Monday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time
(Hebrews 5:1-10; Mark 2:18-22)
The Letter to the Hebrews recognizes Christ as both human
and the Son of God. But it realizes that
this does not mean that the human Jesus always had consciousness of being Son
of God. Rather, as today’s reading from
the letter shows, Jesus had to learn how to conform his will to God’s. As for everyone else, it was not an easy
lesson.
The passage speaks of Christ’s learning obedience, the
conforming of one’s will to another’s, through suffering. As the first three gospels testify, in the
garden Jesus asked God to release him from the Passion he was about to endure. Nevertheless, he submitted himself to God
when he said, ”…not my will but yours be done.”
As might be expected, the result of trusting himself completely to God
was his death blossoming into resurrection glory.
Today’s reading from Hebrews makes the point that the merit of
Christ’s obedience accrues entirely to those who choose him as their
priest. Being sinless, he did not need redemption. It is to our advantage, as well as to the
addressees’ of this letter, that we continue to follow him.
