An Anointed Mess

[0:00] A Pastor's Reflections An Anointed Mess! Exodus 29-21 Galatians 6-2 Bear you one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

[0:33] 1 Corinthians 13-4 Love suffers long. In Exodus 29, God is instructing Moses in the consecration of the Levitical priesthood.

[0:46] The high priest, as well as all of the other priests, were to be consecrated for service while wearing their nice new robes. How proud they must be in that moment, as they stepped forth wearing their bright white robes, and the high priest, his beautiful garments of purple, blue, gold, and scarlet.

[1:07] Imagine the sun reflecting off of the high priest's golden crown, or the dazzling brightness of all of the other priests' bright white garments. They must have stood out from all of the other people of the congregation of Israel.

[1:22] They were so clean and so special, almost as if they were untouchable. And then each one of these beautiful, spotless garments was one at a time splattered with blood and oil.

[1:37] Each garment of white would now essentially be no longer clean, but filthy with the blood and oil of sacrifice. What was once so unapproachable was now made accessible by blood.

[1:53] We often think that our job as believers is to maintain our whiteness at all costs. Yes, we are to keep ourselves unspotted from the world, James 1.27, but we are not to keep ourselves from being untouched by the messes of God's people.

[2:11] Ministry is messy, and sometimes it can be downright disgusting. How can serving God lead me into such messes? Does God really want me to get my garments dirty with the blood of another?

[2:27] The purpose of the priest's garments was for service, not show. And it was the blood that anointed them for service. Yes, it was messy, but it was also necessary.

[2:38] We cannot serve God or his people without the anointing and the blood. Hebrews 10.10 By the which will we are sanctified, through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

[2:54] The next time you find yourself drawing back from the messiness of serving God and his people, just remember how messy and how bloody Jesus' service was for you.

[3:08] Jesus, how can I thank you enough for enduring the blood of the cross for the mess of my sin? Help me today to not stand apart from serving you and your people, no matter how messy.

[3:21] Prepare me for service by the blood and the anointing. Amen. Amen.