English Standard Version
I've always found so much packed into these verses. Mark is telling a tragic tale, but he's doing so from the other side of Easter, and so he knows the light will continue to shine in the darkness, and he's pointing to all the ways God was at work. It's always easier to look back at moments and see how God was at work, for in the midst of the storm, it's all we can do to take the next step.
We have Jesus crying out with a voice from the Psalms, asking why God has forsaken him. Think about what Jesus gave up -- here, he is ripped apart from the Father, with whom he has dwelt in perfection for eternity. The enormity of the pain and sacrifice is more than we can fathom, but we know that it was done out of love for us.
And then the curtain in the temple is torn in two. This is the thick curtain that separated the holy of holies, where God was thought to dwell, from the rest of the temple. Here, God is inviting us into the temple, into God's presence, as there is no longer a barrier between us. This is probably my favorite symbolic act that takes place in the Gospels. Tradition tells us the curtain was probably at least four inches thick -- this is a physical barrier that is removed, showing us that God wants us to be near God, that we are welcome in God's presence, for all that once stood between us has been removed.
Finally, we have the centurion, who may well have been mocking Jesus earlier, recognizing Jesus for who he is. We have a man who would be an unlikely convert being shown by Mark to understand what God is doing. This is one of those instances where we understand that this wasn't made up -- otherwise, you'd have a chief priest or other leading religious figure being the one to figure it out. Instead, it's a soldier. All are welcome to God's table, no matter your background or career. Christ gives an invitation through his death for all to come and revel in God's presence.
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