Insightful Musings on the Scriptures

by

Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67

Hello, dear ones.

The sky is clearing up and it’s looking nice out there. A dry day will certainly help me with some of my sign installation logistics. Becki will show up here any minute so we can head out for our little walk/jog. Dandy is so familiar with the routine that he’s already all fired up in anticipation.

OK…Becki arrived. Wow! It’s now 8:51am. And before we left the studio I performed a little bit of micro-surgery by removing a splinter from her finger. I have made valuable use over the years of a jeweler’s loupe and a good precision pair of tweezers. The pair I still use I bought at a jeweler’s supply in about 1976 before we went to the Solomon Islands. Funny how I can remember detail stuff like that and forget details of yesterday.

This has to be about the biggest claim that could ever flow through human lips, be heard by human ears, or read by human eyes, and processed by a human brain—the claim I AM GOD!—THE SOVEREIGN DESIGNER CREATOR SUSTAINER OF THE UNIVERSE! Double wow! There is no applause and elation in the record. Instead, “At this, they picked up stones to stone him…” Things haven’t changed much, have they?

Have a terrific day. (Time check: It’s now 9:11 am).

Love, Dad/Ray.

The cat is now clearly out of the bag, so to speak. There is no more room for guessing or wondering about what exactly this Jesus is claiming. Without innuendo or abstraction, Jesus lays it clearly on the table—stating in no uncertain terms that He is not only FROM GOD but ONE WITH GOD—HE IS GOD. “Before Abraham was, I AM.” Wow!

You have to admit that if you were there with your unenlightened unregenerate heart and mind set on the traditional view of a great sensational conquering Messiah, you too would have expected to see a good deal more class and charisma—you too would most likely be picking up stones—big ones! Here Jesus was, a normal-looking man with no high profile credentials. The group thought they knew all they needed to know about his family and origins. Some even put forth the slam that He was a “Samaritan”—not a very respectable status in the view of full-blooded Jews. Not only that, they added that He was “demon-possessed!”

Try viewing this “little” situation from the window of the “big picture” and you will recognize that there is nothing very unusual about this case, insofar as God’s dealings with men are concerned. It’s apparent to me that God has always chosen to work in ways outside the box of man’s expectations and bias. The truths of God are not normally broadcast with intense noise and flashing lights. They are not usually dramatic, and definitely NOT dependent upon religious tradition. Nor are they grasped through the medium of careful catechism and intellectual skill. They are, however, imparted by the Spirit of God to A HEART AFTER GOD. (Have I ever used that phrase before?) “The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:14). “But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him” (1 Corinthians 1:27-29).

The guy who is always boasting, spouting his dogma, yelling his bias, shouting his oppositions, arguing, complaining, criticizing, and defending, is most likely going to distance himself so far from the truth that he will never ever hear the “still small voice” of the Spirit of God. Imparting that important lesson to Elijah when he was so bummed and discouraged, God chose to use some sensational dramatics. “The Lord said, ‘Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.’ Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper” (“still small voice”—1 Kings 19:11-12). Selah.

Please sing with me…