Insightful Musings on the Scriptures

by

Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67

Greetings, special ones.

I made it through my dental experience that began at 8am. And since they had earlier showed me the x-ray of where they would be working, it looked like it would not be near a sensitive nerve. So I asked if I could take it on without the typical anesthesia injections. The dentist agreed, though it made her (yup—she’s a her) nervous—and the procedure went fine. I was able to whistle right out the door.

Becki and I attended the SNEEK PEEK for the big AUTO SHOW last night at the Convention Center in Portland. She was given free tickets. At $100 each, we wouldn’t have had them otherwise. Interesting. It’s mind boggling to behold that much automotive technology all at once. They had about everything, except old stuff. Some of the exotics were Ferrari, Maseratti, Aston Martin, Bentley, Roll Royce, with a Buggatti that I understand has a price tag of $1.3 million. Not sure I’m spelling the names right. But I didn’t really do much salivating. We, of course, drove to the event in our little old Camry with nearly 320K on it.

Lots to do and pursue. Blessings on your doing and pursuing.

Love, Dad/Ray.

We tend to have all manner of categories for classifying people—young and old, black and white, rich and poor, male and female, tall and short, educated and uneducated, heathen and Christian, and even saved and lost. But as I read and meditate again on these teachings of Jesus, I see more clearly than ever before that the status of WISE and FOOLISH is more basic and fundamental to the Kingdom of God than any other category. Jesus seems to say over and over from many different angles that the outcome of a person’s life is contingent on whether he is one or the other, either WISE or FOOLISH, in relation to God and His Word in preparation (or the lack thereof) for judgment and eternity. This is the critical standard of ultimate determination, not mathematics (numbers) or history (traditions, achievements) or theology (doctrinal systems). David affirms, “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Ps. 111:10). To be saved, you see, IS WISDOM. It is the result of a person taking seriously his personal responsibility to a sovereign God. To be lost, then, IS absolute FOOLISHNESS as it is the result of a person failing to take seriously his personal responsibility to a sovereign God.

These two polarities are featured here in the story of the ten virgins. Even the following story of the Talents could be viewed as contrasting these two categorical poles. The first two servants were essentially commended for their being WISE. The Master rebuked the third servant, however, as being “wicked and lazy.” Don’t you agree that it is extremely FOOLISH to be “wicked and lazy” when one knows different—when one knows that he will one day stand in judgment before his Master. Consider also the previous chapter (25:45) when Jesus says, “Who then is a faithful and WISE servant…?” The emphasis there also relates to this personal responsibility to the sovereign Master. And one of the clearest examples of this is Jesus’ story of the WISE and FOOLISH builders in Matthew 7. “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a WISE man who built his house on the rock” (Matt. 7:24).

The recipe for inclusion in the Kingdom of God is really not all that complicated and technical. Take God serious and be WISE—equated with a HEART AFTER GOD.