Thursday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time (1/19/23)

January 19, 2023

Scriptures

Hebrews 7:25-8:6 is a passage in the New Testament of the Bible that discusses the nature of Jesus Christ as a High Priest. In this passage, the author of Hebrews argues that Jesus' priesthood is superior to the priesthood of the Old Testament because it is based on the order of Melchizedek, rather than the order of Aaron.

The author also states that Jesus is a High Priest forever and He has a better covenant and He is the mediator of a better covenant, He is not a priest on the basis of genealogical descent but on the power of an indestructible life.

The author of Hebrews argues that this means that Jesus' sacrifice for sin was once for all and it is eternal, unlike the sacrifices of the Old Testament, which had to be repeated again and again. This passage also emphasizes that Jesus' sacrifice on the cross is superior to the sacrifices of the Old Testament, as it is able to cleanse the conscience of the believer and make them holy.

This passage concludes by saying that Jesus is the mediator of the new covenant, and that it is written in the hearts of believers, instead of being written on tablets of stone as in the Old Covenant, and that it will be remembered no more.

Mark 3:7-12 is a passage in the New Testament of the Bible that describes an event in which Jesus healed a large number of people who were ill and possessed by demons.

The passage starts with Jesus and his disciples going to a house to get some rest, but so many people followed him that there was no more room, not even outside the door. Jesus began to heal many who were sick with various diseases and drove out many demons. In this passage, it is also mentioned that the crowd was so amazed at Jesus' power and authority over these unclean spirits that they began to spread the word about him throughout the surrounding area.

This passage shows Jesus' power to heal and cast out demons, which was seen as a sign of God's presence and authority. It also highlights the growing fame and popularity of Jesus, as more and more people came to hear him speak and witness his miracles. It also shows the compassion of Jesus towards the people suffering from various diseases and the oppressed by demons, He didn't just heal them but also freed them from the oppression of the unclean spirits.

Theme

A theme that unites both passages is the authority and power of Jesus. In Hebrews 7:25-8:6, the author emphasizes Jesus' authority as a High Priest based on the order of Melchizedek, who is superior to the Old Testament priests. He also emphasizes the power of Jesus' sacrifice to cleanse the conscience of believers and make them holy. In Mark 3:7-12, the authority and power of Jesus is demonstrated through his ability to heal the sick and cast out demons. In both passages, Jesus is shown to have authority over physical and spiritual ailments, and is able to bring healing and freedom to those who come to him. Additionally, both passages show that Jesus' authority is recognized and acknowledged by those around him, with the crowd in Mark 3:7-12 being amazed at his power and the author of Hebrews arguing that Jesus' priesthood is superior to the Old Testament priests.

Haiku

Jesus, authority divine
Heals the sick, demons expelled
Forever, our Priest

Limerick

There once was a man named Jesus
Whose authority was quite prodigious
He healed the sick with a touch
Demons, too, he'd oust with a huff
And his High Priest role was auspicious.

Reflection

Today, we will be looking at two passages from the Bible that speak to the authority and power of Jesus Christ. The first passage is Hebrews 7:25-8:6, which speaks about the nature of Jesus as a High Priest. The second passage is Mark 3:7-12, which describes an event in which Jesus healed a large number of people who were ill and possessed by demons.

In Hebrews 7:25-8:6, the author emphasizes Jesus' authority as a High Priest based on the order of Melchizedek, who is superior to the Old Testament priests. He also emphasizes the power of Jesus' sacrifice to cleanse the conscience of believers and make them holy. This passage teaches us that Jesus is the mediator of the new covenant and that his sacrifice on the cross is able to cleanse our conscience and make us holy. It also teaches us that Jesus' sacrifice for sin is eternal, unlike the sacrifices of the Old Testament, which had to be repeated again and again.

In Mark 3:7-12, the authority and power of Jesus is demonstrated through his ability to heal the sick and cast out demons. This passage shows that Jesus has authority over physical and spiritual ailments, and is able to bring healing and freedom to those who come to him. Additionally, this passage shows that Jesus' authority is recognized and acknowledged by those around him, with the crowd being amazed at his power.

Both passages teach us that Jesus has authority and power over all things. He is our High Priest who mediates for us and his sacrifice is able to cleanse our conscience and make us holy. He also has authority over physical and spiritual ailments and is able to bring healing and freedom to those who come to him.

These passages reminds us that Jesus is not just a historical figure, but He is still alive and continues to work in our lives today. As we put our trust in him, we too will experience his authority and power in our lives. Let us have faith in him and his ability to bring healing, freedom and salvation to us.

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