Thursday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time
St. Francis de Sales
Heb 7: 25b – 8:6; Mark 3: 7-12
Dc. Larry Brockman
It is something that we just don’t understand. We just can’t relate to it- this business of sacrificing animals to God. But in the Old Testament days, that is how people approached their God. The Lord of the Old Testament seemed so distant, so overwhelming, so impersonal, and even fearful. And so, the people would take their gifts to a Priest, who had to be from the Levite Tribe, and hope that, following the precise methodology handed down through Moses, and through the intercession of that Priest, their appeal to God might be answered.
Now these sacrifices started as offerings from the heart. They were animals that really meant something to those who offered them, because livestock was at a premium and was critical to the society. These people were nomadic herders and farmers, not city dwellers with 9 to 5 jobs. And unlike today, meat was not commonly eaten- it was the exception and a treat. And so the hope was that really giving something up that meant something to you, would save you from your sins, and restore you to God’s favor. But over time, these sacrifices became more mechanical and scripted. So that they lost significance in terms of sincerity. Following the formula became a culturally necessary thing to do, and not necessarily an offering from the heart.
In our first reading today there are some very detailed theological concepts discussed about priests and how Jesus relate to priesthood. But the basic point is that Jesus changed everything. Jesus sacrifice was necessary and sufficient to achieve salvation. We can’t justify or atone for our offenses by offering up animals, and it is not burnt offerings and animals that appease our God. Jesus sacrifice did the atonement. So Old Testament style priesthood is no longer applicable. That means it is our relationship with Jesus that matters now because he is our high priest and can intercede for us. And like anyone else that we have a relationship with, it needs to be built on faith and trust in each other.
In our Gospel today, we hear that so many people believed in Jesus’ power, that they were coming from far and wide, and from outside the area. And they were pressing so hard on him that he was concerned about being crushed. And we hear that many of these people were cured. Now when we hear stories of specific people being cured elsewhere in the Gospels, Jesus is always quoted as saying that “Your Faith has saved you”. And we can surmise that this was the case for those who were cured in this large crowd as well.
So, we need Faith, real faith in Jesus as our Lord and Savior, not sacrifices of animals. And we need a corresponding commitment to Jesus and his way of life. That’s how we develop a relationship with Jesus. When we have such a relationship with him, then when we pray, he can and will intercede to the Father for us.
