today's other readings are Psalm 110 and Mk. 2: 18-22
In the chapel of St. Augustine's Seminary in Scarborough are many glorious stained glass windows. But there was one that particularly got my attention, for it and is the only Old Testament image depicted in the many stained glass windows of the chapel. For it was an image of the King of Salem, Melchizedek. In Genesis 14: 18-20 we read how he blesses Abraham after Abraham's victory over the kings of Shinar, Ellasar, Goiim and Elam. As part of this blessing Melchizedek brings out bread and wine to share with Abraham, which is the scene depicted in that stained glass image.
I share this with you because of the comparison that the author of the Hebrews makes between Jesus and Melchizedek, a comparison that he goes into much more detail in chapter 7 of this same letter. For the author sees that one of the many, many roles Jesus played is the Divine High Priest, which combined with His humanity, allows Him to become the source of salvation for all who obey him (verse 9 of our reading).
This comparison between Jesus and Melchizedek is another reminder of how often scenes and stories of the life of Jesus depicted in the gospels are often shared in reference to stories in the Old Testament. As Jesus alludes to in today's gospel, to fully appreciate the New, we need to have a great appreciation of the Old.