Lenten blog | March 15, 2024

Christ at the Center

Throughout the year, the Southern New England Conference of the United Church of Christ reproduces the Daily Lectionary for use by churches.  These are the suggested readings for March 15th:  Exodus 30:1-10; Psalm 51:1-12; and Hebrews 4:14 – 5:4.  I would encourage you to read these short selections as part of your Lenten practice.

In today’s Exodus passage, we read of the altar of incense that was located in the Tabernacle in front of the Holy of Holies.  The fragrant smoke that wafted upwards symbolized the heavenly clouds that surrounded Yahweh in all glory.  A curtain separated the Holy of Holies from the rest of the Tabernacle sanctuary.  In holy isolation, was the Ark of the Covenant that held the stone tablets of the Ten Commandments.  On top of the Ark was what was called the mercy seat.  This represented the throne of Yahweh on earth.  God was Israel’s ruler.  Israel was an unapologetic theocracy.  The Ark was the unique place where heaven and earth touched.  It was, as we read today, “Where I [Yahweh] will meet you.”

The Tabernacle was a movable sanctuary since these were the years of Israel’s Exodus wanderings.  This is why there are the details of the rings and poles.  These were necessary to transport the Ark without ever touching it.  The holiness of God would not abide the profane touch of a human hand.  The holiness of God was protected as best could be arranged by coverings of gold.  And this movable sanctuary was always located at the center of the people of God.  The twelve tribes of Israel would be arranged three to each of the cardinal directions around the Tabernacle.  The technical term for this is that Israel was an amphictonic league, that is its tribes were arranged around a religious shrine at center.  Even if those at the fringes of the settlement could not see the Tabernacle, they could see the rising smoke of the altar of incense.  It was a constant reminder that Yahweh abided among them.

This reassuring presence is repeated in the New Testament through the abiding presence of the glorified Christ.  The Epistle to the Hebrews is written by an unknown author, but it is accepted generally that it was written to a community of Jewish-Christians who were wavering in their new faith.  Hebrews’ purpose is to reassure them by speaking of their Christian faith in terms reminiscent of their previous Jewish faith. 

As such, Jesus is our heavenly high priest, and in the entirety of the New Testament Jesus is the only Christian priest.  The reimagined tabernacle is now a heavenly one, but Jesus the heavenly high priest never sets aside His full humanity, which means Jesus is forever able “to sympathize with our weaknesses.”  Jesus remains as us, as one “who in every respect has been tested as we are.”  This natural connection lets “us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”  As God remained at the center of Israel and the rising smoke of the altar of incense let all know of this, so Jesus abides within and among us, and Lent is the sacred season to focus on this more intently.

Let us, therefore, approach with boldness a faith that holds Jesus at the center of our lives. 
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If you’d like, here is the link to the Southern New England Conference’s daily reading schedule:  www.sneucc.org/lectionary.