This week we continue our walk through the Letter to the Hebrews. As I mentioned last week, this is a serious piece making known the Messiahship of Jesus. Last week we saw how Hebrews used Psalm 95 as a reference point, and this week we hear all about the High Priest, Psalm 110 and someone we met in Genesis named Melchizedek
Mark’s Gospel this week
We continue also our reading through Mark. For the most we learn the truth of Fasting from Jesus. The idea of fasting certainly was not lost of the Temple leaders, but as usual they focused more on the activity rather than the true purpose.
We are about 6 weeks from the beginning of Lent, which means for most we are six weeks away from figuring out what our Lenten sacrifice is going to be. Obviously the two sacrifices are linked. But we should be careful. We see how the Pharisees get it wrong by focusing on the act of fasting and not the reason for it.
Be careful of our own ideas
We also can get into this same mindset by focusing on meatless Fridays or some other practice and say se God how I am giving up for you? That is not the goal of sacrifice or of fasting. We should be looking at it as… ‘This item I am giving up has a pretty good hold on me. I want to fast from it, so I can allow myself to be focused more on you God, than on the things I want and desire.’
The disciples this week are with Jesus (i.e. God) and are fully focused on what He is saying and teaching them. There is nothing ore they could want since their entire being is focused on God. Yet the Pharisee are focused not on God, but on a piece of grain thinking that somehow this grain is so uber important to God if someone eats it on a Sabbath he is going to be offended.
His desires for us
He is offended by people not listening to the Word of God. This Word of God is also known as Jesus. Just something to keep in mind while we approach Lent. Focus on eliminating those things that draw you away from God and of the deadly sins pull us away from God.. So if gluttony may be an issue, eliminating meat may help, or cookies, or something with which we find ourselves lusting after, full of pride, or Envious of etc. Our goal should be to be completely immersed in God.
As mentioned earlier there is a bunch of discussion in the Letter to the Hebrews this week on the High Priest and this king called Melchizedek. There is much discussion over this figure which we meet in Genesis 14. Verses 17-20
When Abram returned from his defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were allied with him, the king of Sodom went out to greet him in the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley).
Melchizedek, king of Salem,* brought out bread and wine. He was a priest of God Most High.
He blessed Abram with these words: “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, the creator of heaven and earth; And blessed be God Most High, who delivered your foes into your hand.”
Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.
Who is this King?
That is what is said in Genesis. Some scholars believe this was added in much later others think the translation is poor, others think it is proper. But most Christian thought is that this King of Salem or King of Righteousness represents Jesus or is Jesus himself, bringing to Abram the bread and wine which would bring our saving to all of humanity. The catechism declares him a figure of Christ in paragraph 58
We should look at him in that way as this has been recognized by the Church and even before the Church. Melchizedek he was recognized as a prefiguring of the Messiah throughout in 2nd Temple Judaism.
The Epistle to the Hebrews was written in a Jewish argument type literature. In this the letter gives us our belief in Who Melchizedek is and how he relates to Jesus. The Jewish midrash and Targums leave open the possibility that it was actually the Messiah and therefore our idea are open to that concept as well
I encourage everyone to read Scripture. Before Mass read the readings this will help you get more out of them and amore easily apply it to your life. Here is the Link to the 3rd Sunday of Ordinary Time