A priest’s heart

As I read through this passage, two things stood out to me. 

First, on the shoulder pieces of the ephod were placed two onyx stones which had the names of the tribes of Israel engraved on them. 

Then, on the breastplate the priest wore, twelve gems were fixed there, one for each tribe of Israel, with the name of one tribe written on each gem. 

And so, the high priest had the names of the tribes of Israel on his shoulders and over his heart.

I think God was trying to say two things here. 

First, the priest was to take on his shoulders the burden of serving the people.  He wasn’t there to be served, but he was to serve. 

His job was to intercede for the people, and to teach them God’s ways.

Second, the priest was to always hold the people near his heart.  He was to love them and care for them as God does.

Jesus, of course, was the perfect high priest.  He said,

For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.  (Mark 10:45).

Jesus took upon himself the sins of the whole world, dying on a cross so that our sins could be forgiven.

And he always holds us close to his heart.  Our names are written there. 

He teaches us.  He intercedes for us.  He loves and cares for us as a shepherd takes care of his sheep. 

As Jesus said,

I am the good shepherd.  The good shepherd lays down  his life for the sheep.  (John 10:11)

But as I mentioned before, don’t forget that as Christians, God has called you as his priests too.  And as his priests, the names of the people around us should be written on our shoulders, and on our hearts. 

As Jesus does, we should have a heart to serve the people around us, to share God’s word with them, to pray for them, and to share God’s love with them.

It’s so easy sometimes to get self-centered.  I know I do. 

Instead of the names of others being written on my shoulders and my heart, only my name is there. 

I seek to be served, instead of serving. 

I seek my own needs and desires, instead of seeing the needs of the people around me. 

But that’s not a priest’s heart.  And that’s not the heart I want to have.

How about you?  What names are written on your shoulders?  Which names are written on your heart? 

Is it only your name? 

Or are they the names of the people that God has placed in your life?