The Second Good Friday reading.
From the Letter to the Hebrews, Chapter 4, verses 14 through 16:
Brothers and sisters:
Since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens,
Jesus, the Son of God,
let us hold fast to our confession.
For we do not have a high priest
who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses,
but one who has similarly been tested in every way,
yet without sin.
So let us confidently approach the throne of grace
to receive mercy and to find grace for timely help.
It is an error to think that Christ, being God, knew no weakness at all. He was tempted in a most extreme way. He suffered through the same forceful, seemingly insurmountable temptation that you and I face before we give in. But He didn't. So when it becomes difficult for us to remain faithful, we need not run away from the difficulties. All we need is to invite Jesus into the difficulties. If He is with us, who, what could be against us?
And from Hebrews Chapter 5, verses 7 through 9:
In the days when Christ was in the flesh,
he offered prayers and supplications with loud cries and tears
to the one who was able to save him from death,
and he was heard because of his reverence.
Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered;
and when he was made perfect,
he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him.
These days it seems sometimes like irreverence is considered some kind of virtue. But if anyone had an actual right to be irreverent, it was Christ Himself. He was God, therefore He is to be revered, after all.
Yet He Himself approached His Father with reverence. Both in His public life and when He went off by Himself to pray, His attitude was always one of profound respect for His Father. Do we always have that level of respect for Jesus?
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