Insightful Musings on the Scriptures

by

Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67

Good morning, fellow troopers.

Speaking of troopers, I was reminded yesterday of our good friend, Fred Mellon, who passed away a few years ago. He was our neighbor in Woodburn. The prompt for that memory was the reminder that yesterday was the anniversary of D-Day…a profound point in world history which our present administration is happy to ignore. Fred was one of those valiant men who scaled the cliff at Normandy…and lived to tell about it. That scene boggles my mind.

Well it’s raining. After sending this I’ll consult with Becki again to formulate our plan on whether or not to venture out on a walk/jog.

Yesterday I finally received the City’s rendering of my contract for doing that structure on a City Park. So I’m planning to go in this morning prepared to sign on the line. It will be no small challenge to get this thing completed on the time line that is being set forth.

Blessings on your day. Love, Dad/Ray

Jesus uses a warning phrase twice in this passage that deserves our attention: “Be on your guard.” (1) The first is the one indicated above—“Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy” (12:1). Make no mistake about it: Hypocrisy is like soaking up bread with battery acid. It’s bad poison. Please, please, don’t ever eat that stuff. It is counter-productive to health and life. It involves living a lie, and making oneself a friend and ally with “the father of lies” (John 8:44). (2) The second use of the phrase is in verse 15: “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” Greed is a preoccupation with self to the neglect and/or expense of others. Greed makes self-centeredness to be the primary influence for all decisions and choices.

Sandwiched in between these two warnings is a non-optional non-negotiable command: “But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him” (12:5).

As I contemplate the impact of these words, I am recognizing with fresh clarity that both hypocrisy and greed are symptoms of the core condition of NOT fearing God. There is no way I can be comfortably hypocritical and have a healthy fear of God (truly believing in His transcendent Sovereignty—which is “the beginning of wisdom”—Proverbs 1:7) at the same time. And there is no way I can be comfortably greedy and have a healthy fear of God at the same time.

The last phrase of the reading seems to sum up what is most important. You may not be able to achieve all you wish you could, or get all the stuff you wish you could have, but you have the high privilege of being rich where it counts—“rich toward God” (12:21). There are many reasons why you may not have a huge bank account. But there is no valid reason for being a pauper or in impossible debt toward God—especially when He has proven His desire to share His wealth with you.