Main news for 10 April 2021

In what sense the author of the epistle calls Jesus the high priest? At first sight, this comparison can seem a pure allegory. But if we think about the used symbol of high priest, it will be necessary to recognize that in it there is quite a certain spiritual meaning, especially in the context of these events, during which, or after which was written the epistle. And it was written, apparently, already after Paul's death by one of his disciples, besides it came to light after the disaster of the year 70 after J.C., when after the anti-Roman rebellion by the activists messianists - "zealous", were totally destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple. Naturally, the yahvistes sacrifices stopped after that, and the history of the yahvisme ended: the Judaism and Christianity separated definitively; the Church and Synagogue were no more linked by anything, and they went their way each. On such background, inevitably arose the question: how to continue to live without Temple and sacrifices, which during millenniums were for yahvistes, and later for the Jews, and for Christians the main form of communion with God?

The answer to it is the image of Christ as the high priest. Of course the image of the Messiah as high priest was also known in the Jewish tradition. But there, it was about the fact that the Messiah, having come, will take the place not of a king, as suggested earlier, and probably the most traditional approach, but of the high priest, which reforms the temple worship, making his spokesman this fullness of God's presence, which will accompany his ministry.

The author of the epistle, as seen, has in mind something else. He relies on the traditional for yahvisme idea of the priestly community as of a community of intermediaries between God and His people. Already in the Book of Leviticus sound the exhortation to the people "to be holy", to keep the state of sanctification, which it is possible to obtain only at the altar. But all the people could not stay at the altar constantly, for the majority the sanctification was just an episode, although the most important in their spiritual life.

And here is, the representatives of the priestly community were at the altar constantly, although, certainly, not all at the same time. And a certain part of the people was therefore constantly sanctified, and not from time to time as its majority. And from this small part were sanctified all the people making a united spiritual body. The author of the epistle transfers this traditional representation on Christ: for He, unlike any us, always keeps all the fullness of sanctification, accessible to human nature.

Actually, it is possible only for Him: because the sin hinders the sanctification, and to be completely sanctified, it is necessary to be sinless. And His holiness sanctifies the Church, including each of us. He could not have of course such an Intermediary in the people of God before the coming of the Christ: because with all due diligence, the priests could not be without sin and be sanctified till the end. With such an Intermediary we could not be afraid even of the absence of the Temple and the sacrifices: because in Him the Church receives the possibility of joining the fullness of the Kingdom, which is more than the fullness of the Temple. And thus, and the possibility of salvation.