beautiful truth
Jerusalem has a way of making things come alive in a new way.
I was walking down the street with a guy named Vincent the other day. He had given us a tour of the Temple Mount a little earlier and had pointed out so many really cool symbolic things that I had never thought of before. I asked him some questions we had seen and he began to talk to me about the incredible richness that was hidden in this culture—the places, the tradition, the history, and especially the language. Hebrew is still spoken by the Jews and, although it has obviously evolved over time, it still contains so much of its ancient roots that assume a familiarity with the culture…which makes full translation a difficult task. He shared with me an example of what he meant and it blew me away.
“Shalom” is a pretty handy word here. Literally it means peace and it serves as a greeting, a blessing or a farewell. It can also be used to refer to something that has intentionally been brought to pass or accomplished. Picture it as though such a thing, while still unaccomplished is divided into two separate parties that are naturally disconnected, but during a willed action the two parties are brought towards each other until they meet in one successful achievement. Vincent said to think of yourself at the start of a race with the whole track laid out before you separating you and the finish line. As you run the race, every step makes you a participant in the process of shalom and its fullness is reached when you break the tape. Shalom has been attained—peace established—the gap filled. What was incomplete and lacking is made whole. Cool huh?
Ok, listen to this…when we read John 19 in English, Jesus cries from the cross “It is finished!” but in the Hebrew translation he says “Nas shalaam!” (past tense of shalom). Do you catch what that means? How beautiful is that?! Not only is Christ calling out that his mission is over, that the ultimate sacrifice has been accomplished, he is announcing that Peace has arrived. Man and God are no longer on opposite sides; Jesus has joined them. Stretching back through history God’s plan has been in the process of bringing about shalom and with those words Christ bestows it. Redemption, in all its fullness, is realized. It’s as if in that phrase he is saying to me, “this is shalom…take it. you have my peace. you are made whole. with this, I have attained you.”
Here’s something else.
I said in my last entry that at times I get a little frustrated with how built-up everything is with the elaborate buildings and the hypothetical details of traditions, but here is one that I liked a lot. The Church of the Holy Sepulcher is built on the mound of bedrock that they think was probably the site of Calvary and much of the rock is able to be seen through glass windows in the walls. In one section, you can see a deep crack that goes down through the rock directly under the site of the cross—one that was caused by the massive earthquake recorded in the gospels. According to some Christian tradition, Adam’s grave was imbedded somewhere deep in that very section of rock. It is said that Christ’s blood ran down that crack and touched the skull of Adam. Jesus was Adam’s Savior. I think that is amazing symbolism, bringing full circle God’s mercy upon sinners as Christ’s blood transcends time and atones for sins throughout all of history in its exhaustiveness. And along with Adam, it covers me and you.
“Just as the result of one sin was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous. The law was added so that the sin might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 5.
The richness of these things is so real here. It makes my understanding seem shallow sometimes, like I just glance over it because, hey, I’ve read it before. God, open my eyes and my heart and keep me swept up in your greatness.
I was walking down the street with a guy named Vincent the other day. He had given us a tour of the Temple Mount a little earlier and had pointed out so many really cool symbolic things that I had never thought of before. I asked him some questions we had seen and he began to talk to me about the incredible richness that was hidden in this culture—the places, the tradition, the history, and especially the language. Hebrew is still spoken by the Jews and, although it has obviously evolved over time, it still contains so much of its ancient roots that assume a familiarity with the culture…which makes full translation a difficult task. He shared with me an example of what he meant and it blew me away.
“Shalom” is a pretty handy word here. Literally it means peace and it serves as a greeting, a blessing or a farewell. It can also be used to refer to something that has intentionally been brought to pass or accomplished. Picture it as though such a thing, while still unaccomplished is divided into two separate parties that are naturally disconnected, but during a willed action the two parties are brought towards each other until they meet in one successful achievement. Vincent said to think of yourself at the start of a race with the whole track laid out before you separating you and the finish line. As you run the race, every step makes you a participant in the process of shalom and its fullness is reached when you break the tape. Shalom has been attained—peace established—the gap filled. What was incomplete and lacking is made whole. Cool huh?
Ok, listen to this…when we read John 19 in English, Jesus cries from the cross “It is finished!” but in the Hebrew translation he says “Nas shalaam!” (past tense of shalom). Do you catch what that means? How beautiful is that?! Not only is Christ calling out that his mission is over, that the ultimate sacrifice has been accomplished, he is announcing that Peace has arrived. Man and God are no longer on opposite sides; Jesus has joined them. Stretching back through history God’s plan has been in the process of bringing about shalom and with those words Christ bestows it. Redemption, in all its fullness, is realized. It’s as if in that phrase he is saying to me, “this is shalom…take it. you have my peace. you are made whole. with this, I have attained you.”
Here’s something else.
I said in my last entry that at times I get a little frustrated with how built-up everything is with the elaborate buildings and the hypothetical details of traditions, but here is one that I liked a lot. The Church of the Holy Sepulcher is built on the mound of bedrock that they think was probably the site of Calvary and much of the rock is able to be seen through glass windows in the walls. In one section, you can see a deep crack that goes down through the rock directly under the site of the cross—one that was caused by the massive earthquake recorded in the gospels. According to some Christian tradition, Adam’s grave was imbedded somewhere deep in that very section of rock. It is said that Christ’s blood ran down that crack and touched the skull of Adam. Jesus was Adam’s Savior. I think that is amazing symbolism, bringing full circle God’s mercy upon sinners as Christ’s blood transcends time and atones for sins throughout all of history in its exhaustiveness. And along with Adam, it covers me and you.
“Just as the result of one sin was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous. The law was added so that the sin might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 5.
The richness of these things is so real here. It makes my understanding seem shallow sometimes, like I just glance over it because, hey, I’ve read it before. God, open my eyes and my heart and keep me swept up in your greatness.
posted by matt at 2:16 PM
1 Comments:
Matt,
this is beautiful stuff. Thanks for sharing and thanks for sending me this link. I so wish I could visit the Holy Land. It sounds like such a wonderful place. I've studied the culture of ancient Palestine... oh to walk those streets. I'm jealous... in a good way, though!
I am very thankful that you guys are at Trinity. It's a good thing to have you in the community.
God bless you my brother.
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