Insightful Musings on the Scriptures

by

Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67

Good morning, dear people.

Sure cold out there…but beautiful. I have yet to learn what kind of damage I have allowed by not being better prepared for this cold. Then we were away for the better part of two days, having spent Saturday night at Seaside with old friends, Charlie and Carla Peterson. It was nice to reconnect and relax. We met other other old friends at Seaside Assembly where we attended church yesterday morning. Pastors Richard and Marcia Ralls have been there a lot of years. We timed that right—they hosted an after-service potluck. Becki and I ate and ran—back to Molalla for our regular 3pm Gospel Sing time at Pheasant Pointe. Whew!

I’m being called to breakfast—then it’s off to the races—a race between my list and my energy.

Blessings

Love, Dad/Ray.

Let me try to describe a cross-cultural challenge I would occasionally encounter while living in Melanesia—where someone would come or call because they wanted to use one of my tools or need some kind of help that only I could offer. I may have even been the one to answer the door or the telephone, but the person would very often ask to speak with our son, Thano. They would present their need to Thano, and then Thano has to come to present their request to me. Since Thano is neither the owner nor manager, I was often tempted to exclaim, “Why don’t they just come direct to me?”

It appears that these Greeks who approach Philip with the request to see Jesus, had a bit of the same style. Philip tells Andrew what these people want, and then together, they approach Jesus, Who, at that very moment, seems to be engaged in addressing a crowd of people. Maybe these men thought they were of a more executive class who deserved private time with Jesus than to join the crowds around Him. In any event, if the Greek guys were so interested in seeing Jesus, why didn’t they just go see Jesus? He certainly wasn’t hiding.

Notice how Jesus responds to the disciples’ presentation on behalf of the Greek visitors. He launches into a discourse that, at first, seems totally unrelated. He talks about His hour finally coming, about a kernel of wheat dying, about the consequences of a man loving his own life, and about His heart being troubled. Then, without warning, there’s a big booming voice from heaven where God Himself speaks, confirming that He is glorifying His Name through the Son. (Some were so out of tune with what Jesus was saying that they didn’t have a clue as to what the voice said. They thought it was thunder. Selah.) We’re never told what happened to those Greek guys, or whether or not Jesus ever took special time for them.

I’m coming up with a couple ideas that could be implied in Jesus’ words. I’ll try to define those ideas by paraphrasing them.

1. “I NEED TO BE MULTIPLIED. While I am here in the flesh there’s no way I can take time to see everyone who wants to have a private conference with Me. But if I, like a kernel of wheat, die and am buried, the result will be a tree of life that won’t quit…infinite reproduction. Furthermore, in only a few weeks the Father will impart the Holy Spirit in My Name that will be available to everyone everywhere for all time.”
2. “ANYONE WHO WANTS TO FIND ME CAN EASILY DO SO. That’s the very reason I’ve come, to meet personally with anyone who comes to Me. I’m not hiding or hard to find. There’s no need for religious activity or the mediation of a priest. This is the glory of the New Testament Gospel. It’s just that people must come on My terms, not theirs. It only requires abandoning pious self-righteousness, being serious about dealing with what I want to deal with, and eager to receive what I have to offer.”

I’m thinking of Isaiah 55:6-7: “Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.”