Benny Nalkara, CMI

“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin” (Heb 4:15). The distinct mark of the priesthood of Jesus is expressed through this verse of the Letter to the Hebrews. Jesus, though widely referred as a high priest, always wanted to keep himself away from the priestly class of his times and moreover, he was a strong critic of them. The cultic and ritualistic dimensions of the priesthood which burdened the life of the ordinary people were severely criticised by Jesus.
In the New Testament, it is only the Letter to the Hebrews presents him as the priest, high priest and the great priest forever (2:17; 3:1) who through his passion, death and resurrection became glorified and became the mediator of the new covenant. In the Scripture, especially in the OT, the duty of a priest is to be a mediator between human beings and God. They stood as instruments for the people of God in times of crises (Judges 8:5-6); Num 7:21; Mal 2:7). They became intermediaries of the will of God by teaching the will of God that was revealed through the Law (Deut 31:9-10; 2 Kg 17:27; Ezek 22:16). It was the priestly duty to offer the sacrifices, prayers and gifts of the people before God and to get the blessings for them (Num 6:22-27; Deut 10:8; 21:25). So the priest played a crucial role of mediatorship in the God-human relationships and in the in the sacrifices, ministry and maintenance of the temple. But the cultic aspect of priesthood played a more predominant role in the life of Israel and often it tarnished the image of priesthood.
According to the Letter to the Hebrews, Jesus is a high priest who is Greater than Melchizedek (4:14-6:20). Gen 14:17-20 presents the story about Melchizedek and Ps 110:4 narrates divine proclamation with oath; all Israelite kings were also to be priests (2 Sam 8:18; 1Kgs 3:14). But no earthly King was ever worthy to be a priest. Hence Psalm 110 became an eschatologically projected promise of an ideal priest. Melchizedek, the non-Israelite, was found to be the type of that ideal priest. Melek of zedeq, was a “king of righteousness (zedeq)” and king of salem (peace), and is eternal (no father and mother is mentioned or no genealogy). Superior to Abraham and to his posterity, hence the priesthood of Melchizedek is superior to Levitical priesthood. 7: 6- 28 depicts the excellence of Jesus Christ as priest: The OT priests were weak; Christ was made perfect. The essence of Christ’s priesthood is self-offering (7:27; 8:1-10:18). Jesus became the high priest not through this ritualistic role of a priest, but through his self-giving act that he lived out in his life and death. Jesus overcame the imperfection of previous offerings by offering the sacrifice of his own body. For in his body, Jesus was fully devoted to God in every way.
All the qualities of the High Priest verified in Jesus Christ (5:1-10, 7: 1-28). after the various exhortations in 5:11-6:20. Christ is high Priest because he is called by God (Incarnation) and represents human kind before God through human nature and represents God before the human kind through divine nature. Jesus offered up prayers and supplications. He became a source of eternal salvation to all who obey him. Jesus is superior to Melchizedek because of the divine oath (7:20-22). “The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, `Thou art a priest forever.’” This makes Jesus the surety of a better covenant. Jesus is superior because of the permanence (23-25). The former priests were prevented by death from continuing in office. Jesus’ priesthood is permanent, and he continues for ever and lives to make intercession for all. Jesus is superior because of his unique character (26-28). Jesus, the high priest is holy, blameless, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. Since Jesus is sinless, he had no need to offer sacrifice for his sins like other priests. He offered only one sacrifice and that for his people.
The major credential of Jesus as High Priest was the one who has experienced in human suffering, is able to show sympathy and mercy to his brothers (2:17-18). In Jesus, we have such a high priest, one who can sympathise with us in our weaknesses. Since he is victorious over temptation, he can give his brothers grace and help. He can deal with the ignorant and the wayward gently. On the one hand Christ has passed into the heavens; but he is still the sympathetic High Priest. His transcendence has made no difference to his humanity. He has an unequalled capacity for sympathizing with human beings in all the dangers, sorrows and trials which come their way in life, because he himself, by virtues of his likeness to them, was exposed to all these experiences, except that he did not commit sin.
The greatest danger that priesthood may face today is the unnecessary inclination and undue orientation it expresses towards the ritualistic and cultic aspect of priesthood. Rituals, rubrics and rites becomes the essence of their language. The sufferings, sorrows and joys of the vulnerable human beings are far away from the life of the priest. Without sympathy and mercy and without having the “smell of the sheep,” how can we emulate Jesus the High Priest?