In the fullness of time

"All the troubles, for all time, of humanity enslaved by sin and death, all the petitions and intercessions of salvation history are summed up in this cry of the incarnate Word. Here the Father accepts them and, beyond all hope, answers them by raising His Son."[CCC 2606]

Hebrews 7 questions for Thursday, Aaron and Melchizedek.

Here are a few questions for getting your mind to focus on the section of Hebrews we will study on Thursday, Hebrews 7.

1. Why do the priests of the order of Aaron receive tithes?
2. Was Melchizedek a Jew or a Gentile?
3. In v. 20, the author says that the priests in the order of Aaron did not become priests with an oath. How is that these men became priests in the order of Aaron?
4. What was the central event in history by which the priesthood of the order of Aaron was begun?
5. What was the founding document of the Aaron priesthood?
6. Jesus, priest forever in the order of Melchizedek, is quite busy in Heaven... doing what?
7. How does the common priesthood of the faithful fit into all this?

I hope we will get to question 7 Thursday morning, because it is the reason God sent us this part of the perfect law of freedom.

Reports concerning maturity and the Word

One of the questions today concerned Abraham and whether we felt mature and skilled with the word of righteousness (Heb. 5:13, 14). When I asked for a show of hands, "Raise your hand if you feel you are mature and skilled in the word of righteousness," I was surprised to see several hands go up. I expected most everybody to keep their hand humbly lowered to the table.

But German and Scott gave an interesting answer for raising their hands, feeling mature and skilled in the word of righteousness. "I know enough of God's Word to act," said German, to be a doer of the Word. Scott backed up this by comparing his current state to an earlier state in which he was not awake to the Word.

We also discussed whether it was a gift or a skill. After all, Deacon Al said, everyone knows that faith comes to us as a gift, not as something we can sharpen up and get a college degree in. Sal was able to clarify this, in that it is a gift of the Holy Spirit to have control of your free will, and we have the faculties to to exercise the free will, especially discerning in our conscience between good and evil.

This is a good report.

Hebrews, chapters 5 and 6

Last week we worked on chapters 4 and 5, and this Thursday we will work on chapters 5 and 6. Here are some questions to work with when reviewing this part of Hebrews:

1. How did Jesus become the source of salvation?
2. What was his specific path in life before he accomplished it, becoming the source of salvation?
3. The author describes Jesus very carefully and thoroughly as high priest after the order of Melchizedek. Can we be imitators of Jesus in this? Ought we to do so?
4. Are you mature and skilled in the word of righteousness?
5. Can you see the small creed, a mini-recitation of faith, at the start of chapter 6?
6. Was Father Abraham skilled and mature in the word of righteousness?
7. What exactly WAS the word of righteousness that Father Abraham encountered? Have you encountered anything like that?

That will be a good start in the process of diving into the Word, in Hebrews 6 today.

A set of questions, oriented toward one concept in Hebrews 4

The fourth chapter of Hebrews has a single concept at its center. Our questions, including two from last week, will grapple with that concept.

1. The author mentions the phrase "God's rest" in this chapter. What is the origin and meaning of that phrase?
2. Why does the author connect God's rest to the Exodus?
3. Our faith connects which sacrament(s) to the day God rested?
4. How does the Holy Spirit use the concept of time in this emphasized word, "today" in v. 7?
5. The author of Hebrews uses the Greek word σκληροs, skleros, in various places for the concept of hardness. What are the signs of a hardened heart?
6. What did Ezekiel prophesy about the treatment of hardened hearts?
7. Why does the text jump wildly from the concept of "entering his rest" in verse 11, to the completely different image of the double edged sword in verse 12?
8. Is there a connection between "entering into that rest" in v. 11 and "holding fast to our confession" in v. 14?

Let's think about these questions and be ready for the Holy Spirit to help us understand the perfect law of freedom tomorrow morning.

Comments concerning the house and falling away

We discussed the analogy of Jesus and Moses to builder and house, and how faith is the essence of being built up as part of God's household, living stones, a royal priesthood, a holy nation.

In connection with the miracle of the Red Sea and the grumbling in the desert immediately after the Red Sea miracles, we discussed how it would be possible for us today to harden our hearts.

Here are some of the comments:

1. Ken: Life happens, although we discussed whether this is the same thing as hardening one's heart.
2. Len: When you avoid going to worship on Sunday, it is a way of pushing God away.
3. Joe:
   1. Exodus 31:12-18 makes clear how serious God considers the sabbath rest, which shows that it is God who makes us holy, a royal priesthood.
   2. Deceit of sin, like pornography, is how a man can harden his heart.

And this is where Ken pointed out that a man has got to know his limitations.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, make our hearts true and not hardened, and help everyone in our parish, and in this world, as YOU break the hearts of stone.

Exam question 7, answers

Answers from the James final exam:

7. Make a judgement call: Which sacrament is tops for following James' admonition, to be a doer of the Word?

It was an interesting set of answers:

1. Baptism: one student made this his answer.
2. Eucharist: one student made this his answer.
3. Holy Orders: one student made this his answer.
4. Confession: →FIVE students made this their answer.

Each answer is kosher, but this last big answer, confession, is an intriguing answer, and a good answer, especially when considering the Lord's own prayer. Good.

Hebrews 3 questions

Here are some questions we will review today:

1. How accurate and proper is the comparison of Jesus and Moses to a builder of a house and the house itself?
2. Where else in scripture are we compared to a house?
3. The author mentions the phrase "God's rest" in this chapter. What is the origin and meaning of that phrase?
4. Why does the author connect God's rest to the Exodus?
5. Our faith connects which sacrament(s) to the day God rested?

OK, that will be a good start to challenge our brains this morning, and we can hope that, once our brains are challenged, some of that brainpower will get into our hearts!

Exam scores

I had to use x-ray vision to read the handwriting of some of those exams, but the scores are IN.

Thursday Morning Men's Bible Study earned an A+ on the James final exam. Nice work.