A Mysterious Resemblance

Dear Faith Family,   

"He became what we are, that we might become what he is." (St. Athanasius)



Athanasius of Alexandria, the fourth-century church father who is credited with being a leading voice in the formation and defense of what has been for millennia the unifying orthodoxy of the Church across traditions, succinctly summarizes the reason why Jesus, as the high priest of good things, had to be a priest of a different order. A priest, as the author of Hebrews tells us, "after the order of Melchizedek….a forerunner on our behalf" (6:19).

Now, I'm sure you're familiar with the story of Melchizedek. Right? It's okay if you are not! His appearance in our Scriptures is relatively brief, covering only three verses in Genesis 14. 

"And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. (He was priest of God Most High). And Melchizedek blessed Abram and said, 'Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand!' And Abram gave Melchizedek a tenth of everything." (vv. 18-20) 


Returning from redeeming his nephew Lot from being possessed against his will, caught in the middle of warring masters attempting to take what they desired to be theirs alone, Abram (who will soon be called Abraham), wins a significant victory in his rescue mission. Not only does he free Lot, he also plunders the collection of enemies.

It is here, after the redemption had been accomplished, that Abraham is blessed by Melchizedek, this mysterious king-priest who stands apart from the other so-called masters. The blessing, as you can see, is actually an acknowledgement that God Most High himself actually led the redemption Abraham participated in! Around a table of bread and wine, a feast of thanksgiving (eukharistia), having recognized that the victory and freedom he experienced was actually God's doing, start to finish, Abraham offers a tenth or a "tithe" of what was God's already. 

That's the story. And while the scene is brief, Melchizedek's blessing and Abraham's response had a profound and lasting impact on the imagination of God's future family. Not only does this story provide the model for the Levitical priesthood from the time of Moses onward, but by the time the author of Hebrews mentions him, Melchizedek has taken on an almost mythological identity. As we discussed on Sunday, Melchizedek stood apart from the entanglements of the warring kingdoms, as king of a place called peace with a name that meant righteous (Heb. 7:2), whom death had no claim over: 

"He is without father or mother or genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God, he continues a priest forever."
(Hebrews 7:3) 


What was mythocal for Melchizedek, argues the author of Hebrews, was literal for the One he resembled. And that is the key to understanding Athanasius' distillation of the good news: 

"This becomes even more evident when another priest arises in the likeness of Melchizedek, who has become a priest, not on the basis of a legal requirement concerning bodily descent, but by the power of an indestructible life." (Hebrews 7:15-16)


A life not entangled in the lusts of conflicting forces, a life not bound by death, a life not mastered but willfully surrendered, now becomes our life. That is what the author of Hebrews says Jesus Ascended*, the priest after the order of Melchizedek, has done for us. This reality is what Athanasius echoes, helping us to envision a life in which, 


"It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me."
(Galatians 2:20) 



Imagine that. No, really, set aside some time today to imagine that the life you live is actually the "indestructible" life of Jesus Ascended*. 

As we've done the last few weeks, I invite you to:


As you see yourself in Jesus and Jesus in you, may you enter into the place of peace with God and live now—even if not fully yet—righteously, making a life good, for the blessing of others and the flourishing of the world.

Love you, faith family. God bless.