Insightful Musings on the Scriptures

by

Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67

Good morning, dear ones.

I haven’t been outside yet. But when the big light comes on, I’ll probably head out for a jog. So far it’s still pretty quiet in the house as little Nicholas has not yet awaken.

One fact that allows me to get these little devotional compositions out easier these days is that I’m recycling the ones I composed in 2010…and before. And whereas my memory is so lousy, it’s like new stuff…like I’m reading someone else’s literature. I don’t know how you will judge it, but I have to say that I quite enjoyed the one for this morning. It’s entertaining, even comical…like watching a Roadrunner cartoon. At the same time there is a tragic sadness…kind of like watching my fearless naive little 3-year-old grandson confront a real giant grizzly with the toy wooden rifle I made for him. The Jewish leaders were ridiculously fearless and naive in their angry battle against Sovereignty.

The environment of the home has changed drastically since beginning these lines. Both boys are up and requiring attention. It’s no longer 6:42am, but 7:15am.

Blessings on your day.

Love, Dad/Ray.

Allow me to imagine out loud the conversation between members of the work crew who were assigned to remove the big curtain from the temple that was torn from top to bottom. “Hey, Zach, what do you make of this?” “Man, I don’t know! But the whole thing gives me the creeps.” “Yah—me too. I figure it would take two D-8 Caterpillars pulling in opposite directions to break it apart like this.” “Awesome! Someone…or something—had a whole lot of power here, that’s for sure.”

The whole idea of the torn curtain blesses my soul. It’s just one of the accompanying supernatural phenomena to confirm that something very big was in the making. No human strength could break that curtain. And no human power could break the barrier of separation between a Holy God and a sinful man. Wow! Pause and ponder. The Old Testament administration was by means of sacrifices and priests, but here is the dramatic proclamation of the New. It’s like God is saying, “The door is now open—come on in.”

“But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility” (Eph. 2:13-14).

“Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Heb. 4:16).

My hunch is that if it were not for the torn curtain that really freaked out the Jewish leaders, they wouldn’t have been so nervous and worried about guarding, sealing, and securing the tomb so as to make sure this dead Jesus stayed dead. What a feeble attempt that was! How could the Author of Life remain confined to a tomb?! Absurdity of absurdities! There is a huge amount of meaning here. Don’t let it escape you.