Eclipsed
Sometimes we don't see the truth until it is too late.
It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, while the sun's light failed; and the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Then Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, "Father, into your hands I commend my spirit." Having said this, he breathed his last. When the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God and said, "Certainly this man was innocent." And when all the crowds who had gathered there for this spectacle saw what had taken place, they returned home, beating their breasts. But all his acquaintances, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things. Now there was a good and righteous man named Joseph, who, though a member of the council, had not agreed to their plan and action. He came from the Jewish town of Arimathea, and he was waiting expectantly for the kingdom of God. This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then he took it down, wrapped it in a linen cloth, and laid it in a rock-hewn tomb where no one had ever been laid. It was the day of Preparation, and the sabbath was beginning. The women who had come with him from Galilee followed, and they saw the tomb and how his body was laid. Then they returned, and prepared spices and ointments. On the sabbath they rested according to the commandment. - Luke 23:44-56a
In today's Gospel reading, Luke describes an eclipse accompanied by an earthquake, or something like it, powerful enough to tear the curtain of the temple.
Symbolically, the curtain between God and the people is torn when Jesus dies, making God totally accessible by the average person, rather than needing an intermediary.
Maybe it is just punishment for the high priests and leaders of the faith who set out to kill Jesus. They no longer have a role to play in accessing God.
They have been eclipsed, their light taken from them, leaving them in the dark.
The death of Jesus on the cross is a turning point moment. It changes everything. It is like the rejection of God in the Garden of Eden. It represents man's choice in opposition to God.
Yet, this time there is a difference. The world is divided.
Some believed and continued to have faith, despite the tragedy of Christ's death.
Those of us who follow Christ are in this group, while others remain in darkness.
Everyone deserves a chance to choose, but in order to do that, they need to know the story. And once they hear it, they can decide for themselves.
If we truly believe that living in faith, knowing God through Jesus, walking with the Holy Spirit, are all wonderful gifts of God, wouldn't we want to share these things with others?
It is never too late to share the good news.
More to come...