Finger-pointing and the Day of Atonement

In this way he will make atonement for the Holy of Holies because of the uncleannesses of the Israelites, their acts of rebellion, and all their other sins. …Leviticus 16:16a (MSG) It is always easier to point at others. It is easier to spot their faults and correct their ridiculous ways. Politicians and lawyers make easy targets, and depending on which side of the political isle you’re on, liberals, tea-partiers, NRA members, environmentalist, the rich, the entitled, unions, banks and big business, socialists and the conservatives are all easy targets. Rednecks, immigrants, gays and lesbians, gangs, welfare people, trash of various colors, young people, old folks, druggies, Muslims, Christians, and atheists make fine targets for finger-pointing as well. If the president Obama and the Congress would pay more attention to all of our finger-pointing and connected problem solving skills everything would be so much better.I am sure the ancient Israelites did their share of finger-pointing, including the priests and High Priests. But God had ordained a day when their fingers could not point at him, or her, or them, a day where the only pointing to be done was at me and us – the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16).On that day the High Priest had to first of all deal with his own sin and every citizen had to take responsibility for his contribution to our sin, the collective guilt. There wasn’t anybody who could say I did not contribute, I am without sin, without guilt. Only after the High Priest dealt with his own sin was he allowed in the presence of God to make atonement for the people’s sin. Maybe we should learn from that? Maybe we need to do less finger-pointing and more concentrating on our own affairs, our own sin before God? Maybe we need more of an us and less of a them mentality?Atonement (covering my sin properly, dealing with my sin God’s way) is about me, it is about us. Of course ultimate and lasting atonement comes only through Jesus Christ, “When these things were all in place, the priests regularly entered the first room as they performed their religious duties. But only the high priest ever entered the Most Holy Place, and only once a year. And he always offered blood for his own sins and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance. … So Christ has now become the High Priest over all the good things that have come. He has entered that greater, more perfect Tabernacle in heaven, which was not made by human hands and is not part of this created world. With his own blood—not the blood of goats and calves—he entered the Most Holy Place once for all time and secured our redemption forever” Hebrews 9:6-7, 11-12 (NLT).We like holidays, celebrations, feasts and fests. Give us Mardi Gras, Carnival in Rio, Fasching in Germany, the Super Bowl, Fourth of July, yes give us a party. But what we need is Holy days, none more important than the Day of Atonement, the day Christ – God dealt with our sin and guilt. The day we stop evading, look in the mirror, stop speaking about them, and acknowledge our need for God’s mercy, and find atonement in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.To God be all glory, love you, Pastor Hans