Tuesday, Easter Week Seven – June 3

Aaron Sacrifices for Sins of Hebrews

“North Wall of Presbytery” Basilica di San Vitale (526-548 AD) Ravenna, Italy Photo by Holly Hayes; CCL flickr

Meditation

Tuesday, Easter Week Seven, aimed sights on the way that believers recover from the suffering and setbacks. Again, the Psalmist sang praises of God, the protector, and the leaders—Moses and Aaron, who gave and followed the laws, guiding the rest to obedience.

The Old Testament lesson continued the story of Aaron’s intervention for the faithless—some of the children of Israel had failed to obey and turned away from God. They brought disease into the community and began dying—14,700 died—before Aaron raced to intervene with a sacrifice to cover their sins.

“So Aaron offered the incense to remove their sin. ⁴⁸ He stood between the dead and the living, and the sickness stopped there.”

Aaron’s actions opened the showers of blessing on the community of Hebrews, who were suffering for the sins of some.

In the New Testament, the suffering for being a Christian was pervasive. But the pragmatic St. Peter enumerated the ways that believers could find strength.

• Be self-controlled and alert, able to pray.
  
• Love one another earnestly, because love covers over many sins.
  
• Open your homes to each other without complaining.
  
• Be good managers of God’s gifts,
  
• Use God’s gifts for the good of others.
  
• Preach God’s messages;
  
• Serve with the strength from God,
  
• Give all praise to God through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs glory and power forever and ever.
  
• Amen—or So Be It. ( Trekkies would say, “Make it so. Number One.”)