Connecting the Dots 2: Commit Your Spirit!

Today's readings: Psalm 31, Joshua 4:19-5:1, 10-15, Romans 12:9-21, Matthew 26:17-25

Yesterday we considered the idea of literary Easter eggs in the Bible – words, phrases and images which hold deeper meaning the more we know about the rest of the text. Today we’ll look at some more examples of how biblical literacy in one area enriches our reading in another.

Let’s begin with a pop quiz: who said “Into your hands I commit my spirit?” If you recognized these as the words of Jesus as he expired on the cross, you’d be right (Luke 23:46)… but only half. Jesus and Luke would have known he was borrowing the phrase from today’s Psalm 31 – a psalm of prayer and praise for deliverance from enemies. They would also have been familiar with the second half of the verse: “you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God” (v. 5). Taken alone, Jesus’ words can seem to indicate his resignation to his fate. How does knowing the full context of the verse affect our understanding of its meaning?

Sometimes the Gospels quote older texts directly, and other times they use imagery that communicates on many levels. The meal preparations portrayed in today’s reading from Matthew were for a Passover meal. Jesus spoke of his impending sacrifice as his twelve disciples (the same number as the tribes of Israel) were commemorating the Jewish exodus after the death of Egypt’s first-born sons. As the only-begotten, the Logos present at the beginning of creation, Jesus is the firstborn of God. What might it have been like for the disciples to reconcile the idea of Jesus as Messiah and a first-born sacrifice like that of their former captors?

Almost every book of the Bible contains both direct and subtle references to its other books. The more we are able to connect the dots, the more we appreciate the Bible as not only the early history of our faith, but as a beautifully crafted work of art. When Jewish scholars discuss the scriptures, they consider them on multiple simultaneous levels of meaning. Even though we are not necessarily scholars, as eager students we would do well to learn from their example.

Comfort: Scripture study is like archaeological excavation – there is always treasure waiting to be uncovered!

Challenge: Look through some of your old photographs. Meditate on how these images have added meaning to other parts of your life.

Prayer: God of the Known and the Unknown, into your hands I commit my spirit.

Evening reading: Psalm 35