Hebrews 5:1-5: in context

The letter to the Hebrews describes the high priest: taken from among men, appointed to represent them before God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. And it notes something about him: he can deal gently with the ignorant and the wayward, because he himself is beset with weakness, and so must offer sacrifice for his own sins as well. No one takes this honor for himself, but is called by God. And so, Hebrews says, Christ did not glorify himself to become high priest, but was appointed by God.

The phrase worth holding is that the high priest can deal gently with the ignorant and the wayward, because he himself is beset with weakness. The old high priest, being a weak and sinful man himself, could sympathize with the failings of the people he represented; knowing his own weakness, he could deal gently with theirs. And Hebrews sets this up to say something greater about Christ, our great high priest. Though Christ was without sin, he took our human nature, was tempted in every way as we are, and so is able to sympathize with our weaknesses, to deal gently with us in our failings. We do not have a high priest, Hebrews says elsewhere, who cannot be touched with the feeling of our weaknesses. There is deep comfort in this for the times we come to God aware of our failures, our weakness, our repeated stumbling. We might imagine that Christ, being holy, regards our failings with cold severity, that he is impatient with our weakness, harsh toward our repeated falls. Hebrews says the opposite: our high priest deals gently with the ignorant and the wayward, understands our weakness because he took our nature, sympathizes rather than despises. He is not a distant, severe judge of our failings but a compassionate high priest who knows our frame and deals gently with us. And because of this, we are invited to come. Let us therefore draw near with boldness to the throne of grace, Hebrews concludes, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. The gentleness of our high priest is the ground of our confidence to come; because he deals gently with the weak, we need not stay away in shame, but may draw near, aware of our weakness, and find in him not severity but mercy. We have a high priest who understands, who sympathizes, who deals gently with the wayward; and to such a one we may come with confidence, bringing our weakness and our failures, and finding grace.

When I come to God aware of my weakness and my repeated failures, do I imagine Christ regarding me with cold severity and impatience, or can I take hold of what Hebrews says, that our high priest deals gently with the ignorant and the wayward and sympathizes with our weakness, and so draw near with boldness to find mercy rather than staying away in shame?