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15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

1 Every high priest chosen from among mortals is put in charge of things pertaining to God on their behalf, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. 2 He is able to deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is subject to weakness, 3 and because of this he must offer sacrifice for his own sins as well as for those of the people. 4 And one does not presume to take this honor but takes it only when called by God, just as Aaron was.

5 So also Christ did not glorify himself in becoming a high priest but was appointed by the one who said to him,

“You are my Son; today I have begotten you”.

6 as he says also in another place,

“You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek.”

7 In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up 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 reverent submission. 8 Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered, 9 and having been made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him, 10 having been designated by God a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.

 

I was struck by verse 8 and 9 this morning: “Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered, and having been made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him”. People do not like suffering. We do whatever we can to avoid it and try to forget the suffering we encounter in life. Yet, according to this scripture, it is through suffering that one becomes obedient. In the case of Jesus, his mortal life full of the suffering and pain that we all encounter, shapes Him into the perfect vessel and source of salvation.

 

As I thought on this odd connection between suffering and obedience to God, it made more sense to me. My greatest encounters with suffering, whether mental, physical, emotional or spiritual, have in the end honed my faith. Though I do not ever wish to walk those moments again, they indeed have been necessary and important in shaping who I am today in my spiritual journey. Proverbs 17: 3 says “The crucible is for silver and the furnace for gold, but the LORD tests the heart.” Only through the heat of the furnace can these precious metals be made pure and ready to be worked into a masterpiece. I think God uses our tribulations (not makes them) to move us closer to the perfect vision He has for us.

 

Lord, refine my life so that I may better serve as a proclamation of your love to the world. Amen

 

Chad Ryberg

Cryberg@livinglord.org

 

Prayer Concern: Those overcome with hardship