Hebrews Chapter 2
Originally posted Monday October 13, 2008
General Comment: As we read
Hebrews we should keep in mind the historical circumstances of its writing. The
community is predominately Jewish Christian. Those Gentiles who had been
converted are well versed in Jewish traditions and history. Hebrews was
written within ten to fifteen years of the destruction of the Temple and
the loss of the priesthood and its sacrificial system. The community has
struggled and suffered through various levels of persecution during the time of
Claudius and more seriously that of Nero beginning in 64 CE during
and after the great fire of Rome for which Christians were blamed. There
was significant animosity shown by the Roman citizens against
anything Jewish, often leading to violence and, of course, Jewish
Christians were not immune. Two years after Nero's death the Temple and much of
Jerusalem would be destroyed by the Romans and thousands of Palestinian Jews
martyred or sold into slavery. The Roman General, Titus, son of the emperor
Vespasian, would ride triumphantly into Rome bearing the great Menorah and
other sacred Temple vessels as trophies. Hostility was a way of life. With the
expectation of an early return of Christ to usher in the final salvation of the
new age of God's kingdom being delayed, it is little wonder that many
would begin to long for the security of the Law of Moses as a way to
righteousness. We have read of the response to these longings in 1st
Timothy and Titus which rail against the resurgence of study and teaching of
Jewish myths, speculation and asceticism. It is in this religious
environment that Hebrews stakes the claim of the superiority of Christ as
the replacement of the priesthood, the one who is greater than the angels,
who offers the sacrifice of atonement for all and who has nullified
the Law of Moses as a path to righteousness. In this way the author hopes to
steer the wayward Christians back to their singular devotion to Christ as the
true path to the righteousness of God and the promise of eternal life.
Hebrews 2:1-4 Warning: Pay Attention - Exhortation
The author has
established the pre-existence of the Son, his role in creation and heavenly
status, "being the radiance of the glory and representation of the essence
of [God]." Through the sacrifice of his death (as a priest at the
altar) he "made purification for sins" (humiliation) and
now sits at the right hand of "the Majesty on
high" (exaltation). Such a status makes him "much more
excellent" in essence and name than the angels who are but
"winds and flames of fire,spirits in the divine service."
From the heavenly
realm the author now moves to the earthly realm and the importance of Jesus'
humanity. With "therefore [since the Son is far superior to
angels]," he shifts to the divine imperative "must" as a warning
to "pay far greater attention" to the word of salvation spoken
by the Son "in these last days" (1:2). The
implication is that the word of salvation spoken on behalf of God by the
Son to humanity is far greater than the word (Mosaic Law on Sinai) spoken
on behalf of God by the angels to the prophets. It is the
definitive last word. The
object of listening far more carefully to that which was spoken by the
Son is in the exhortation, "so that we do not drift away from [the
word.]"
The writer affirms that
since (not if) the
Law "declared by angels" (on Sinai) was valid as the code of righteousness it
defined the broad extent of disobedience and transgression which "received
a just penalty (from God). If the ancestors could not escape the penalty, how can
those who ignore the word of "so great a salvation...declared (by
God) through the Lord and given witness to by those who heard him"
escape the same penalty? God added his own validation of what was spoken by the
Lord with "signs, wonders and miracles" as well as the "gifts of
the Holy Spirit."
Hebrews 2:5-18 Exaltation through Humiliation
We have been reading
about the difference between the word spoken by angels (the Law of Moses on
Sinai) and that spoken by the Lord. Both were meant to provide a path to
righteousness (salvation). However, the Law, based on works of absolute,
perfect obedience to the entire code, brought only penalty. The word
spoken by the Lord, based on faith brought salvation. How is it that the latter
succeeded where the former failed?
Interpreting a Greek
version of Psalm 8:4-6 the
author affirms that it was the humanity and humility of Jesus that made
the difference. He begins from the perspective of the age to come, the
eschatological age, pointing out that God did not subject the new age
(the "world" to come) to the angels. On the other hand God
did subject all things under the feet of Human beings, of whom God is
mindful and for whom God cares. God has made human beings lower than the angels
"for a little while." Although God has put all things in this
age under the control of human beings, ultimate subjection in the age
to come - after "a little while," has not yet been realized by
human beings.
But among them was
one particular human being whom they saw, a man named Jesus, also for
a little while, made lower than the angels just as they were. It was this one
who suffered and tasted death on behalf of everyone (humiliation)
whom God has "crowned with glory and honor" (exaltation). This
human Jesus who will sanctify and bring "many children to glory"
is the "pioneer, the first born of the age to come. He was not ashamed to
proclaim and praise the name of God to everyone who would become the children
of God.
The author is quite
clear that what Jesus could accomplish in death, in sharing in the flesh
and blood of humanity, was to become like everyone else "in every
respect." After all, he had not come as a spiritual being to speak to
the angels but as a human being to speak to Abraham's descendents.
Knowing and sharing in their many trials, testing's and sufferings he
could help them as a "merciful and faithful high priest" who makes
the sacrifice, the sin offering for all. The implication presented by the
author is that Jesus, as one of us, a human being who suffered all things
human, will share with the rest of humanity - those who believe, the
"subjugation of all things" in the world to come.
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Note
While we may not
think in the same heavenly categories as our author or relate to the notion of
inheriting a share in the subjugation in the new world, we can benefit from his
unique - almost Gospel-like, emphasis on Jesus as a human being. In the
author's view, in order for Jesus to be a credible agent of God's
salvation, he had to be devoid of heavenly powers and knowledge or
any other attribute not available to human beings. Were he not limited he
could not truly understand human frailty which tends toward temptations of
all kinds. As a human being he can be a true "pioneer of [our] salvation"
and engender our confidence that he has something important to say to life
as we are called to live it. This certainly is at the heart of the universal
interest in Jesus that has crossed all cultural, national, ethnic and
religious boundaries. Jesus speaks to us because he was one of us. We are drawn
to him because as a human being he was able to share his unique - perhaps
instinctive or visionary, insight into the mind of God, to live it to its
utmost and to teach us that we can do the same if we would dare to "believe."
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