Gambling for the Robe
Posted by: ba <ba@...>
http://www.forthright.net
Straight to the Cross
COLUMN: Fidelity
Gambling for the Robe
by Mike Benson
When important events occur, we give them our
strict attention…
Assuming you were alive at the time, do you
remember where you were on:
November 22, 1963 - when you first heard that
President John F. Kennedy had been assassinated?
January 28, 1986 - when you first received the
news that the Space Shuttle Challenger had
exploded over the skies of Florida?
September 11, 2001 - when you were first told that
terrorists had hijacked four jet airliners and
then slammed them into the World Trade Center, the
Pentagon, and a field outside of Pittsburgh?
These tragedies by their very nature "captured"
our thinking. They were indelibly copied into our
long-term consciousness. We probably couldn't
forget them if we wanted to. Most of us can
remember exactly where we were and what we were
doing when we first heard the awful news.
I find that strangely ironic. We can barely
remember what we had for lunch three days ago, but
the events of 1963, 1986, and 2001 come flooding
to our recollection in vivid detail. Like an old
video cassette movie which we've watched a dozen
times before, our minds can immediately recreate
the circumstances associated with those shocking
snap-shots in American history.
Yes, when important events occur, we give them our
strict attention.
That being the case, isn’t it interesting that
during THE MOST important event in the
history of mankind (Rom. 5:6ff), the soldiers at
the cross of Jesus seemed indifferent and
unconcerned? Strict attention? Hardly. The mangled
form of the Savior of the world was suspended
above them on the second of three crosses, but the
Roman guard was preoccupied with the value of a
scarlet robe (Matt. 27:35; Luke 23:34; John 19:23-
24; cf. Psm. 22:18)! Amazing, isn’t it?! The Lamb
of God was offering Himself as an atonement for
the transgressions of humanity and these men were
concerned about getting their loot!
And yet, perhaps we shouldn't be too hard on the
soldiers. For if we're not careful, we too can
fail to grasp the real meaning and significance of
Golgotha. For instance, when we play with our
children during the Supper, aren't we gambling for
the scarlet robe? When our minds rehearse the
forthcoming day's responsibilities during the time
that we ought to be communing with Jesus, aren't
we gambling for the scarlet robe? When we whisper
humorous antidotes to our neighbors in the pew,
aren't we casting lots, in a manner of speaking,
for the tunic? When we pass notes when we ought to
be passing over the scenes associated with the
death of the Perfect One, aren't we gambling for
the scarlet robe? In myriads of ways we can lose
sight of why we've come together and what our
purpose should be (1 Cor. 10:16; Matt. 27:26-29).
"Those cold-hearted, spiritually blinded,
soldiers. How dare they?!" How dare they, indeed.
Each Lord's Day (Acts 20:7) we as children of God
all over the world have the mandate, and yet
privilege, of reliving the crucifixion in our
minds. We go back to the Lord's death and ponder
how we, as individuals, contributed to that ugly-
wonderful day. We remember that our own sins made
the entire occasion necessary. And we remember
that there was One who was willing to die in our
stead.
Dear reader, please don't desecrate this precious
memorial feast; don't gamble for the scarlet robe.
"But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat
of that bread and drink of that cup. For he who
eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and
drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the
Lord's body" (1 Cor. 11:28-29).
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