisedek was there, and Genesis describes him as a Priest of God Most High.  So great was Melchisedek that he could confer a blessing on Abraham. He set forth bread and wine, “and blessed Abraham; and Abraham gave him tithes. Consider what he set forth and to whom he gave his blessing. Later on David says in the Spirit to someone, You are a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedek. This was said long after Abraham’s day, yet Abraham was Melchisedek’s contemporary. To whom, then, does the prophesy refer? To whom else, but he whose sacrifice is known to you?

The sacrifice of Aaron was therefore superseded and the sacrifice according to the order of Melchisedek came into being. Our Lord Jesus Christ willed us to find salvation in his body and blood. But how could he make his body and blood available to us? Through his humility; for if he had not been humble, he could not have been eaten and drunk. Contemplate his lofty Divinity: In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God; he was God. That is eternal food, the angels eat it and in eating they are totally satisfied. What man could aspire to that food? Where could a human heart be found fit to eat food like that?

It was necessary for the banquet to be converted into milk if  it was to become available to little ones. But how can food be turned into milk, except by being passed through flesh? This is what a mother does. What the mother eats, the baby eats too, but since the baby is unable to digest bread, the mother turns the bread into her own flesh, and through the humility of her breast and its supply of milk she feeds her baby with the same bread. How does the Wisdom of God feed us with bread? The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us. The eternal Word, equal to the Father, on whom the angels feed, has been eaten by men. He humbled himself and was made obedient unto death, even death on a cross, so that from the cross the Lord’s flesh and blood might be delivered to us today as the new sacrifice. (Augustine of Hippo)

There is evidence in the Letter to the Hebrews that the Melchizedek high priest was believed to be resurrected, that is, living the life of heaven rather than of this earth. Melchizedek had no priestly descent, we are told (Heb. 7.3), but was like the Son of God. The contrast in this chapter is between bodily descent, which was the qualification for the priesthood of Aaron, and 'the power of an indestructible life', the characteristic of the priesthood of Melchizedek. This suggests that raised up, used twice of Melchizedek in Hebrews 7, should not be understood as 'elevated to high office' but 'resurrected', made high priest by the power of an indestructible life (the verbs are anistasthai, v . l l ; anistatai, v.15). (Margaret Barker)

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Thursday of the Second Week of Lent (Hebrews 7:22-28)

²² By so much, Jesus has become the collateral of a better covenant. ²³ Many, indeed, have been made priests, because they are hindered from continuing by death. ²⁴ But he, because he lives forever, has his priesthood unchangeable. ²⁵ Therefore he is also able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, seeing that he lives forever to make intercession for them.

²⁶ For such a high priest was fitting for us: holy, guiltless, undefiled, separated from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; ²⁷ who doesn’t need, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices daily, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. For he did this once for all, when he offered up himself. ²⁸ For the law appoints men as high priests who have weakness, but the word of the oath which came after the law appoints a Son forever who has been perfected.

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