The Letter to the Hebrews
This New Testament Epistle is a bit of a mystery. Almost everything about the letter remains unclear. We do not know who wrote it, when it was written or to whom it was addressed. Hebrews reads more like a dense theological essay than casual correspondence, and in ancient Koine Greek this document fairly sings with metaphor and with quotes from the
Psalms and the Prophets. The rhetorical style and the complex theological arguments from Hebrew Scripture suggest that the recipients of the Letter to the Hebrews were most likely second-generation Jewish Christians. Upon close examination, the document resembles an
early Christian sermon. It was meant to be read in corporate worship, to teach, and to encourage the faithful. The more you read and study this letter, one thing becomes painfully clear: Hebrews is a powerful presentation of the Christian message to people who desperately need
good news. These are people who have grown weary, and who are in danger of falling away from the Church and the faith.

In Hebrews 2:1, the Preacher (as the author of Hebrews is often called) talks of their “falling away.” In 3:12, the Preacher mentions that they might “turn away from the living God.” In 6:12, he warns them about being “sluggish,” and in 10:25, he warns them not to “neglect meeting
together.” Finally in 12:12, this persistent Preacher challenges this early church to “lift their drooping hands” and “strengthen their weak knees.”

We don’t know the exact cause of spiritual weariness in these early Christians (too little money? too much squabbling? a lack of focus for the future of the church? arguments over the distribution of food among the poor?) but the issue of apathy and lack of energy in the church has remained a serious one for thousands of years. Interestingly, the Preacher’s answer to this problem, a problem we know all too well, is to preach to the congregation “in complex theological terms about the nature and meaning of Jesus Christ.” (Thomas G. Long, Hebrews,
John Knox Press, 1997; p.3)

As we plumb the depths of theological insight in this difficult document, we are reminded that the key to our resurrection — our abundant life — as individuals and as a church, resides in the powerful truth of the Life, Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 2:14-18 (Various Sections in Paraphrase)
Since God’s children share flesh and blood, Jesus shared the same thing. That way, Jesus’ death could destroy the Evil One, whose only power is death…Jesus became like His brothers and sisters in every respect…This means Jesus really suffered — and by that suffering can be a real help to us when we are tested by any manner of suffering.

In an earlier ministry, my husband, Al Krummenacher, took trips to Haiti to work with Presbyterian missionaries in that impoverished and desperate place. He fell in love with the Haitian people, and the more he learned of their history, the more he stood in awe of their courage, their quiet joy, and their generosity. Haiti ranks as the poorest country in our part of
the world, and the scars of brutal colonization by the French still mark the physical landscape and the social fabric of this third-world country. The health, economic and social issues remain vast, and the suffering from hunger, from disease and from poverty, and political instability is
palpable.

Often Al would return from these trips with gifts and trinkets for our children and for me, purchasing things from the Haitian artists to help the local economy. He brought home wooden bowls, pretty clay statues, and painted fish, all of which delighted the children. But on one trip, he brought home a Haitian crucifix — a carved wooden statue of Christ dying and suffering on the cross. The children took one look at the face of Christ, the twisted agony of His features and the sharp, jagged lines of his distorted body, and they asked us to put it away. It became known
as the “scary Jesus” in our house.

Ironically, Al tells us that this carved, tortured Jesus is a common sight in Haiti. In Haiti, this depiction of Christ brings joy and hope. The suffering people of that island nation see in Jesus a brother in suffering — a partner and a friend who understands their lives and their difficulties. Most importantly, in the cruel death of Christ, the Haitian people see the seeds of victory over all the suffering and pain they face on a daily basis.
During this Lenten season, as we look to the need for resurrection in our spirits, in our church, and in our world, let us remember the preacher of Hebrews, and the witness of the Haitian Christians. Whatever we experience, whatever obstacles lay before us, our God knows and experiences our pain. Never leaving us alone, God instead entered into the mess of this world, experienced the worst that life could offer, and overcame Evil, once and for all. This same God stands closely by, and waits for us to turn to Him for help.

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble."
(Psalms 46:1)

Hebrews 4:15-16 (Paraphrase)
Jesus is our priest – our mediator with the Father – our mediator Who understands our weakness – having experienced weakness Himself while never giving into sin. Because of this we can approach God boldly – expecting mercy and grace when we are weak and in need.

As an Assistant Professor at Peace College in Raleigh, North Carolina, I also served as an Academic Advisor for 30-40 young women every year. I learned a lot about my colleagues as I met with students struggling to register for classes. The students definitely had favorite teachers, and they would go to great lengths to avoid others. I noticed one pattern in particular. The college had three professors who taught beginning Spanish – a notoriously difficult course– but everyone wanted one professor in particular. While two of the professors had Ph.Ds from
universities in Spain, with experience in cultures other than the United States, it was the young American woman, without the degree or the Castilian accent that everyone wanted for Spanish 101. Why? Because she was friendlier or less rigorous? Not really. One of my students
explained it this way: “Ms. Vargas starts out the semester telling us that she struggled with languages at first. She says she understands what we are going through. She promises to help us, and to get us ready for the more advanced courses. She is a real advocate and cheerleader
for all of us as we begin to study Spanish at the college level.”

Isn’t that what each of us need? No matter what we face, or what challenge looms ahead, a cheerleader and advocate who “has been there” can make all the difference. The Preacher reminds us that Jesus has definitely “been there.” No weakness or depletion of spirit lies
beyond Jesus’ experience. What’s more, Jesus takes that experience directly to the throne of God — praying for us and interceding for us. Later, the Preacher will proclaim “Jesus is able to save forever those who come to God by Him. He is always living to make intercession for us” (Hebrews 7:25).

If we are to experience resurrection in our lives and in our church, we must understand and live this truth. The Preacher encourages us to pray boldly; to cry to our God with honesty and true emotion, like children screaming in the night expecting comfort from a loving parent. The
Preacher’s meaning is “gathered up in the words of the old hymn…” (Long, p.63)

Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged: Take it to the Lord in prayer!
Can we find a friend so faithful, Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness; take it to the Lord in prayer!
(“What a Friend We Have in Jesus,” Hymn #403,
The Presbyterian Hymnal, 1990.)