So Aaron and his sons did all the things that the Lord had commanded…… Leviticus 8:36

For all  have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…….   Romans 3:23

He died once for all…….Romans 6:10

How it is that we believe what we can achieve.  There is not one place on earth we have not gone.  We left our planet and traveled to other worlds.  We have gazed upon the smallest particles and looked into the farthest reaches of the universe.  We have conquered some of our diseases relegating them to the pages of history.  We have brought the male and female keys to life together in the laboratory and then brought the fruition of that paring out of the womb.  We, in many cases feel there is nothing that humans can not achieve………perfection is within our grasp.

And when I ponder those things and begin to heave my chest out and raise my head in the pride of human accomplishment, I see nation fighting nation.  I see one of us abusing another, many being the youngest and most innocent.  I see our learning being used to concoct terrible drugs leading to physical, mental and spiritual destruction.  I wonder at my own hate for some and judgement of others.  Greed abounds and we purposely disregard the needs of those around us.

This is nothing new.  God, through Moses, had freed His people from Egypt and was in the midst of leading them to the promised land.  Even then, some of the people had already turned to a golden calf idol when Moses was away.  God in His perfection knew, for this people to stay with him, there must be atonement for the sins that they would commit.  So through Aaron and his son’s, God gave directions for sacrifices that would lead the people back to Him.  If humans were perfect, then the guidance given by God would have been enough to keep them in the Grace of God.  But the bible shows again and again that was not the case.

God knew better, a perfect way was needed.  He knew that the blood of animals, no matter how unblemished they were and how many were sacrificed would ever be enough to wipe the sin away and bring us into the presence of God without blemish.  God’s plan was to have the final sacrifice that once and for all would cleanse us from not just one sin, but all sins.  Not that our sins become without consequence or lose their evil impact, but the level of sacrifice was so great to overcome those sins.  That sacrifice happened on cross when Jesus Christ gave His life for us.  His life was not taken.  It was freely sacrificed.  His blood was the perfect atonement.  The only atonement which could fulfill the need.  The only sacrifice that restores the relationship by the Grace of our Heavenly Father.  We were, are and forever will be inadequate to fulfill that need on our own.

Why would God plan it that way and why would Jesus Christ humble Himself and comply with that plan.  Simply and most powerfully for Love.  God is Love.  A Love that doesn’t need us but so longs to be with us.  Thus even at the end of our best days, if we are honest when we look in the mirror, we will see sin.  What does God see when He looks at those who know their imperfections, hate them and believe, love and call upon His Son Jesus Christ?  He sees a person washed in the Perfect Blood of His Son and through the eyes of Perfect Love, He sees the Perfection only He can bring about.

May we all shed our conceits of our own perfection and cling to Jesus Christ’s.

Amen