Page 12 - December 2025 - Truth & Tidings

Introduction read them. The scroll was seven metres

Up and down. Left to right. The simple long, 66 chapters, and contained a wealth
movement of one’s finger on a screen has of prophetic material, and Christ carefully
and reverently scrolled using the Atzei
become an innate habit in almost every Chayim (wooden rollers attached to ends)
person in the western world. From brows- in order to audibly read the Scriptures to
ing the news headlines to reading the
barrage of notifications from the family the synagogue audience. This presents an
group chat, we spend a significant amount incredibly elementary lesson for us all: the
of time scrolling on various devices for a Saviour read with purpose, and so should
variety of purposes. Scrolling is not just we. In our digital age, where it takes far
a modern phenomenon since the arrival less effort to scroll through articles, posts,
of the iPhone’s touch display, nor is it a social feeds and much more, we can lose
mere invention since mice connected to the discipline of carefully reading with
bitmap screens (though to many readers, purpose and care.
that is ancient history!). Scrolling is an One common piece of advice given to
ancient task that the Lord Jesus Himself children during a comprehension exam
performed. By examining an incident is to “read carefully and closely.” Such
from Luke 4 of Christ in Nazareth physi- advice should also be ours. This contrasts
cally and tangibly scrolling left to right sharply with the antithesis of many online
through the powerful papyrus of Isaiah, users today who scroll carelessly through
the believer can learn valuable lessons as vast amounts of content, with various
to what one should bear in mind when consequences. Importantly, rapid scroll-
scrolling through the digital world. ing promotes superficial reading because
it disrupts the brain’s ability to create a
The Discipline of Reading “cognitive map,” which is necessary to
“He stood up ... to read” (Luk 4:16). form a comprehensive understanding of
As Christ scrolled left to right using the the material in question, and so the brain
Isaiah scroll, we gain a vital insight into becomes conditioned to skim rather than
how believers today should handle the examine details. The outcome? As believ-
Scriptures. This was no new task for the ers, we may develop a subconscious habit
Lord; Luke records that it was “His cus- of superficially reading the Scriptures
tom” to do so. Firstly, we notice that He without fully understanding the details.
utilised the Scriptures for a purpose: to This reality should be alarming, as it shows

364 TRUTH kTidings December 2025