Blood alone moves the wheels of history. (Martin Luther)
Blood Feast, was coming to the Ramon Theater in Frostproof, and my friends and I watched the previews on the big screen over and over again. The graphic images I witnessed of a psychopathic killer butchering women, sometimes in the bathtub and sometimes in the shower, were frightening. The murderer, a food caterer, used the body parts of his victims as ingredients for the meals he prepared for his clients.
The big day arrived and several of us went to the matinee and watched King Kong fight Godzilla. And of course, King Kong, the hero saved the world from destruction. The lights came on and everyone who did not have a Blood Feast ticket was ushered out of the building. The sun was just beginning to set as I walked past Maxey’s shop just east of the Ramon. Suddenly, I had this eerie feeling that I was not alone anymore, a murderer was following me. He emerged from the shadows in the orange grove behind Maxey’s. I broke into a run and barely made it home alive. Bam! I slammed the door and was safe inside.
Blood and life are inseparable. This is true, both in our physical and spiritual lives. God spoke to Moses at the first Passover commanding him to tell the Jews to take the blood of an unblemished lamb and put it on the door posts of their houses (Exodus 12:1-29). Simple obedience determined their fate. Every household who did not obey God’s instructions, for whatever reason, suffered a loss of life. The blood of the lamb prefigured and foreshadowed the supreme sacrifice Christ made for humanity. His crucifixion was necessary for without the shedding of blood there would be no forgiveness of sin (Hebrews 9:22).
Twenty first century life is fast paced, pulling people in a hundred different directions. Michael Yaconelli talks about the consequence associated with hurried living, “Speed has a defining roar that drowns out the whispering voices of our heart, leaving Jesus a diminishing speck in the rear view mirror of our souls.” We have gotten away from God. Our lives are full and there is little room left for Him. Spiritual things are last on our list of priorities. The writer of Hebrews issues a stern warning to those believers in Rome who were being tempted to put God on the back burner of their concerns. He wrote, “Think how much more terrible the punishment will be for those who have trampled underfoot the Son of God and treated His cleansing blood as though it were common and unhallowed, and insulted the Holy Spirit who brings God’s mercy to His people.” Our destiny is determined by our relationship with God and understanding the necessity of Christ’s redemptive work. His death was not ordinary. Walk with Him, honor the sacrifice He made and put God first on the list of your priorities.