Hebrews 7:1-3, 15-17; Psalm 110; Mark 3:1-6
The King of Salem was also Melchizedek, the priest of God. We often hear the phrase – “You are a priest for ever, a priest like Melchizedek of old.” The author of today’s first reading tells us that Christ is the high priest of this order and that, like Melchizedek, he is a priest for ever. But Christ’s priesthood is not because of any law regarding his lineage, but because of his power over death and his immortality. Today’s Gospel has the same theme as yesterday’s text – the Sabbath rest. Today we see Jesus in the synagogue where he cures a man with a withered hand. The Pharisees are not happy because, as far as they were concerned, nothing could be done on the Sabbath day. But Christ heals the man because it is a good thing to do and the right thing to do.
The King of Salem was also Melchizedek, the priest of God. We often hear the phrase – “You are a priest for ever, a priest like Melchizedek of old.” The author of today’s first reading tells us that Christ is the high priest of this order and that, like Melchizedek, he is a priest for ever. But Christ’s priesthood is not because of any law regarding his lineage, but because of his power over death and his immortality. Today’s Gospel has the same theme as yesterday’s text – the Sabbath rest. Today we see Jesus in the synagogue where he cures a man with a withered hand. The Pharisees are not happy because, as far as they were concerned, nothing could be done on the Sabbath day. But Christ heals the man because it is a good thing to do and the right thing to do.