People on social media quite often share needs and problems, and the standard response is, “I’ll pray for you.”
Now I’m the last person to belittle the power of prayer, but sometimes prayer needs hands and feet. Imagine drowning in a lake and someone on the shore yells, “I’m praying for you.”
I’d yell back, “Keep praying, but toss me that life preserver!” Maybe we should respond with, “I’ll pray for you and is there is anything I can do to help you?”
We’re reading and talking our way through the book of Hebrews, and we have arrived at chapters 8 and 9. They’re critical for understanding holy communion, the priesthood of Jesus, and atonement — “at-onement” or “at-one-with” God.
The old covenant was a set of rules and regulations. The new covenant is a relationship with the living God who created us and saves us.
And that is the message in the book of Hebrews: we were drowning in sin, and the old covenant/testament tossed us a book of rules and regulations.
The new covenant/testament sent us a sacrifice — a Savior!
• Hebrews 8:6 — “But now Jesus, our High Priest, has been given a ministry that is far superior to the old priesthood.…” Imagine the difference between a textboo k and a teacher?
• Hebrews 8:10 — “I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts ...” Imagine the difference between an external rule and an internal habit?
• Hebrews 9:12 — “He entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.” Imagine the difference between a bandaid and a healing?
• Hebrews 9:22 — “Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.” Imagine the difference between wanting to help and helping?
So, these two chapters in Hebrews emphasize the transition from the old covenant written down on stone tablets and parchment scrolls to the new covenant delivered to us by the living Word and written down in our hearts and minds.
When we were drowning in sin, the old covenant prayed for us; the new covenant tossed us a life preserver and pulled us to shore i.e.
saved us!
Now the critical question is “Are you operating daily based on external expectations (the old covenant faith) or internal convictions (the new covenant faith)?
Charles “Buddy” Whatley is a retired United Methodist pastor serving Dawson Street Methodist Church in Thomasville, Ga. With wife, Mary Ella, they are missionaries to the Navajo Reservation.
