The preacher is just about to finish his key point in his theological teaching--what was done by Jesus replaced all the previous sacrificial practices. As he pointed out before, the earthly Temple was only a copy (“a shadow” he repeats here) of the Reality that is the heavenly original. Jesus was, he says in verse 1 here, “the very image” of “the good things to come.” Don’t think “image = a copy of”. Think “Jesus is the very image of his Father.” THAT kind of “image.” Here is the passage:
Chapter 10:1-18
1 Since the law has only a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of them, it can never make perfect those who come to worship by the same sacrifices that they offer continually each year. 2 Otherwise, would not the sacrifices have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers, once cleansed, would no longer have had any consciousness of sins? 3 But in those sacrifices there is only a yearly remembrance of sins, 4 for it is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats take away sins. 5 For this reason, when he came into the world, he said
“Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,
but a body you prepared for me;
6 holocausts and sin offerings you took no delight in.
7 Then I said, ‘As is written of me in the scroll,
Behold, I come to do your will, O God.’” Psalm 40:7-9
8 First he says, “Sacrifices and offerings, holocausts and sin offerings, you neither desired nor delighted in.” These are offered according to the law. 9 Then he says, “Behold, I come to do your will.” He takes away the first to establish the second. 10 By this “will,” we have been consecrated through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
11 Every priest stands daily at his ministry, offering frequently those same sacrifices that can never take away sins. 12 But this one offered one sacrifice for sins, and took his seat forever at the right hand of God; 13 now he waits until his enemies are made his footstool. 14 For by one offering he has made perfect forever those who are being consecrated. 15 The holy Spirit also testifies to us, for after saying:
16 “This is the covenant I will establish with them after those days, says the Lord:
‘I will put my laws in their hearts,
and I will write them upon their minds,’”
17 he also says:
“Their sins and their evildoing
I will remember no more.” Jeremiah 31:31-34
18 Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer offering for sin.
The repetitiveness of the whole sacrificial system reveals its lack of power to actually do away with sins. They were commanded to do the sacrifices, yes, but God also made it plain that he did not need their sacrifices, and that if they were not offered in the right spirit, they were worse than useless. They were enough to help ensure that the Israelites remained in a covenant relationship with God (no small thing!) but they were not obliterating the people’s sins.
Psalm 40 is clarified by the coming of Christ. The Son had a human body prepared so he could join us, and in that body he came to do his Father’s will. Jesus, being God, “contains” as it were, all human beings–in offering himself he makes his self-sacrifice for all human beings. His human will was completely in tune with his Heavenly Father. Adam’s “no” to God implicated all human beings; Jesus’s “yes” implicates them all, too! Thanks be to God for providing what we could not achieve on our own!
In verse 12 “this one” is Jesus. In verse 13 “now” is describing Jesus currently in heaven awaiting the proper time for his Second Coming.
So, what is our situation? If Jesus has obliterated all our sins, why do we go to Mass each week? Why do we celebrate Ash Wednesday and the Lenten season of penance each year? Note verse 14–we are in Christ, yet we are still “those who are being consecrated.” We still live in time, in duration, with our free will. Each day we must ratify or confirm our trust in Christ and his mercy. As long as we live in time, we have things He needs for us to do, witness he wants us to give, love he wants us to imitate him in spending–each day. Our freedom must speak of his care to those around us. He does not need to repeat his sacrifice–it is complete. His sacrifice, the one and only, is made present to us at each Mass to help us renew and extend, this day, what that sacrifice has done for us. Once we knowingly join Christ (at our baptism, or, if we were baptized as infants, when we consciously commit to living out our baptism) we have a different way to live. Like learning to play a new sport, it takes practice, practice, practice. We need practice to get better at applying the fruits of our salvation he has given us. Even St. Francis grew in likeness to Christ the longer he lived and “practiced” the faith.
On the specific question of Ash Wednesday/Penance/Lent–there are many aspects to living out the “Christ life” that has been planted in us. Like little children, we need to grow more like the adult Christ in many ways–remember Paul (Philippians 4:12) talking about learning to live with abundance and at other times with privation. Lent slots right in there!
Well said ! Jim. I sure do have a lot of practicing to do!