Insightful Musings on theScriptures

by

Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67

Good morning, dear ones.

It’s still overcast. I expect it will burn off and get all sunny and warm again…like yesterday.

I picked up Nicholas this morning at 6:15am, put out the garbage on my way to a jog, unloaded a couple logs from a guy’s truck, etc. I desperately need to get some more substantial income work rolling.

I need to run down a part for Thano’s truck. And now I need to get out to the mill. Blessings on your day.

Love, Dad/Ray.

As you read this description carefully and ponder the situation, do you see evidence that Jesus is not satisfied with liturgical form and recitation of nice platitudes? Do you see how He is not swayed by appearances and credentials? Do you recognize His interest at dealing with men’s hearts beyond the superficial? Do you notice Jesus’ implied awareness that the Scriptures are subject to human opinion insofar as interpretations and meanings are concerned?—that the Scriptures are open to being cleverly and deceitfully used by men to support their own biases and oppositions to God’s intentions?

Even Luke seems to be aware of this man’s duplicity when he states that “he wanted to justify himself” (v. 29). That too comes rather close to home. Self question: How much time and effort do I spend in all my expressions and deliberations to simply justify myself?—to reinforce my own opinions and/or short-comings?

Here is a man who is a renowned “expert in the law.” I don’t know how significant it is to notice that the word “law” here is with a small “l”—perhaps indicating the fact that the Jewish leadership had complicated the ideal of righteousness with a huge system of add-on rules and regulations. There’s RELIGION for you! To this man’s lead question of, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” (…which is a very good question to ask) Jesus uses the Socratic method (or did Socrates develop the Jesus method before his time?) and answers with another question, “What is written in the Law?”—“Law” with a capital “L”—“How do you read it?”

Oh no!—do you see what Jesus does to help this man identify his own heart-level flaw at applying his own rote quotation of the Law of God?—He actually throws down the “race card!”—at least something closely akin to it. The “good guy” in the story Jesus presents is actually a Samaritan—a SAMARITAN!—a person from that despised low-life community! For this “expert” Jew, that had to make him choke. Until now, he sure wasn’t reading it that way.

To be sure it is good advice to read the Bible. But be careful how you read it.