CURTAINS

Exodus 35:10-36:38; Matthew 27:32-66; Psalm 34:1-10; Proverbs 9:7-8

“Come, all of you who are gifted craftsmen. Construct everything that the Lord has commanded: the Tabernacle and its sacred tent, its covering, clasps, frames, crossbars, posts, and bases; the Ark and its carrying poles; the Ark’s cover—the place of atonement; the inner curtain to shield the Ark in the Most Holy Place….”

“Then Jesus shouted out again, and he released his spirit. At that moment the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, rocks split apart, and tombs opened. The bodies of many godly men and women who had died were raised from the dead. They left the cemetery after Jesus’ resurrection, went into the holy city of Jerusalem, and appeared to many people.  The Roman officer and the other soldiers at the crucifixion were terrified by the earthquake and all that had happened. They said, ‘This man truly was the Son of God.’”

“I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me.  He freed me from all my fears.”

“Curtain!”  The expression means so many things: the end of a play; the beginning of a play.  The finale of Hercule Poirot’s career.  That which separates, or a window covering that blocks the sun, or the view.  Doom. Scripture says a curtain is a man-made separation from the Holy of Holies, which God Himself tore apart at the Crucifixion in restoring our direct access to His Presence; another end and beginning.  I say a curtain is anything I erect or cause in an effort to shield myself from the Spirit and/or its scrutiny.  An end of relationship, and the beginning of death.

Still, I like my curtains.  It’s sometimes comforting to kid myself that I can hide from God.  Alas, the Spirit always sees what I am, even when I don’t.  Transparency is not optional with Christ.  He sees it all.  So, on to the real question: why is confession, transparency with God, so difficult?  It’s only partly a matter of pride.  I’m no fan of admitting personal failures, even though it’s become easier with experience.  But much more, down deeper where the answers really count, confession is tough because I’m just afraid God’s love and forgiveness are finally going to run out one day.  How often can I go back to the well and still expect Christ to give me His living water?

This is not an unreasonable question.  Human patience has its limits.  Even “seventy times seven” is a finite number.  Why wouldn’t God’s forgiveness have at least some quantitative, if not qualitative, limits?  Simply, it is because God’s love has no limits. 1 John says God is love, and 1 Corinthians makes it very clear that love never fails and hopes and endures all things.  Love is patient and kind, regardless of how we respond to it.  Mainly, though, true love is eternal.

Ever since Eden, humankind has been erecting curtains of one sort or another to shield ourselves from God.  Some have been tangible, others intangible and still others unintentional.  The Spirit of God has been just as busy tearing our curtains down.  There’s no need to go over old ground.  The point today is that Christ will not be stopped by curtains.  He literally rips right through them for just the chance to have us once more abide in Him.  He is a relentless pursuer.  Thank God He is!  I ran through my first 490 sins decades ago….

Through Christ’s intervention, we are again given access to that which we denied ourselves back in Eden.  It is not God’s desire to be separated from His Creation.  It’s worth remembering: humans do the separating.  Christ brings the barriers down.