Our reading for today reminds us of the tension that exists inside us all to some extent: the need for perfection.
We live in a heavily performance-based society, and oftentimes it’s hard to not measure one’s value based on one’s success. The writer of the letter to the Hebrews reminds us of where the old system falls short. Striving for perfection and the need for acceptance are so explicitly intertwined that we can hardly imagine these two strands unraveling from one another.
The sacrifices that took place under the law of Moses were people striving for excellence, and further, an attempt for approval and acceptance from God. These sacrificial attempts are not enough. The writer states they are “a dim preview of the good things to come, not the good things themselves.” The sacrifices reminded the Jews of their sins and imperfections that prompted these repetitive rituals, but they were never enough to provide perfect cleansing. So, what will it take to invite the good things into our lives? The answer, of course, is Jesus!
Christ’s entrance into the world through Jesus puts an end to the need for perfection. The Gospel, the good news that we are all saved from ourselves and reunited with God, strips us of the need for perfection and leaves us with acceptance. Through Christ, our strive for perfection is needed no more.
God is not interested in reminding you of your sins. God is not interested in bringing shame to us when we sin. The freedom we find in Christ is not jeopardized by our actions; it is sealed with the cross. Nothing can taint this or take this away. The powerful work that is happening through Christ’s conquering of death cannot be tampered with.
In the same way that we don’t have the power to take away sins, we also don’t have the power to decide who is granted the freedom found in the Gospel. Often, we try to decide who this gift is for, but Jesus says it’s for all. In verse 9, Jesus is saying that he has come to do God’s will. Verse 10 goes on to explain, “For God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time.” We are holy because God has made us holy. This is nothing you can do, nor are expected to do.
Today, let’s be reminded that who you are in this moment is enough for God to love you. As you strive for perfection, as you chase acceptance, know this: you have already been accepted. You are already marked with the cross of Christ and loved forever and ever.
Your sins are forgiven! Rejoice in this truth!