Insightful Musings on the Scriptures

by

Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67

Hello, folks.

Wow!—the day is half gone! I’m trying to get into town to follow up on some sign work. I’m taking some ladders along in case I need to do some serious removal and reinstallation of some sign panels.

Have a great day doing what you need to do.

Love, Dad/Ray.

Yippee!—I finally killed that big ugly fly that’s been bugging me! He makes so much noise in here that I’ve been wearing my earplugs—kind of like running a chainsaw. I connected with him while he was in mid-air flight. Man, that feels good! I think he weighs over a pound. Good riddance!

The Gospel of Mark does not present much supernatural phenomena surrounding the crucifixion of Christ. Yes, there was the strange accompanying darkness at midday. But that could have been explained by a meteorologist who might inform us that a huge dust storm in Northern Africa had caused dust clouds to blow over Palestine at this very point in time. Mark does not mention the earthquake that Matthew describes where some graves supernaturally broke open and certain ones who were dead were raised to life again. While the accounts are not identical in the Gospels, the first three, Matthew, Mark, and Luke, all mention the supernatural event that happened in the Temple: “The curtain of the Temple was torn in two from top to bottom.”

My imagination has some fun with the scene by guessing how the Jewish leaders would have dealt with the torn curtain. To what degree did they acknowledge that it was obviously supernatural? What did they do about it? Most likely they did their best to keep it quiet, just like they will do the obvious supernatural resurrection. Most likely they did their best to repair or replace it so they could carry on with business as usual. “We’re not going to allow a little bit of weird stuff to interrupt what is most important to us!—the eradication of this stupid Jesus-as-Messiah movement!” Even though this is a quote out of my imagination, it triggers my imaginary taunting response: “You feeble-minded little cockroaches!—who do you think you are to be tangling with the Almighty? Is that not obvious?”

What is the significance of the phenomenon of the broken curtain? The obvious answer is really quite wonderful. Not only did Jesus cry out, “It is finished” (Jn 19:30), but the overseeing Father was making the same statement with this curtain. Think of it. It declares that the Old Testament system is now obsolete. No more sacrifices. No more priests. No more Temple ceremony. It’s all fulfilled and finished in the sacrifice of the perfect “Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (Jn. 1:29). We have a New and improved arrangement available. We are now free and invited to “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). If that wonderful fact does not turn my heart gears, I think I would be wise to seek an overhaul.

Here’s a good question: When do you and I NOT. have a “time of need?”