Lent 2010 # 29

Hebrews 10:19-25 (The Inclusive Bible):

Therefore, sisters and brothers, since the blood of Jesus makes us confident to enter the holy place by the new and living path opened for us through the veil - that is to say, the body of Jesus - and since we have the supreme high priest presiding over the house of God, let us enter it filled with faith and with sincerity in our hearts, our hearts sprinkled and cleared from any trace of bad conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us keep firm in the hope we profess, because the One who made the promise is faithful.
Let us always think how we can stimulate each other to love and good works. Don't stay away from the meetings of the community, as some do, but encourage one another; and do this all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

THOUGHTS:

The Holy Place in the Tabernacle, and later in Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem, was separated from the people by a one-to-two foot thick curtain. Only the priests could enter. This was no thin veil that ripped when Christ died. Think of the dividers that are used to split off large meeting rooms, and imagine them twice as thick! That's quite a barrier between God and the people.

God, of course, is present in and with all creatures and places, but when a place is set apart as sacred, particularly by many people and for a long period of time, it develops a certain air of holiness, if you will. God declared a particular dwelling in the Holy of Holies. It is interesting to observe that this residing place was essentially a box - the one thing we are NOT supposed to put God in. This box was special though. Instead of a box that keeps God limited, sterile, and safely hating only the sins of the people we hate and not our own, the Ark of the Covenant kept God hidden, unknown.

Jesus changed all that. Instead of unknowable and distant, the Trinity adopted us. We are not only family to other believers - the Creator of the universe calls us family. If someone told you Obama was their second cousin, that would probably come across with thoughts that this person must "have it made, " knowing someone that powerful and being a relative on top of it. How much more the God who created the universe? And we are God's relatives - and we can now relate to God, since God came down to our level and took on human flesh. The blood of Christ and the water of Baptism are free gifts which have been given to us to cleanse us. We may now approach our new Family, not seen as the weak people we sometimes are - for this is covered in love - but rather as a child of grace, adopted by the Holy Spirit. We are called to the radical power of love, of forgiveness, for we have been forgiven and made heirs to the kingdom where Love reigns eternal.

God has left the box.

PRAYER:

Abba, we enter your presence today, not as strangers but as family. We rejoice that we have been given the opportunity to really, truly know You, and also to know and love our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Amen.

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Thoughts by Victoria Meixell, student at George Mason University

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These devotions for young adults are provided by:

Lutheran Campus Ministry at George Mason University http://www.gmu.edu/org/lutheran
Lutheran Student Association at the University of Maryland http://terpconnect.umd.edu/~lutheran/lsa/
DC Young Adults http://www.dcyoungadults.org/

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