Our Scripture meditation is based on Galatians 3:23–26, part of the Epistle Reading for next week.
[23] Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. [24] So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. [25] But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, [26] for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.
There’s a very human tendency to become desensitized over a period of time. Today’s Scripture passage is an example of how God might resensitize us to key Scriptural teachings.
If we live in a house long enough, we stop noticing details around the house. We no longer noticed the water spots on the ceiling in the kitchen. We failed to see the bedroom carpet is becoming threadbare. The crack in the concrete in the basement seemingly becomes invisible.
This can also happen with biblical teaching that we hear Sunday after Sunday, week after week, year after year. In Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod churches, we hear about baptism hundreds of times a year. The same is true of teaching about sin, Gospel, and other vital doctrines.
The problem is that, as time passes, we can become desensitized to this teaching. We hear about sin, but don’t really think about how it personally applies to us. We receive the Gospel, but we don’t really listen because we’ve heard it over and over and over again.
I’m wondering if one way God addresses this human weakness is being creative in communicating these truths in Scripture. In our Scripture passage the Apostle Paul uses powerful language to describe the human condition. We were held “captive” under the law, “imprisoned” by sin before Jesus’ work of salvation. In fact, the law of God is called our “guardian.”
When God inspired Paul to record these words, God was getting our attention. The same message about sin and grace that we have heard numerous times was presented in a fresh, new way. A way that overcomes our human tendency to look past what we know well and learn about it again.
Kevin Wilson 360 