13 When God made a promise to Abraham, because he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself, 14 saying, ‘I will surely bless you and multiply you.’ 15 And thus Abraham, having patiently endured, obtained the promise. 16 Human beings, of course, swear by someone greater than themselves, and an oath given as confirmation puts an end to all dispute. 17 In the same way, when God desired to show even more clearly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it by an oath, 18 so that through two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible that God would prove false, we who have taken refuge might be strongly encouraged to seize the hope set before us. 19 We have this hope, a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters the inner shrine behind the curtain, 20 where Jesus, a forerunner on our behalf, has entered, having become a high priest for ever according to the order of Melchizedek. Hebrews 6:13-20
My wife’s family has a cottage on a lake in New Hampshire. At one time many years ago, they had a long, wooden dock further out on the lake to sunbathe, read and swim off. In the winter months, the dock rests on shore with the individual pieces tied to trees. This I found is a good thing, because during the recent rains, the level of the lake rose and being tied to a tree ensured that the dock pieces did not float off. The water covered the dock for a time, but being tethered to the trees ensured they did not disappear during the torrential rains.
Just as the dock was tethered to a tree, so too does the Author of the Letter to the Hebrews describe the church being anchored or tethered in the soul, we have this hope, a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters the inner shrine behind the curtain. The docks were tethered to a tree to prevent floating off, Christ’s disciples are tethered to a sure and steadfast anchor in the soul, not to a tree but to the heavenly temple behind the curtain. Since Christ is there as our High Priest, we are tethered or anchored in a place that is unmovable and when the hurricanes of life flood us, we can remain sure and certain, even when overwhelmed.
But to keep hope amid difficulty is an impossible achievement for anxious and fearful people. To this end God gives his people clarity even in “muddy” situations, when God desired to show even more clearly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it by an oath. An oath is used by people to bring certainty and reliability in situations that are fragile and doubtful. One swears by a greater power to bring security upon an insecure situation. God, being the greatest power, invokes Himself, to bring stability into an unstable situation for his children. This stability which God provides and injects into our human experiences, rests on the unchangeable nature of God. Since no greater power exists, no entity can force or alter God’s purpose. Therefore, God provides assurance to His people, that is cannot be destroyed or removed. This does not mean that the daily struggles which we face, and which those not in the church also do, but it also means that those struggles which are unique to the Church of Jesus Christ are not to be avoided, but to be endured.
Being tethered to Jesus Christ does not mean the removal of struggles and tests, but it means the security and certainty to persevere through them. This means that when challenge or persecution strikes the Church, and they will, the Church waits patiently for God to fulfill God’s Promises and Oaths. We don’t quit the Church to alleviate our difficulties or leave the Church to avoid persecutions or resign our Baptismal Vows to seek an easier and more comfortable lifestyle; to be anchored to Christ, means that Hurricanes will blow, but even when we are overcome, we remain secure, tethered to Jesus Christ; and we carry on.
The good news of the Gospel, dear friends, is not the impossible command to wait patiently, as if we were under our own power able to do so. The good news of the Gospel is not just that God gives us unconquerable promises and oaths, but we have been given in Jesus Christ the Human capacity to wait patiently. Patience is not a virtue we must achieve, but a Divine gift we can receive. In Christ, we can wait. We can wait through the next Pandemic, the next Political Revolution, the current seasons of Persecutions, both physical and social, and whatever “Hurricanes” will fall upon us. We can endure in patience because in Christ we are tethered to an unmovable anchor, but we also share in the very patience of Christ. Let us then, wait through the storms in life, anchored in Christ, given refuge both safe and secure. Amen.
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