Hebrews 7:23-28; Mark 10;46-52
My wife Lori Ann loves to make Ukrainian eggs, and she’s been working on some recently. And that has brought to mind one of my favorite scenes from our annual Easter egg hunts here at COOS. That event has evolved over the years, but it used to be that the whole campus was divided into different age groups. In the section reserved for the oldest kids, the eggs would be seriously hidden — we would still be finding them months later. But the best section was the one right outside the church doors, which was reserved for toddlers. Those eggs weren’t hidden at all: they weren’t under rocks or behind trees, they were just there lying on the grass. And every year, some of the youngest children wouldn’t get it. Their parents would be pointing at the eggs, saying, “Look, look, get the egg!” But the children would look up at the tree or play with their baskets. Meanwhile, the eggs were right there in front of them, just waiting to be picked up. I loved watching it, and I guess it has stayed in my mind as a kind of parable, one which perhaps applies to our lessons today.
One of those lessons, from the letter to the Hebrews, is a remarkable depiction of Jesus as our great high priest. In ancient Israel, it was the role of the high priest to stand as an advocate for all the people before God and to intercede for them. But while those high priests were of course limited and fallible, Jesus is not. He is the perfect priest, and so, Hebrews says, he is able for all time to save those who approach God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. Let that phrase linger in your minds for a moment: he always lives to make intercession for them. And them includes us. I don’t know how best to envision that intercession: I don’t think it would be Jesus kneeling in some kind of heavenly pew. What it certainly means, though, is that Christ takes all our human needs and concerns — the hopes, fears, sorrows, and joys of each one of us — and brings them right into the heart of God. And in doing so Jesus always, always seeks what is best for us because Jesus is always, always on our side. We see that illustrated throughout the Gospels and we see it illustrated today. Jesus is walking into Jericho, surrounded by a large crowd. We can imagine it is a noisy and boisterous scene. And a blind beggar named Bartimaeus hears it and calls out to Jesus for help. People around him tell him to shut up and leave Jesus alone, but the man won’t be quiet. And when Jesus himself hears him, the Gospel says, he stood still and said, “Call him here.” He stood still; there is no brief chat while he keeps on walking, no multitasking, no squeezing him in quickly between his other appointments. Jesus stops everything he is doing and gives this man his full attention.
Hebrews is right: Jesus always lives to make intercession for us, each and every one of us. He never grows tired of doing it and he never stops. People sometimes ask, “What would Jesus do?” but in light of this reading, we might also ask, “How would Jesus pray?” And since Jesus is continually interceding for us, what exactly is he asking for on our behalf? When I offer intercessory prayer for myself or for others, I generally know what I want and what I am asking for, but I wonder if that is what Jesus wants and what Jesus is asking for. And since, clearly, our prayers are not all answered as we desire, this seems like a really important question. What does Jesus tirelessly seek for us?
Throughout his earthly ministry, Jesus did work for healing and the relief of suffering, but, obviously, Jesus did not eliminate all pain from human existence. So while we rightly pray for healing and work for the relief of suffering ourselves, I question if that is how Jesus primarily intercedes for us. In the heart of the Holy Trinity, in that “place” where Jesus lives to intercede for us, I somehow doubt that Jesus asks the Father to spare me from all sickness, struggle, and suffering in this life. I wish he did, but in my heart of hearts, I wish for something even more than that. I believe the great intercession Jesus makes for me and for every human being is that we realize, we know, our indissoluble union with God and experience the love, joy, peace, and abundant life that goes with it. Abide in me as I abide in you, Jesus teaches us, abide in my love. More than anything else, that is what he wants for us. Everything else flows from that.
And if that is always Jesus’ prayer and always God’s desire for us, then it is always available to us. Which leads me back to those toddlers at the Easter egg hunt, ignoring the eggs that are lying right there within their reach. Many of us, if not all of us, frequently forget that the Holy Spirit lives in us and that, with Christ, we are one with God. Certainly I do. But as distracted as I can be from that great reality, whenever I stop and re-collect myself, that reality is always there. It is the very source of our life. It never goes away. We can ignore it or reject it for a week, a year, a decade, but it is always right there within our reach. And God doesn’t punish us for forgetting it or neglecting it. Whenever we consciously turn to God and seek to renew that deep union we share with God, God rejoices. We may feel a strong upsurge of joy or peace when we do so or we may experience it as a movement of blind faith. It may heal a sickness or relieve a worry; it may just give us strength to bear the burdens of the day. But God will not fail us. Our bond with God is eternal. Even when we take our last breath, God will be there.
And you don’t need to take my word for it. See for yourself: the egg is lying right there — pick it up. Take some moments during your busy days to stop and remember that the Spirit of God lives in you. Spend time in prayer whether you feel like it or not. In periods of struggle or pain, ask yourself, “What does Jesus want for me right now? How is Jesus interceding for me right now?” Discover or rediscover what it means to trust that Christ always lives to make intercession for us. Because he does — and he always will.
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