Insightful Musings on the Scriptures

by

Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67

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14 April 10

Hello, special people.

A glance at my watch says it's 7:19pm.  I can't believe how the day has gone...one thing after another interfering with my launching of this email that was  basically ready early this morning.  Anyway, I now send it during the dusk of the evening with rain sounding on the roof.   Wow again.  I've had interruptions even since the last sentence.  It's now 7:46pm.  I'd better sign off and send it before something else happens.  The adventure goes on.

Remember this: God is still on the Throne, His promises are True, the devil's a liar, and faith is the victory that overcomes the world.  So there!  Good night.

Love, Dad/Ray

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14 April 2010
Passage: Mark 8:14-26
Focus: “Do you still not understand?”  Mark 8:21.

            Students do not normally like to hear their teacher say, “Clear your desk and take out one sheet of paper.  It’s time for a quiz.”  But I think that is essentially what Jesus is here doing with His students—His disciples.  Let me exercise my imagination and spin it like this….

            Jesus is now with His disciples in a boat in the middle of the Sea of Galilee—but we’ll pretend He uses it like a classroom.  “I need to say something to you students,” Jesus begins.  They give Him their attention.  “Sigh…I’m really disappointed with your attention in class lately.  The answers that you’ve been giving on your test questions have mainly been wrong.  And I think I know why.  It’s because you are allowing the core of your worldview to be contaminated with the yeast of other conflicting views.  So I earnestly give you warning to be very careful of the values and attitudes of the religious legalists (Pharisees) who place high importance on external traditional righteousness and low importance on heart-level personal righteousness.  Remember, those who worship God properly must do so with their whole being—in spirit and truth.”  I think some of the material was slowly sinking in.  Jesus continues: “There is another dangerous form of worldview yeast that you must avoid.  Maybe we can call it secularism…or religious liberalism.  We see that view governing the lives of guys like Herod, or a group like the Sadducees.  Though it may be hard for you to comprehend, they do not even accept fundamental truths like the reality of the devil, or angels, or life after death.  And that is, of course, why they are sad, you see?”  (I know…you’ve heard that before.)  There was some squirming among the disciples beyond what the boat was doing on the sea.  Peter whispered to James, “He hasn’t got to the test questions yet.”

            Jesus scans the horizon and some are hoping the quiz is over.  A couple of minutes pass before His gaze returns to take in His students.  “One thing I want to do here is to help you connect some dots and understand how silly it is to start worrying about bread at a time like this.  Not long ago we were surrounded by a crowd of more than 5000 people.  With 5 little hunks of bread, we fed the entire outfit!!!  So here’s question number one: How many baskets of leftovers did we gather after everyone was fed?”  Thaddaeus raised his hand and said, “Twelve.”  “That’s right,” Jesus said.  “You can write that down.”  So far, so good.  They all remembered that answer.  “OK.  Do you also remember what happened just yesterday afternoon?  That crowd was over 4000.  You came up with only 7 little loaves of bread and yet we fed all of them as well.  So, question number two: How many baskets of leftovers did you collect on that occasion?  This time Simon spoke up and said, “Seven.”  “Ah…that’s good,” said Jesus.  “Now, here’s what I’d like you to do: Take 5 minutes to write down this whole set of facts in terms of practical meaning…like an equation.  What does it all mean to you?”  There were a lot of uncomfortable glances at each other…and not very much writing.  A few minutes passed by with almost nothing happening.  But then Thomas began to write.  As he did so there was a smile on his face.  Jesus noticed.  When Thomas seemed to be finished writing at about the 5-minute mark, Jesus said, “Well, Thomas, you seem to be the only one inspired here.  Please read for us what you’ve written.”  Thomas cleared his throat and began, “Alright…I guess I did feel inspired because as I thought about it, it all became so clear to me.  So I put the whole equation down like this: ANY NEED, DIVIDED BY OUR RESOURCES THAT ARE PRESENTED TO YOU, PLUS YOUR BLESSING, EQUALS MORE THAN ENOUGH.”  Lights came on.  Wow!  He had something there!  They looked at Jesus.  He was beaming.  Then Jesus thrust both hands into the air and shouted, “That’s it!”