Insightful Musings on the Scriptures
by
Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67
Greetings on this pretty Monday Spring morning.
Here’s another oldie. But the basic idea is still a goodie. It’s good to be reminded that God’s truth is not relative.
If I were to take off on an original, I think I would spin off from verse 28—“All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head.” Without attempting to go into the technical terms of micro biology, I think Jesus is giving us a simple description of the inner workings of DNA. We tend to call it natural. But the way my reasoning works, it is anything but natural. The reality of life, in whatever form it exists, is NOT NATURAL. It’s a GOD THING. It’s SUPERNATURAL. NATURAL DIRT CAN’T DO LIFE. I think the whole notion that life is a natural phenomenon militates against the kind of humility that is required for true worship of Creator God.
Anyway—on with a big busy day! First on my agenda is a jog—something I’ve not done for several days in order to accommodate a sinus cold that has hassled me.
Blessings on your day.
Love, Dad/Ray.
I have determined that I am 160.8 miles tall. You might say, “That’s ridiculous! How did you come up with a figure like that?” Well, it’s really quite simple. I’m looking at a map that shows the New Georgia Group of the Western Province of the Solomon Islands…where we used to live and navigate. It has a scale for calculating distances. I used that standard of measurement to calculate my height. If you don’t agree with my method of measuring, I could get reactionary and say, “Don’t hassle me. You use your measurement, and I’ll use mine. So there!”
I agree—this is ridiculous. But it’s no more so than the tricks some people play in measuring their own lives, views, and values. They select a standard of measurement to their own liking, making themselves to look bigger and better than they really are when compared with the standard of TRUTH—God’s standard.
Jesus said, “Consider carefully what you hear (and choose to believe)…with the measure you use, it will be measured to you—and even more.” I take that to mean that I had better be very careful how I measure myself—what standard I use to measure truth and error—how I judge right and wrong.
If I am 160.8 miles off in my calculations by standards of the truth, I may reap the real consequences of being 200 miles off—or maybe a million miles off—or how about 100 billion miles off. Remember, Jesus said that you will receive “even more” from your selected standard of measurement than the actual measurement, whether it be right or wrong.
Jesus is implicitly helping us to measure time and stuff against the standard of eternity. So how do you measure eternity? Be very careful about the “measure you use.” Think about it.