Are you the keymaster?

I’m struck this morning with an interesting thought.

I’m seeing all these theological words, definitions and explanations as types of “keys”. We use these keys to unlock the mysteries of Scripture. Sometimes a particular key unlocks the meaning of one verse but seems to lock up the meaning of another. So we use a different key on that other verse, but that seems to lock a third. It’s like one of those wooden apple-shaped 3-d puzzles. Each piece is held in place by another and until the final piece is placed the whole seems to fall apart. If we succeed in dismantling it we haven’t gained, we’ve only created a mess.

I think this thought is an extension of an insight I had while reading Matthew 14. Jesus comes walking on the water and Peter says “Lord if it’s you, tell me to come to you walking on the water.” I realized, “That’s a frickin stupid test!” What the heck was Peter thinking? He obviously had some expectation of the way that would play out. It didn’t work. What scared me, and here is the insight I had, is that I have my own expectations too. I judge so many things by how they affect my plans for my future. I judge Scripture the same way. But this Jesus guy, he’s not safe. The people around him didn’t all have wonderful huncky-dory lives. So most of my “keys” I realized, were false hope. My expectations are completely off base. I think I’m so smart that I can somehow unlock the secrets of God. In reality what I’ve done has been more like, looking at a fabulous painting, perhaps a Rembrandt. Instead of seeing the whole, the characters, the lighting etc. I’ve taken turpentine and wiped the canvas clean. Then analyzed the chemical compounds of the paint. I’ve totally missed the point. It tells me nothing about the painter. Only when I allow the painting to stand on its own does it reveal the painter to me.

The terrifying thing is that I don’t know a way of looking at Scripture without using my “keys”. When I see the word “salvation” I pull out a ring of keys. When I see the word “Gospel” I pull out another ring. When I see “faith” I pull out another. Etc. Believing myself to be wise I have become a fool. And how great is my foolishness. I’m not sure of the way out of this but I think I need to put away the turpentine first. I need to stop sterilizing Scripture, stop coming to it with my own “keys” and allow the Holy Spirit to do His work.

Any ideas what that might look like? Am I talking crazy?