Book of Common Prayer

Jesus Is Our High Priest In The True Heavenly Temple

8 Now^[a] the main-point in the things being said is: we have such a High Priest, Who sat-down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, ² Minister of the Holies^[b], indeed^[c] of the true tabernacle (which the Lord pitched^[d], not a human).

Earthly Priests Serve In a Copy And Shadow of The Heavenly Things

³ For every high priest is appointed that he might be offering both gifts and sacrifices. Hence it is^[e] necessary that this One also have something which He may offer. ⁴ Now indeed, if He were on earth He would not even be a priest— there being the ones offering the gifts according-to the Law, ⁵ who are serving a copy and a shadow of the heavenly things, just as Moses has been warned, being about to complete the tabernacle: for “See”, He says [in Ex 25:40], “that you make everything according to the pattern having been shown to you on the mountain”.

But Jesus Has a Better Ministry As Mediator of a Better Covenant With Better Promises

⁶ But He has now obtained a more-excellent ministry^[f], by as much as He is indeed the mediator of a better covenant, which has been enacted on better promises!

For God Promised a New Covenant

⁷ For if that first covenant had been faultless, no place would have been sought for a second. ⁸ For, finding-fault-with^[g] them, He says [in Jer 31:31-34]: “Behold— days are coming, says the Lord, and I will consummate^[h] a new covenant for the house of Israel and for the house of Judah; ⁹ not in accordance with the covenant which I made with their fathers on the day I took-hold-of their hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, because they did not continue in My covenant, and I did not-care-for them, says the Lord. ¹⁰ Because this is the covenant which I will covenant with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: Giving My laws into their mind, I will also write them upon their heart. And I will be God to them and they will be a people to Me. ¹¹ And they will by no means each teach his fellow-citizen and each his brother, saying ‘Know^[i] the Lord’, because they all will know Me from the small^[j] one up to their great one. ¹² Because I will be merciful^[k] to their wrong-doings, and I will never remember^[l] their sins again”.

God Has Thus Made The First Covenant Old

¹³ In that He says “New”, He has made the first old^[m]. And the thing becoming old and growing-aged is near disappearance.

Mary Chooses The Good Part: Listening To The Word of Jesus

³⁸ And during their proceeding, He entered into a certain village. And a certain woman, Martha by name, received^[a] Him. ³⁹ And to this one there was a sister being called Mary, who also was listening-to His word, having sat near to the feet of the Lord. ⁴⁰ But Martha was being distracted^[b] with much service. And having stood-near, she said “Lord, do You not care that my sister left me to be serving alone? Tell her then that she should help me”. ⁴¹ But having responded, the Lord said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things. ⁴² But there is a need of one thing. For Mary chose the good^[c] part, which will not be taken-away from her”.