Insightful Musings on the Scriptures

by

Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67

Greetings, dear ones.

Since we’ve been shutting up the chicken house each night lately, I don’t think we have lost any more to raccoons. I see the whole gang of chickens out this window at present in the filtered sunlight, preening and grooming themselves under my off-road diesel fuel tank stand. During the day they free-range all around the place. That, of course, also means that we need to be careful where we step.

Earlier Becki and I managed a walk/jog in the cold frosty morning air. But look how late it is now! I better get on with it. Blessings on your day.

Love, Dad/Ray.

I wish to begin by citing all three verses of this short paragraph: “Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it” (Matthew 10:37-39).

Now, try to imagine what it would be like if you were totally void of any kind of personal enlightenment that results from a true personal conversion experience—that of becoming a “born again” believer. What if you knew near nothing about this Jesus Christ except that He was a controversial historical religious figure Who lived in Israel about 2000 years ago? And what if you had never heard any quotation from the Biblical text except for these three verses in Matthew that are presented to be words spoken by this Jesus Christ way back then? If that were me, I would most likely write it all off as about the most absurd claim of egotistical nonsense I had ever heard—and not worth a second thought. But now that I have some of both—a “born again” experience with at least a measure of enlightenment, along with a measure of Biblical orientation, these wild-sounding words fit into the Biblical grid like a “hand in glove.”

If it can be understood and embraced at heart level exactly WHO this Jesus is—that He was more than just a man—that this JESUS IS GOD INCARNATE—there is no conflict whatsoever between what Jesus is saying and the FIRST COMMANDMENT God requires as defined by Jesus in the 22nd chapter—“’Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment” (Matthew 22:37-38). And once this premise is established, it is nothing short of amazing to see how all the rest fits together to form an amazing picture of redemption—a seamless consistent integrated demonstration of AMAZING GRACE and ETERNAL LIFE. And that 3-verse sound bite becomes a wonderful opportunity to be pursued—not an ugly demand to be avoided.