Scripture

Our verse for today comes from Mark 15:38, “Then the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.”

Background

If you have seen The Price is Right or Let’s Make A Deal, then you are familiar with curtains and what may or may not be behind them. On The Price is Right, Bob Barker would send the contestants into a frenzy when he would reveal what was behind the curtain that they would have a chance to win. Monty Hall’s method on Let’s Make A Deal was slightly different, as he usually kept the prizes concealed behind his curtains, forcing the contestants to choose a curtain, or swap their choice, in the hope of selecting the one with the best prize. But regardless of the game’s method, the focus of the excitement was on what was behind those curtains. So how much sense would it make if some magnificent prize was revealed to the contestant, and rather than trying to win it with all their might, they thanked the host for showing it to them, and then walked back to their seat and sat down? How ridiculous would it be to find out what was behind the curtain, and then act like it didn’t even exist? It’s preposterous to even imagine. Who can see a curtain parted on their behalf, and not go for whatever awaits them?

Application

You and I can. In fact, we can see the curtain parted, completely vanquished from sight, and the entire stockpile of riches laid out before us, and walk by them as if they were a nasty penny lying on the side of the road. We do that when we waste the opportunities we have to come before our Lord and take part not in just the prizes that He offers, but in the glory and magnificence of Himself, the Maker of all that He offers to us. We do that when we know that He has held nothing back from us, nor spared any expense to make Himself available to us, but we choose rather to stay in our seats and play a scratch-off game over walking with Him through His storehouse. Stop hanging the curtain back up when Jesus has torn it down. And stop treating Him like you’re waiting to see if something better is behind a different curtain. The deal has been made, and the price was right, paid in full for the relationship He wants to have with you.

Charge

As we seek Him today, run to God as if a giant brick wall has been knocked down to let you in. See your relationship with Him as more precious than any prize the world has to offer.

Salvation – Eternal Life in Less Than 150 Words