Insightful Musings on the Scriptures
by
Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67
Greetings, dear ones…
…on this first morning of a brand new year. Wow!
In my last message, I mentioned my intention to do another pass through the New Testament in this coming year. So, here’s the start. If you wish to join in, let’s agree to set January 10 as a kind of deadline date for updating the recipient list. So please let me know your wish to stay on board by then. I’ll regard your silence as a request to be relieved from the list.
I had no previous idea the composition below would take the shape it did. And I have no idea if others will respond to the punch line the way I do. But it makes me cry—for reasons I can’t really explain. I think it’s because it represents the heart and soul of the Biblical gospel.
May your New Year unfold new treasures of experience, new levels of revelation and understanding in your walk with God, and new opportunities to let your little light shine.
Love, Dad/Ray.
There is something technically amiss here. And I judge the technicality to be important. I’m reading initially from the New International Version in which the title heading for the first 17 verses of this chapter reads, “The Genealogy of Jesus.” Excuse me—but I can’t accept that. It’s simply not a true statement. As clearly indicated in the FOCUS VERSE, the whole generational chain follows the line of Joseph—who by Biblical disclosure was clearly NOT the biological father of Jesus (even though Joseph was regarded as the legal father within society, and filled the fatherly role as guardian and overseer). Therefore, to be more technically accurate, the title should read, “The Genealogy of Joseph.” Besides, how can One Who is the Great “I AM” (John 8:58) and “the Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End” (Revelation 22:13) even be confined to a genealogy?!?! Let’s accept the fact that we will never fully comprehend the marvel and mystery of the INCARNATION this side of Glory.
Notice the phrase “the father of” that is repeated throughout this list. It bespeaks the biological side of the gifting of procreation. Indeed there is a huge amount of biology going on in this list. But let’s never allow the common predictability of this reality to rob us of the marvel and mystery of it all. Both divine INCARNATION and human PROCREATION are best viewed as awesome sacred gifts.
I really hate to plunk this string, but the steam-roller of political correctness prompts it. Allow me to state the obvious: If “same-sex marriage” were the universal norm, there could be no such thing as a genealogy. There is clearly no biological fathering or mothering flowing from that arrangement. The only things produced are orgasms. Of course, many will insist on calling it love. But that could be another important Bible-related discussion. Not only is this behavior perverse, those who promote it do their utmost to pervert the very meaning of the word “marriage” as part of their campaign to legitimize and normalize it.
There is no doubt in my own mind that the big divide here is not just ideological—it’s spiritual. Please notice that right here in this chapter we have the wonderful presentation of the divine solution to the entire scope of the core spiritual problem (the NATURAL SIN NATURE). The instruction of the angel given to previously confused Joseph was, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. (So, Who is the biological father?) She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, BECAUSE HE WILL SAVE HIS PEOPLE FROM THEIR SINS” (Capital emphasis mine—Matthew 1:20-21). Bingo! There it is! If we miss this, we miss everything! Homosexual sinners, heterosexual sinners, celibate sinners, whatever sinners—He came to save them all! Halleluiah! What a Savior!