Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

-
Priests: Called for the Divine Ministry

Hebrews 5:1-10

“No one takes this honor upon himself; he must be called by God, just as Aaron was”.(V.15)

William Perkins once said, “He who would be a faithful minister of the gospel must deny the pride of his heart, be emptied of ambition, and set himself wholly to seek the glory of God in his calling.” In Hebrews 5, we see what it means to be called to ministry, and how we are to emulate Jesus, the High Priest.

First, in verse two and three, we see that the writer of Hebrews makes a clear point to note that the priest is able to connect with the people, simply due to the fact that he is also sinful. In Romans 3:23, we read, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” This means that, no person is perfect, including the clergy. One of the most powerful parts that impacts me in our liturgy is in the Sedra of our Holy Qurbana where the priest prays, “O Lord God, who makes the sinner righteous, pardons our sins and makes us holy, blot out all my sins. Through Your loving mercy, good Lord wipe away the sins of all believers.” First, the priest prays for forgiveness of their own sins, and then only will pray for the forgiveness of the people. Then, the question arises, what is the purpose of ministry? The answer, we realize, is that ministry is not about one person being better than the rest of the people, but rather, everyone growing together, and the minister is meant to direct the people to Christ.

In verse four, the writer of Hebrews points out an important aspect of ministry. It’s not an honor that a person simply takes on themselves. Without a calling to ministry, there will be no fruitfulness of ministry. God must call the individual to minister to the people. Jesus Christ was given the direction by God the Father to carry the cup, and because He was obedient, even to the point of death on a cross, He fulfilled God’s wishes. That says something about why an individual is called to serve Christ and minister to the Church. When we are obedient to Christ’s calling in our life, we are able to impact lives and bring many to Christ.

Prayer: Jesus, the High Priest that we are called to emulate, enable us to serve You and minister to the church by displaying Your love and imparting the message of grace, thereby gaining more souls for the Kingdom. Amen.
Thought for the Day: “God doesn’t call the qualified, He qualifies the called.”
Mathew Stan Samuel, St. Paul's  MTC, Dallas


Popular posts from this blog

Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

-
  Constant, patient and welcoming love of God   St. Luke 15: 11-32  V.21: And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ The parable of the ‘Prodigal son’ is one of the most frequently quoted parables that Jesus told His disciples. The parable contains the rich mine of human virtues and emotions. This parable is lived and re-lived in progressing civilizations from time immemorial and continuing. It brings out in vivid detail the pathetic depth of human sinfulness and the glorious heights of God’s forgiveness.      As a story of human nature, fathers are generally merciful to their children in any circumstance. They are very protective and are eager to provide for and secure the lives of their offspring. Jesus is telling this parable to underscore the superlative love of God to His children. The nature of such love is reiterated by Jesus in Matthew 7:11. Humankind wh...
Read more

Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

-
Revelation for Liberation Acts 27:18-26 Sherine Thomas Long Island MTC, NY 20  When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest raged, all hope of our being saved was at last abandoned. “After winter comes the summer.  After night comes the dawn.  And after every storm, there comes clear open skies” so said a Scottish clergyman from the 1600s. It’s been said, that hope can sometimes be the most dangerous weapon.  However, it’s sometimes the hardest weapon to carry when you’re living with the loss of a loved one, something that almost feels like a terrible nightmare that’ll never go away.  It’s a weapon difficult to carry when day in and day out no one seems to hear or see those tears that are shed or silent cries that are made during a heartfelt prayer. It’s a weapon difficult to carry as you see your loved one lying on that hospital bed.  It’s a weapon difficult to carry as you search and seek out answers to tel...
Read more

Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

-
PRIESTHOOD: THE ANOINTED MINISTRY Exodus 40:12-16 Bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting... wash them with water. Then dress Aaron in the sacred garments, anoint him and consecrate him so he may serve me as priest (Exodus 40: 12-13). Priesthood among the people of God was a divine command and initiation. God wanted some people to be separated for the special ministry among his people. God appointed Aaron and his descendants to take up this kind of ministry among the people of God. Priests are always separated and appointed as channels that connect God with his people. All throughout the history of Israel, priests played an important role in connecting people with God and to lead and guide them in the statutes of God. But there are incidents in the Bible where the priests failed in their duties and that led the people to go away from God. So the priests have a special and significant ministry to perform in this world among his people. Two important things...
Read more