Insightful Musings on the Scriptures

by

Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67

Good morning, dear people.

Nice morning. But there are challenges with it. For one thing, we have two little boys here again…and Thano has already gone to work till 3pm. I need to stay busy with this mural frame project…so that leaves Becki in charge of wall-to-wall babysitting. And her hay-fever condition is not making her feel all bouncy. We still manage to have a lot of fun with these little guys. They sure seem to enjoy being here with all the stuff going on. Already we gathered and even held hands in a little circle and sang our morning song—“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases…”

I suppose that one of the most difficult and basic Biblical concepts for us to get our dirty little hearts wrapped around is this: GOD DOES NOT EXIST FOR ME—BUT I EXIST FOR GOD. That could be a very good quip to tape to your mirror…so that you continually look at yourself properly. Me too.

I’m being called. Blessings on your day.

Love, Dad/Ray

There are those who promote the idea of an entirely soft and gentle Jesus. I suppose He is that in response to sincerely repentant sinners. Please pay attention to the fact that we will never find Him being very soft and gentle in response to deceit, arrogance, or self-centeredness. In those cases He can appear severe and even rude. He knows that such contaminating qualities are counter-productive to the Kingdom of God. And wherever Jesus senses the presence of those ingredients within a question or comment we find Him not responding so much to the actual question or comment presented as to the motive and attitude behind it. I think that’s happening here.

Notice the progression of this conversation. The disciples say to Jesus, “Increase our faith.” Jesus first answers by describing a sensational demonstration of faith—miraculously moving a big tree into the sea without a bulldozer or a “sky crane.” Very likely the disciples were getting excited and thinking, “Yes, yes—that’s the kind of faith we want. We want to have so much faith-power that everything we command in Your Name happens.” I’m afraid that if God’s miracle power was made available in the way the disciples wanted, there may not be many trees left on land. They would all be in the sea as a result of self-centered “believers” showing off their spiritual power. But now Jesus deals with their flawed motives and seeks to help them understand that the kind of faith He promotes is not just a form of Christian magic. It’s not the result of independent measurements of some supernatural anointing. It doesn’t happen by using special words and phrases with the volume turned high. It’s not something we perform to show off in a way that would cause people to feed our ego and say, “Wow! What a mighty man of God!” Miracle faith is not realized and experienced by seeking miracle faith. Rather it is the result of a humble serving faith. Within the work of God, there is a lot of plowing and perspiring and mundane work to do. And it doesn’t matter how much work you seem to get done and how faithful and sensational you seem to do it, you still remain an UNWORTHY SERVANT who is undeserving of the applause of God or man. Seeking Him and serving Him is your personal duty and responsibility. And it is only this quality of faith that can yield the proper display of miracles. Mustard-seed faith is first and foremost SERVICE and DUTY with a sense of UNWORTHINESS.

Question: If the purpose of our existence is to please God, how can proper faith be otherwise?