“Blood Speaks” (Hebrews 12:24)

“Blood Speaks,”

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Tom Johnson, August 21, 2016

“But you have come…to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.” Hebrews 12:24

One of my professors in seminary was teaching about ministry in the parish, homes, and hospitals. He said, “Raise your hand if you’re squeamish.” Several of us raised our hands. He said, “Don’t become a pastor.” I suppose the same could be said for those training to become doctors, nurses, or first responders. The sight of blood can knock us over—to make us quickly depart the land of the conscious into darkness and unconsciousness. Blood not only carries a message; it can have a profound effect on you. Blood has a profound effect on God.

When the Cain killed his own brother, he spilled his blood on the ground. It was  the very first capital crime against humanity—just one generation past our first parents, Adam and Eve. Abel offered up an acceptable sacrifice. Cain didn’t. Cain was jealous of Abel, played God, deceptively led his brother to a hidden place, and permanently eliminated him. Cain felt he could keep his evil deed a secret.But God is all seeing and all hearing. He saw the crime. He heard Abel breathe his last. Cain could not hide, muffle, or silence his brother Abel’s blood. God said, “The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to me from the ground.” Abel’s blood continued to speak, to tell a story, and to cry out. His blood cried out for justice, vengeance, retribution, and punishment. Sadly, the world has not changed much since that time.

The voice of blood still cries out death, calls for judgment and a yearning for the crime to be dealt with. That is the experience of the human struggle all around the world. The blood of the fallen is crying out all around the globe. God hears the blood crying out in the streets of Chicago and Syria. Even when it has little impact on some of us, it has a profound impact on God. He not only recognizes the voice of those who fall; it deeply moves him to grief. When blood cries out it often guarantees further cruelty, vengeance, and bloodshed. That is the human response: eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth, blood for blood. Blood crying out keeps homes, neighborhoods, and entire nations and peoples trapped in a circle of violence.

This summer, multiple children have been caught in the crossfire—between rival gangs whose vicious circle of violence grows and claims the lives of more and more innocent children. Each gang takes their own vengeance back and claims more lives. The senseless death of a child produces a deafening cry of anguish. Just this week, a picture of five year old Omran in Syria covered in dust and blood produced worldwide outrage. His 10 year old older brother died when their home was bombed. Police have killed suspects. Shooters have killed police officers. And their blood cries out for justice. Senseless death demands explanation. The waste of human life is itself a call to do what we can to prevent it from happening again. Blood speaks. Something stirs in us. Something should stir within us. We should hear the blood. It says, “Something needs to be done. Justice needs to be done. This must stop. This cannot be allowed.” Innocent blood should call leaders, communities, churches, and individuals to action. If we are not careful, the blood will cry out for more senseless violence, vengeance, and retribution. But God says, “Vengeance is mine.”

That is the amazing thing about how God responds to the cry of Abel’s blood. Cain fears retribution and someone killing him for his crime. But even though God hears this cry for justice and bloodshed agains Cain, he spares Cain’s life and extends an extraordinary measure of mercy and love. And if that is not amazing enough, when God’s own Son, Jesus Christ is crucified—when the whole world puts him to death—when his blood is spilled after a mock trial and gruesome crucifixion, God hears the cry of his Blood.

Our scripture says, “You have come…to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.” “You know that you were ransomed…not with perishable things like silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ (1 Peter 1:18,19a). Do you also hear the cry of Jesus’ Blood? It still speaks today. It pleads for you. The cry of Jesus’ Blood is, our Scripture says, a better word. The Blood of Jesus does not escalate the cycle of violence, it ends the cycle of violence; his blood cries, “It is finished.” The Blood of Jesus does not demand vengeance or punishment but forgiveness: “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing.” The Blood of Jesus does not cry out for justice and further death but eternal life: “Today, you will be with me in paradise.”