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Before Sunday

October 25th, 2009

Proper 25 Psalm 13

Isaiah 59:1-19

Hebrews 5:12-6:12

Mark 10:46-52

[It is our standard practice at Christ Church to include omitted verses in assigned lectionary lessons. Sometimes the omitted verses leave out controversial topics, difficult to understand issues, or helpful contextual information. Whether clear or obscure, easy or challenging, we believe God’s Word should be set forth before His people in a disciplined and systematic fashion.]

For it is impossible to restore again to repentance those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they then fall away, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt. (Hebrews 6:4-6)

This has always been a troubling passage to me, and one that I do not pretend to understand completely. Scholars of greater knowledge and skill than I stand, jaw agape, at this text, scratching their head and trying to reconcile these words with the numerous other texts that teach of our security and confidence in God’s grace based on Christ’s atoning work resulting in our justification.

A number of adjectives describe the sorry state of this individual who has rejected the Gospel. This person has been “enlightened”, which many believe to be an ancient description of baptism. This person has also “tasted the heavenly gift”, which many believe to be participation in the Eucharist. The ‘sharing in the Holy Spirit’ is probably a summary description of those who have professed faith and received the Gospel sacraments. Having “tasted the goodness of the word of God” perhaps meant sitting under the instruction of teachers of Holy Scripture, and participation in the “the powers of the age to come” is seen by many to be the experience of various “signs and wonders” of the Holy Spirit.

The author puts forth the stunning reality that one can still turn against the Faith, deny the Cross, and repudiate all that God is, even after participating in all of the wonderful “means of grace” described above. Though begun as a deliberate act, such repudiation represents a mind-set, a life-style, a thorough-going rebellion of heart and mind that brings the author to the sad conclusion that such a person is incapable of being brought to repentance.

Dr. Phillip E. Hughes, in his commentary on Hebrews, tackles this text honestly and courageously, and gives the best summary I have found:

What he [the author] has reason to fear is that some among them who have professed Christian faith, enjoyed Christian fellowship, and engaged in Christian witness may prove to be hypocrites and enemies of Christ and, by turning away from the light they have known, show that they do not belong to God’s people at all.

But for the faithful Christian who struggles with his or her daily Christian walk, the author of Hebrews gives this encouragement just a few verses later:

We have this [Gospel] as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone, as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. (Hebrews 6:19-20)

Repudiation of Jesus Christ is a dreadful thing; but faith and obedience to the same Jesus Christ is a blessed thing. May we find God’s grace to avoid the former and pursue the latter. – Marc Robertson

A Prayer

Gracious Father , in your mercy, look upon us in our weakness; and , for the glory of your name, turn away from us all those evils which we have deserved: Grant that in all our troubles our whole trust and confidence may be in you; and that we may always seek to serve you in holiness and purity of life, to your honor and glory; through our only Mediator and Advocate, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (The Great Litany, An Anglican Prayer Book [modern adaptive translation of the 1662 Book of Common Prayer]).