Mere Shadows

Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.

Colossians 2:16-17

Food restrictions, special diets, and observance of ceremonies and days arose out of Jewish practices. God gave many of these ceremonies in the Old Testament as shadows, or pictures. The problem was that people were performing these rituals mechanically, simply going through the motions. That, Paul says, can destroy the true vitality of faith.

We find a parallel to these observances today whenever people place a special value on religious performance. In the early part of this century, hardly any Christians would travel on a Sunday because they were taught that Sunday was a carry-over of the Jewish Sabbath and that it was wrong to work or travel on that day. This is the kind of thing that Paul is talking about here. Others today chant a mantra without any thought of what they are saying. Still others turn a prayer wheel or by rote finger religious beads. Any kind of religious performance that is done without meaning or personal significance falls into the category Paul is describing.

But somebody is bound to say, Wait a minute. Aren't some of these observances given to us by God to remind us of truth? Isn't there some value to be gained by doing them? The apostle answers that objection. These rituals are a mere shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. Once the reality has been realized, shadows are of no value whatsoever. Shadows are pictures, given in advance, designed to prepare us for something. But if you have found Christ, you do not need the shadows any more.

I carry with me pictures of my wife, my children and my grandchildren. I value these photographs and look at them occasionally when I am away from home. But what would you think if I propped up these pictures all over my house and talked to them and tried to relate to them? You would think I had lost my mind, and I probably would have. But more than that, I would certainly soon lose touch with the very people whose pictures I treasure. They would feel ignored and would probably ultimately leave me, and all relationship would cease.

That is what Paul says is wrong with shadows. If you still place primary value on a shadow after the reality has come, you destroy your participation in the value of that reality. Now, the reality here is Jesus! He is the center of all life and the source of excitement in a Christian's experience. He is the One who accompanies us through life, to comfort in times of need and strengthen when we are being tempted. He is a place of refuge to run to when we are troubled or uncertain about life. To lose him is to lose all source of excitement and vitality in life. That is the danger in observing shadows. That is why this paragraph begins with the word therefore. The previous section pointed out all that Christ is to us now. Paul is saying, Having him, therefore, do not let anyone spoil you by involving you in a mechanical performance that will cancel out the reality.

Lord, reveal those times when I drift towards relying on the shadows instead of the reality of what you have done for me in Christ.