Insightful Musings on the Scriptures

by

Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67

Goooood drippy morning, dear ones.

That is to say that it’s dripping again out there…springtime drizzle. I sure need it to dry up so I can carry on with this urgent project without a lot of interference.

Andy just called and diverted me from this focus, inflicting me with some wishful thinking…lamenting that he had not even used his dive gear for over a year. We talked about putting forth some effort to spear some ling cod again. I sure wish this Oregon Coast was not so temperamental.

Becki just called me to a late breakfast. Wish you could join us…more wishful thinking. I guess I’d rather have wishful thinking than no thinking.

Blessings on your day.

Love, Dad/Ray

I suppose we could have a problem text here. This is the tail end of a very meaningful story Jesus told. It seems clear that Jesus is the “king” represented in the story. The problem is that it seems to be implied that this king is vengeful and gloating over the killing of those who had rejected him as king—which seems out of character for God as presented in the New Testament. (This is not to ignore or void the Biblical theme of “God’s wrath” as clearly presented in passages like John 3:36; Romans 2:5; 5:9; 12:19; Ephesians 5:6; Revelation 6:16—and their contexts.) Let’s look at the last two verses of this story again: “He (the king) replied, ‘I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away. But those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them—bring them here and kill them in front of me’” (19:26-27).

No matter how we slice our interpretation, there are certain Biblical facts that must be kept in view. We don’t have to look far to find evidence of Jesus’ grace and concern for the lost. In this same chapter, listen to His words after being condemned for spending some time with Zacchaeus—one of the most repulsive members of normal Jewish society. He affirmed that “the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost” (19:10. Here’s the LOST AND FOUND theme again.). Also in this same chapter we see Jesus weeping over predominantly unrepentant Jerusalem (19:41-44). Couple this with the theme of 2 Peter 3:9 that says, “He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” Then there’s that familiar passage in John 3:16-21. Read it again. If we take it all in, it sure doesn’t add up to the conclusion that God is vengeful and gloating over damnation. In fact, if you pay careful attention to the King as He utters these harsh-sounding words in Luke 19:27, you will discern a broken heart—and virtual tears in His eyes.

May I again mention a central theme that, for me, keeps cropping up all through Biblical revelation: the essential of A HEART AFTER GOD. For whatever reason, Zacchaeus came up with A HEART AFTER GOD. For whatever reason the people being punished in the story Jesus told did not have A HEART AFTER GOD—they rejected the whole idea. If there are only two ultimate kingdoms, to truly reject one is to get the other. There seems to be no neutral zone. And if the ultimate outcomes of the two kingdoms form a drastic contrast between LIFE and DEATH—well, there you are!

Please allow me to incorporate that spin into verse 26: “I tell you that to everyone who has A HEART AFTER GOD, more (incredibly more) will be given, but as for the one who does not have A HEART AFTER GOD, (especially when it is so reasonable and readily available) even what he has will be taken away.”