Contemplative Bible Reading

Hebrews 9:13-14 (New Living Translation)

13 Under the old system, the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer could cleanse people’s bodies from ceremonial impurity. 14 Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins.

The writer to the Hebrews is comparing the old system (Old Testament) to the new. Animal sacrifices in the old system clean bodies to be pure for ceremonies.

The blood of Jesus Christ cleans our consciences. I have to stop and think about this one for a while. The blood cleans my thoughts from sin so that I can worship God all the time. That blood came from a perfect sacrifice—one that lasts forever.

I don’t understand that; it is too much for my mind. How do you clean a person’s conscience? How to you clean a person’s ability to judge right and wrong? Perhaps the cleaning enables a person to clearly judge right from wrong. That is a big help right there.

I think it goes further than that. I cannot think through all of that. I am left to wonder about all this. I do, however, recognize the sacrifice of Jesus Christ is bigger and more powerful than I can recognize. Does that make sense? I know that Jesus is greater than I can know.

Thank you, God. Thank you for blessings that are beyond my recognition.