The Reverend Frederick K. Weimert

THE ISSUE OF PRIESTHOOD

Hebrews 7:23-28

As was said earlier, this is the Sunday on which the Protestant church chooses to remember the Reformation, Reformation Sunday. It was on the eve of All Saints Day that Martin Luther nailed his 95-point theses to the door of the church in Wittenberg. He was complaining about the sale of indulgences, the promise of forgiveness for money, the promise that the Pope could sell the superfluous good deeds of the saints to those who might need a little extra credit to get out of Purgatory. "When a copper in the coffer rings, a soul from Purgatory springs." Luther thought that campaign was a little crass and commercial. That's how it started on the eve of All Saints Day, and it escalated from there. Luther at first just wanted to voice his views, just wanted to open a conversation. In the end, the church was divided. As the orthodox congregation, the eastern church had left the Roman Church just after the millennium. Now the congregation of Central Europe began to split off and join together.

The issues in question went far beyond indulgences. All manner of religious practice was questioned, including and especially who should lead, what should leadership be like, the issue of priests and the priesthood. Luther began to speak of something that Baptists believe we dreamed up - the priesthood of believers.

Since one of the readings for today is from Hebrews and Hebrews speaks of Jesus as high priest holding his priesthood permanent, I thought we might talk about the priesthood of believers. This passage in Hebrews 7 begins with the word furthermore which relates back to a discussion of an earlier priest who care and went, were born and died. They weren't permanent. But Jesus would be permanent, like Melchizedek, the priest and king of Salem spoken of in Genesis 14:7, the one to whom Abraham gave a tithe. Melchizedek was also spoken of in Psalm 110, a messianic passage for Christians beginning, "The Lord said to my Lord" and later saying "You shall be a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek." Obviously, there had grown up within Judaism a belief that Melchizedek was different, eternal. He must have been something special, or why would Abraham show him such deference? In Rabbinic literature, it speaks of Melchizedek on the ark with Noah. If Abraham had not shown passion, he would not have acquired heaven and earth. How did he acquire them? He said to Melchizedek, "How did you come out of the ark?" Melchizedek answered, "By the charity which we practiced there." Abraham said, "How could you practice charity in the ark? Were there any poor there? There was nobody there but Noah and his sons. To whom could you show charity?" He said, "To the tame and the wild beasts and the birds. We never slept, but we gave food now to this one and now to that one, all through the night."

I don't know where they thought Melchizedek was not. But the author of Hebrews isn't concerned about that, instead he picks up on this legendary figure and uses it to develop thought on Jesus, the high priest forever.

Hebrews 7:23-28

23 Furthermore, the former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office;

24 but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever.

25 Consequently he is able for all time to save those who approach God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.
26 For it was fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, blameless, undefiled, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens.

27 Unlike the other high priests, he has no need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for those of the people; this he did once for all when he offered himself.

28 For the law appoints as high priests those who are subject to weakness, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect forever.

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The old high priests needed to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for those of the people. But this new high priest, this one Jesus, was not of the priesthood of Aaron, but of the order of Melchizedek, eternal, as was his sacrifice. This he did, once for all, when he offered himself. Jesus paid it all, a wonderful new high priest. But what of the priests - is that over? Ended as well? Isn't there still a need to be guided into the holy of holies, into the presence of God? Or do we just walk in, the private club has been made public?

This was a great concern in the early church, and I am certain this issue was just as great a concern for Martin Luther with the break from the Roman Catholic Church, the dismantling of the Roman curia. Ding dong, the Pope is dead. Ding dong, the wicked Pope is dead. The priesthood is defrocked, the vandals have sacked Rome. So what's next, every man and woman for her/himself? The priesthood of believers? This was a frightening new bond. What will this crossing over become? What does a priesthood of believers mean?

Writing about Psalm 51, that prayer attributed to David's contrition after his sin with Bathshebah, Martin Luther speaks of that 17th verse in Psalms: "The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise." Luther seizes on these words to address the issue of priesthood: "Because there is no sacrifice without a priest, therefore (God) simultaneously throws away the priesthood of the Law and institutes a new priesthood with new sacrifices." Later, he explains, "The priesthood which God approves is that in which not animals are offered but contrite and humble hearts." (Psalms 402-403) And as Luther spoke of Deuteronomy 12, that chapter about demolishing the places of worship in what was once Canaan which now was the promised land, he spoke of Moses and priesthood: "At the same time by this word he (Moses) suggests in a hidden way that common and spiritual priesthood by which we all sacrifice ourselves mystically." Here he cites Romans 12:1, which says, "I appeal to you therefore, sisters and brothers, by the mercies of God to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship."

So while Martin Luther believed Jesus paid it all, that Jesus was the great eternal high priest, and while he believed in the priesthood of believers, I don't think he believed that everyone who said "I believe in Jesus" was necessarily a priest, even though Jesus had made a once for all sacrifice of himself. Luther was saying for us to be priests, we need to sacrifice as well, we need to become a living sacrifice as Romans 12 said.

Jesus' death tore the curtain which divided the holy of holies from the rest of the temple, but humility and contrition are the sacrifice which allow priests to enter the presence of God even now. The more often we enter the holy of holies the more likely we are to see the holy one is not just in the sacred place, but in all the world, present in us, in love. The Reformation was about reforming the church, reforming us. Roman Catholic theologian Avery Dulles saw "The church is always reformed and always in need of reformation."

So may we choose the priesthood which is open to all, and by the sacrifice of humility become priests, with the possibility of realizing the promise of the words God with us, Emanuel. Amen.