Thoughts for the Day

Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom he also created the worlds. He is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact imprint of God’s very being, and he sustains all things by his powerful word. When he had made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs......

Now God did not subject the coming world, about which we are speaking, to angels. But someone has testified somewhere,

‘What are human beings that you are mindful of them,
or mortals, that you care for them?
You have made them for a little while lower than the angels;
you have crowned them with glory and honour,
subjecting all things under their feet.’

Now in subjecting all things to them, God left nothing outside their control. As it is, we do not yet see everything in subjection to them, but we do see Jesus, who for a little while was made lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honour because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.

(Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

My Godmother and Aunt, Winifred, had been the perfect private Secretary and Translator (Spanish-English and vice-versa) and worked for the Spanish Ambassador for years. She emigrated to Costa Rica aged 94 years, and when sorting out her things I came across her sealing wax that she had used with a signature ring to seal all her letters. It reminded me of the habit of sealing important letters and documents and pressing a signature ring into the molten wax. Our equivalent today is perhaps the use of a finger-print to access our computer. They both assure the authenticity of something.

Our New Testament reading today is from Hebrews originally attributed to Saint Paul, though it doesn't state so, and its polished and eloquent Greek is not the same as used by Paul elsewhere. Whoever wrote it, the intention is to urge new Christians to keep going in the face of persecution, and not to turn back to Judaism. The writer is less concerned with the man Jesus who tramped the dusty roads of Palestine and felt hunger and thirst. He wants us to understand that this man was God's Son who created the universe, and who for a short while made himself 'lower than the angels'. This Jesus, who suffered and died for our sin is 'the exact imprint of God's being', and it is He who 'sustains all things by His word'.

For Christians, our belief in Jesus Christ doesn't start with the baby born in Bethlehem, it starts at the beginning of time with a cosmic Jesus who made and who holds all things 'by His word'. (We have looked at the idea that a word said can create and make something happen -see John 1.1-14). Our daily prayers are addressed to the One who is God's imprint of His very Being and who created all things.

Lord Jesus Christ,
Creator and Ruler of our world,
You are the imprint of the triune God,
may we never forget this,
but continue to praise and glorify You.
Receive our prayers this day
and answer them as is best for us, now,
and in the future.
Amen.