I love a good mystery story. From Sherlock Holmes to Agatha Christie to even Scooby-Doo or contemporary TV shows like Psych. It could even be true crime dramas about unsolved mysteries. I find it be intriguing trying to figure out “who done it.” I also love the stories about mysteries in nature or history. What was Stonehenge all about? Why are there giant holes in the ground in Siberia? These articles suck you in with titles like “8 Natural Mysteries That Can’t Be Explained.” I’m going to ask you not to Google that right now, because it is an actual title of an article, and it was very cool to learn about some freaky mysterious stuff on our planet. If you start reading it, I’m afraid I’m going to lose you because of how interesting it is! Ok, okay, let’s talk about a couple of them, because they’re just too good!
I mean have you heard of “star jelly”? The article says it is “Also known variously as astral jelly, star-shot, star-slime, star-slough, star-slubber and star-slutch. Speculation has ranged to everything from the paranormal to unknown fungi or slime molds to something of an amphibious nature, but no succinct identification has been confirmed by science.”[1]
What about Catatumbo Lightning? “Occurring over a swamp in northwestern Venezuela almost every evening for centuries, this “everlasting storm” averages 28 strikes per minute in events lasting up to 10 hours. When things really get going, lightning strikes every second. Oh, and the lightning is colorful. And does not produce thunder. And sometimes just stops for a few weeks at a time.” (Ibid)
Or the Hessdalen Lights in Norway? “Named for the valley where they occur‚ sightings of the strange balls of glowing luminosity have been reported since at least the 1940s, by some accounts as early as the 19th century. They come in a variety of colors and formations; sometimes they flash, sometimes they dart around quickly, sometimes they just hover. At their most active they appeared 10 to 20 times per week, but nobody knows what on heaven’s name they are.” (Ibid)
It’s a mystery!
As we continue studying Colossians, Paul talks about a mystery. Not a mystery in nature, but one that he said was hidden for a long, long time. Today, we’re going to read how he explains the mystery!
Last week we talked about the same section of verses, Colossians 1:24-2:5, looking at the theme of Paul’s apostolic mission of suffering servanthood, in order that he might present everyone perfect. This week we’re look at the concept of mystery. I’m going to start by reading the passage, and then we’ll see if we can unravel the mystery that Paul says is so important. Pause reading this post and read that passage.
Did you hear him talk about the mystery? Look at verses 26-27. Paul wants the true message of Jesus to be heard. What is that true message? If he is so concerned about making sure they know the true message about Jesus, you’d think he share it with them, at least as a reminder, right? Well, he does share it with them.
In fact, in verses 26-27 Paul summarizes the content of the true message, which he calls a mystery. Check back in to the next post as Paul begins to reveal the mystery!
[1] https://www.treehugger.com/natural-mysteries-cant-be-explained-4869303
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