“…he [the high priest] can deal gently with the ignorant and misguided, since he himself also is beset with weakness…”
(Hebrews 5:2)
When a descendant of Aaron took up the mantle of high priest, he was entering into a life of service to the “less than” community. The high priest spent his life dealing with the ignorant and misguided – namely those who made choices without thinking about them or made choices after only badly thinking about them. Every day, he was to make intercession for people who came to him needing forgiveness for poor choices made with poor planning. I imagine, at times, it was a tedious task of repetition. Yet, as high priest, it was the role you were born into, and genealogy forced you to hold it – not to mention that your own humanity would help you to recognize the shortcomings of your fellow man.
Yet, Jesus had no such external circumstances forcing Him into the role as our High Priest. He had no shortcomings Himself, nor did He have a genealogy that required Him to take up the office. Jesus chooses to deal gently with our misguided ignorance out of love, not compulsion. He chose to walk in our shoes to see the weakness of our flesh, so He would be a compassionate Redeemer.
Jesus deals gently with us, and, likewise, as priests of the Most High, we ought to deal gently with each other.
Matthew 4:4 #Biblebites