“So now Jesus and the ones he makes holy have the same Father. That is why Jesus is not ashamed to call them his brothers and sisters. For he said to God,
‘I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters.
I will praise you among your assembled people.’
He also said,
‘I will put my trust in him,’
that is, ‘I and the children God has given me.’
Because God’s children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death. Only in this way could he set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying.”
The tagline for Freedom For Today is, “The Word of God for your mental health.” Certainly the Bible is not a cure for mental illness, but studies have shown that spiritual practices including reading Scripture do improve our overall mental health. This idea of the “Word of God” is complex, and it is illuminated even more in today’s passage. Here the author is quoting parts of Psalm 22 and Isaiah 8 and making a statement that those words were Jesus talking to the Father. These Scriptures are directly placed in Jesus’ mouth.
The book of Hebrews has so far been focused on establishing that Jesus is God and distinguishing this from angels and humans. Scripture literally came out of Jesus’ mouth before he was ever on earth, yet he also became flesh and blood. We are God’s children, and the Word of God became flesh to live among us (see John 1). I am struck by the words, “only in this way.” This audacious, ridiculous, painstaking plan of having Jesus take on humanity was the only way to set us free. Freedom is truly a costly endeavor.
The best way to practice empathy is to walk in someone else’s shoes for a while. Jesus’ feet got pretty dirty on earth, and he gets you. He gets your struggle, he gets your pain, he gets your desires. God birthed his children in human form out of pure love, and then birthed himself in human form to create a path to freedom. Only by dying was the power of Satan broken. Only by his embodiment could we be unchained. Love this vast is rooted in togetherness, empathy, and familial bond. Jesus is family in the best sense of the word. He will always have your back no matter what.