Sacrificial Love - Musee Chagall, Nice.A Story by JohnL
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Sacrificial Love
It was May 2000 and on the Cote d’Azur, the weather was perfect. Two men climbed the hill to the wonderful Chagalle Museum at Nice. It was a fair step, but sight of it alone was reward enough for the effort. Set in gardens, its modern lines appealed through their ability to merge the building’s angularity with the graceful lines of palm trees and tropical shrubs, which surround it. On entering they were fascinated to see row upon row of Chagalle’s sketches and jottings for the biblical series that was stunningly exhibited on the larger walls.
The older man called the younger over “See! Here’s Noah being given the covenant after the flood.” He seemed knowledgeable and explained the Old Testament stories with a sense of authority. The youth listened with rapt interest as the commentary took in angels, kings and a pair that could only be Adam and Eve, naked among beast, fish and fowl in a garden.
“That of course was the start of it all,” said the elder, cryptically.
The young man walked slowly toward a painting. It was a strange subject, as a bearded man, knife raised, leaned over a boy strapped to an altar. An angel hovered above; a ram struggled in a thicket. As a remote backdrop, a man struggled up a hill bearing a cross, surrounded by figures. From him appeared to come a red stream, illuminating the bearded man with the knife.
“Symbolism, the man told his companion – symbolism – old Jewish stuff – the shedding of blood – to do with the Passover, remission of sins and such.” He looked awkward. Embarrassed even. “That’s Abraham, you see. The founding father of Israel – the lad is his son Isaac.”
The youth too looked uncomfortable. “Dad” he said. Their relationship was established. “Did he kill him?”
“No – I think he would have but God sent him a ram for the sacrifice.”
“Would you kill me – I mean if God told you to? And what’s that cross all about?”
“Well that’s Calvary where God allowed His own Son to be put to death for the sin of the world.” He studiously avoided the first part of the question, and as though afraid of the answer, his son did not labour the point
“Why didn’t he just have a ram or something killed, Dad? That’s what he did for Abraham.”
The lad was at an age when emotion’s defences were easily breached and there was a catch in his voice. As a son himself, he felt an affinity with the man carrying the cross, and he was becoming quite disturbed. The situation was uncomfortable. The older man was feeling affinity with both Abraham and with God. His reply was profound:
“Son, Jesus had to die; you see, behind that Father, there was nobody to send a ram.”
© 2008 JohnLFeatured Review
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4 Reviews Added on November 15, 2008 AuthorJohnLWirral Peninsula, United KingdomAboutI live in England, and love the English countryside, the music of Elgar and Holst which describes it so beautifully and the poetry of John Clare, the 'peasant poet' and Gerard Manley Hopkins, which d.. more..Writing
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