Tuesday, August 17, 2010

musings on the temple of God

What if we could indeed go back in time, say, to the early part of the first century, when Herod's temple still stood in Jerusalem? What would our reaction be at the sight of it? It would not take much effort to recognize it. Perhaps we would be overcome with a sense of wonderment at the material beauty of the temple and its adornments. Perhaps we would be filled with excitement knowing that this was the place where the True God was worshiped; this was the place where the presence of God dwelled on earth; this was the place where the high priest entered annually into the most holy place behind the veil to make atonement for the sins of the people. Could we even contain the response of being filled with awe at the mere sight of such a place?

Permit me to indulge in one more hypothetical. Whether it involved tenuous notions of time travel or not, what if we could now see Jesus face-to-face (as we do with other people) as He was when He walked the earth? What would our reaction be at the sight of Him? It would probably take great effort to recognize Him. Perhaps we would be confused if not offended at the simplicity of His material possessions, homelessness, and lack of adornments. Perhaps we would not even sense the excitement we ought to feel at being in the presence of the True God who humbled Himself for our sake, not only to become one of us, but to bring us back to God. Perhaps we would not even realize that the presence of God dwelt bodily before our very eyes. Perhaps we would not understand that He was the true temple of God who was raised in three days, who entered not into the copy of the most holy place but, through the veil of His flesh entered into heaven itself, making enduring purification for sins once for all for the sins of the world, then to be seated at the right hand of God? Would we even have a response at the mere sight of such a Person?

Why is there a disconnect?

1 comment:

  1. this has kept me pondering for sometime...good question, i wish i had an answer...

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