Read 1 Peter 2
9-10But you are the ones chosen by God, chosen for the high calling of priestly work, chosen to be a holy people, God's instruments to do his work and speak out for him, to tell others of the night-and-day difference he made for you—from nothing to something, from rejected to accepted. (The Message)
Within religious circles the words "the priesthood of all believers" is often mentioned but is rarely truly understood let alone embraced. In our western / American culture we like the idea that I have as many rights as you do, but we shy away from the possibilities that I also have equal responsibilities. If you read the Exodus story the people didn't want to risk encountering the living God that Moses told them about. So rather than venturing out themselves they asked Moses and Aaron to do it for them. They would listen to what God said through those who were set apart for that very purpose.
Jesus came along and turned all that upside down. He said that each person could come to God and that you didn't need an intermediary to experience God's presence. In various places in the New Testament we are then told that all believers now have become priests. The problem lies not with our abilities to go to God personally but that we have given up the role of living as priests. The priest's role was not just to officiate at religious ceremonies. Rather the priest's role was to live out their whole lives as a sacrifice to God. Everything they did was to reflect to the people around them the presence of a living God.
When Israel got into trouble it was often because the priests got comfortable in just doing their role and not actually living it out. It is the same trouble we get ourselves into when we take on all the rights but none of the responsibilities of a faithful life.
Within religious circles the words "the priesthood of all believers" is often mentioned but is rarely truly understood let alone embraced. In our western / American culture we like the idea that I have as many rights as you do, but we shy away from the possibilities that I also have equal responsibilities. If you read the Exodus story the people didn't want to risk encountering the living God that Moses told them about. So rather than venturing out themselves they asked Moses and Aaron to do it for them. They would listen to what God said through those who were set apart for that very purpose.
Jesus came along and turned all that upside down. He said that each person could come to God and that you didn't need an intermediary to experience God's presence. In various places in the New Testament we are then told that all believers now have become priests. The problem lies not with our abilities to go to God personally but that we have given up the role of living as priests. The priest's role was not just to officiate at religious ceremonies. Rather the priest's role was to live out their whole lives as a sacrifice to God. Everything they did was to reflect to the people around them the presence of a living God.
When Israel got into trouble it was often because the priests got comfortable in just doing their role and not actually living it out. It is the same trouble we get ourselves into when we take on all the rights but none of the responsibilities of a faithful life.
Some thoughts to ponder and share with others:
- Would you rather experience the thrill of a great adventure or hear someone else tell about their adventures? Why?
- Do you think there is anything that only an official priest / minister can or should do? What is that?
- What responsibilities of the Christian faith would you rather not accept?
- If you walked around with a name tag that said: "Hi, my name is ______ and I'm a representative of the living God" how might your life look different?
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