Hebrews 4:14-5:3, 5:7-10

14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens—Jesus the Son of God—let us hold fast to our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin. 16 Therefore, let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in time of need.
1 For every high priest taken from among men is appointed in matters pertaining to God for the people, to offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins. 2 He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since he is also clothed with weakness. 3 Because of this, he must make an offering for his own sins as well as for the people.

7 During his earthly life, he offered prayers and appeals with loud cries and tears to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. 8 Although he was the Son, he learned obedience from what he suffered. 9 After he was perfected, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him, 10 and he was declared by God a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.

Emotional Distance

Emotional distance often happens when someone either

or discounts another person’s feelings.

Emotional distance also happens when someone has a tendency to

uncomfortable topics.

Two important questions for authentic relationships:
1. Will you be there for me when things go

?
2. Will you be there for me when things go

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?

We seek out people as friends who will be there for both.

The Divine Mystery of Jesus’ Incarnation and Ascension

1. Hebrews 1:1-4. In this telling of Jesus’ ascension and ranking even above the angels, the goal is to help us have
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   .
2. Hebrews 2:5-18. In this second telling, the writer emphasizes that all things are subjected to Jesus, who will bring many sons and daugthers to glory. The goal is to help us have
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   .
3. Hebrews 4:14-16. In this telling of Jesus as our High Priest, the goal is to drive us toward
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   .

Jesus is Better

A High Priest would go to God on behalf of the people to bring God their

and also requests. The High Priest suffered from the same frailties as the people, and for this reason was loved and

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.

Both the people and the High Priest had a shared awarnesss of their need for God’s

.

A crucial aspect of Jesus is his authentic

.

Jesus

obedience from the things he suffered. He was perfected and reached

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through the things he underwent.

God longs for a connection with us in the same way we long to connect with others.

“If He merely understood the fact of our infirmities, that would be good enough. But I’ve got better news for you. He even understands the feeling of our infirmities—not just the cripplings, not just the weaknesses, not just the emotional hang-ups and the inner conflicts, but the pain that comes from them. He understands the frustration, the anxiety, the depression, the hurts, the feelings of abandonment and loneliness and isolation and rejection. He who is touched with the feeling of our infirmities experiences the whole ghastly gamut of emotions which goes along with our weaknesses and our cripplings” —David Seamands (Healing for Damaged Emotions, pp. 39-40)

Response Styles and Emotional Connections

It is easy to over look how important it is to be there for people in their

times, and not only in their bad. There are four typical ways we might respond to someone’s good news. It matters which we choose if we desire a healthy relationship.

1. An Active, Destructive response: The Joy
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2. A Passive, Destructive response: The
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3. A Passive, Constructive response: The Conversation
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4. An Active, Constructive response: The Joy
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is a fruit of the Spirit, and we should

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to one another the way that God responds to us.

Approaching God’s Throne with Boldness

Jesus came here to save us, but also to

us. We have nothing to hide.

Questions for Discussion and Reflection

1. Do you struggle with feeling emotionally distant from God? What helps you to feel closer to God?
2. When you think of your closest friends, what helps you stay close to them?
3. Can you share any examples of people who have responded to your joy in the various ways dscribed? What difference does it make to be a joy multiplier?
4. Why is it important that we learn to pray boldly?