The New Covenant
Today’s Hebrew’s reading is about the concept of the New
Covenant. What’s new about the New Covenant is its basis and effect. The New
Covenant is based on a set of historical events, something that the old one
could not be, because the historical events had not yet taken place: the
kingdom-work of Jesus, his life, death, resurrection and sending of the Spirit.
The impact of the New Covenant is about renewed hearts and
minds. The New Testament imagery around becoming part of the New Covenant
people of God is very graphic. It refers to things like becoming a new
creation, to dying and rising to life, to moving from darkness to light, etc.
Something fundamental happens to our natures by a work of the Spirit. This is
what it means to have the law written on our hearts (vs. 10) and to know God
(vs.11). The implication of this is a pattern of life that is fundamentally
different to the before; a pattern that is characterised by a whole-person
integrated relational response to God and to each other, a response that
involves our emotions, minds, souls and bodies. There is a wonderful ‘virtuous
circle’ in the Kingdom, as we worship God and love each other, we find the
fullest meaning of our true selves and our identities, and as we understand our
true selves and our identities more, we understand that it is the ultimate
expression of our true selves to worship God and to love each other. How can we
open ourselves to this virtuous circle more?
(Trinity College