The Top Job

It is amazing who God calls to be ministers.  If I was God I wouldn’t have chosen Aaron to be the High Priest of Israel.  The first day on the job didn’t go well the Aaron. In Ex 32.24-25, Moses had gone up the mountain to meet with God and was told that Aaron was to get the top job.  As the High Priest, Aaron was going to bring the sinner before God and God’s mind to the people. When Moses came down, Israel was dancing naked around the fertility god. Aaron had turned the worship service into a strip club.  He seemed the biggest failure ever.  If we were God, we wouldn’t have chosen him for the job but God is looking for people who can be touched with the feelings of the infirmity of others.  Aaron would now never be a self-righteous, judgmental or condescending High Priest.
Jesus was full of mercy to sinners of every type, even those who came to kill him.  When the High priest’s servant, who led the mob to arrest Jesus, got close enough, Peter cut off his ear. The servant of the High Priest was likely studying to be the next High Priest. Think Elijah and Elisha. However, the Old Testament forbade a person with a physical blemish, from holding a priestly office so Peters sword made sure he would never hold an office he didn’t deserve.  But Jesus “touched his ear and healed him”( Luke 22.51).  Jesus not only healed his blemish and restored his office but he gave the man an experience of mercy that qualified him to be a merciful High-priest to others.
Friend, doctors and nurses who have had injuries are the most empathetic. If you have gone through failure and pain in your life,  you will likely find that you can also be merciful and non-judgmental of others. In a way, your agony was necessary for your destiny.  We know well that we have received mercy from Jesus,  He has restored our ear to hear His voice and touched our hearts by His mercy. Now we are more likely to be a merciful “priest” to the people in our world. What a privilege! It is, after all, the Top Job.