Some Reflections on Hebrews 9

This passage appears just after an extended midrash on Jeremiah 31 which explains the advent of the New Covenant, and just before a meditation on the power of Messiah Yeshua’s once-for-all sacrifice. The primary thrust of our passage is a comparison between Temple sacrifices and the sacrifice of our eternal Cohein Gadol, Messiah Yeshua.

While this passage from Hebrews is rife with rich imagery and theological significance, it is the last portion of our passage that I wish to focus upon. Here we glimpse a fundamental distinction between Judaism and Christianity, and one that Messianic Jews are in a unique position to bridge.

Judaism has always been a religion of embodied practices, such that the importance of doctrine is paralleled by corresponding actions. Rabbinical commentaries throughout the ages address not only orthodox belief, but also how that belief is to be lived out.

Christianity, especially in its Western post-Enlightenment form, tends to focus much more on the inward, spiritual, and often cognitive aspects of relationship with God. The Christian faith is defined and perpetuated in part by a series of creeds, which give no mention of corresponding praxis but rather explicate orthodox beliefs. It is illustrative to remember that Martin Luther, the father of Protestant theology, wanted the book of James (with its emphasis on works) removed from the Christian canon.

Our Hebrews passage echoes this dichotomy. The author tells us that Temple sacrifices “were not able to clear the conscience of the worshiper” (v. 9), whereas through Yeshua’s blood our consciences are indeed cleansed. The blood of goats and bulls provided outward cleansing (v. 13) yet apparently did not assuage the worshippers’ inward spiritual state.

While it is easy and perhaps tempting to polarize these two different emphases, each holds an important key to a full-orbed covenantal relationship with God. Yeshua chastised the Pharisees for being “whitewashed tombs” and “blind guides,” criticisms that highlighted the enduring status of their wisdom and leadership and yet the bankruptcy of their own integration between orthodoxy (correct belief) and orthopraxy (correct action). These leaders became so focused on their outward observance that they lost sight of the inward penitence and humility that was to accompany such practices.

On the other hand, much of the modern evangelical world hyper-focuses on correct beliefs, but leaves unanswered James’ penetrating inquiry—“What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds?”(2:14).

Messianic Judaism uniquely addresses this tension by raising a specific set of questions: What can Christianity gain from Judaism’s highly developed set of covenantal practices? How can Judaism learn from Christianity’s heritage of doctrinal precision? These questions are urgent and important for our generation, and our ability to garner the best parts from both traditions places us in a strategic place to answer them.

The end of our Hebrews passage reveals one facet of this much-needed synthesis. Our section ends with a description of the riches we have been given through Messiah Yeshua, “so that we may serve the living God!”(v. 14). The “so that” tips us off to the goal of everything that has just been explained. In this case, the “so that” refers to an ability—and an injunction—to serve.

The importance of serving our God and each other is the beginning of our answer to the age-old “faith and works” question. This faith-filled service constitutes a large part of what it means to live in covenantal relationship. The book of Hebrews reminds us that only when we learn to embody our beliefs will we experience the fullness of our faith.