Thursday 1 March, 2018

3 Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, whom we acknowledge as our apostle and high priest. 2 He was faithful to the one who appointed him, just as Moses was faithful in all God’s house. 3 Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself. 4 For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything. 5 “Moses was faithful as a servant in all God’s house,” bearing witness to what would be spoken by God in the future. 6 But Christ is faithful as the Son over God’s house. And we are his house, if indeed we hold firmly to our confidence and the hope in which we glory.

I recently visited the Meiji Shrine in Tokyo. It is a huge shrine to the memory of Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken, and is the most visited site in Tokyo due to its cultural importance to the Japanese but I think also due to its beautiful woodland setting. It is undergoing restoration and a luxurious copper roof is being installed. The craftsmanship by the skilled metal workers is amazing. It is a labour of love to the Emperor and Empress, and is being built to last.

When the writer of the Hebrews talks about the builder being so much greater than the building, he is worshipping God, the builder of his household of believers. Jesus, God’s Son, is over God’s house (v6).

What I especially love is how this passage speaks of the plan of God to build his household, his people. A plan that stretches back through time, when God chose Moses his faithful servant to lead and witness to his people, lovingly forgave his people over and over, blessed them with prophecies, right up to Jesus, who is his faithful Son. God’s people are not a random collection of like minded people, but the fruit of his plan, lovingly built by him.

V6 tells us what characterises those of God’s household – perseverance. Perseverance in faith that Jesus died and rose again, and perseverance in hope – that in believing in him we will also be with God in his household forever.

Dear Jesus, I am the beneficiary of God’s plan to build his house, his church. I worship you, my head, and ask that you keep building us today into your glory on this earth, to share your love and faithfulness with our friends and all people who you love. Amen

Written by Claire Moore