Insightful Musings on the Scriptures

by

Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67

Hello again, dear people.

Nice—the sun just poked through the clouds.

Bear in mind that Becki endorsed this composition, including the “Additional Comment.” So if you have a problem, talk to her. Smile.

Oh my—I just received a call from the doctor’s office. It’s a request to get back there for another blood draw. So now, amidst all my other stuff, I’ve got to run off in that direction. Phooey. Not yet sure what all this means. Whatever.

Have a great day.

Love, Dad/Ray.

Did you catch that last phrase? That blesses my soul! What a wonderful conversion that represents! For there was a time when Jesus’ own brothers (those born of the same mother) participated in mockery and antagonism against Jesus (John 7:5). They simply could not bring themselves to believe that their older brother Jesus was any more special than they were—UNTIL—I love this idea—and I’m leaning on a good measure of my own hunch—UNTIL Mary gathered them around and said something like, “OK, boys—I’ve held this in for a long time, but it’s finally time to ‘let the cat out of the bag.’ Do I ever have a story to tell you about the background of your late brother Jesus!” However the disclosure went, it sunk in—it was transformational—changing their entire perspective. So here we find them numbered with this special nucleus of believers—believing so hard to be “constantly in prayer,” seeking God, and worshiping His Son Jesus—their very own half-Brother—now a complete Brother—and Lord of their lives. Wow!

Do you see what I see here? It’s an opportunity to use this idea to underscore once again the marvel and glory of the Biblical Gospel. Although you and I are not the biological offspring of Mary, the mother of Jesus, “Yet to all who received him (…the firstborn Son of Mary), to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God” (John 1:12-13)—in other words, BORN AGAIN! Double WOW!

This means that you and I have just as much reason and right as the brothers of Jesus to join with the larger collection of other believers, believing so hard so as to be “constantly in prayer,” seeking God, and worshiping the same firstborn Son of Mary—the only begotten Son of God. Indeed, “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching” (Hebrews 10:25).

(Additional comment—for no extra charge: As we consider the amazing fact that Jesus’ life on earth was framed by two miracles--on one end by a VIRGIN BIRTH, and on the other end by an EMPTY TOMB—I’m reminded of how some use the first miracle to, in a way, deify sex—fashioning a theological assumption that Sovereign God actually approached Mary in a form that allowed Him to engage in the act of sexual intercourse with her. I glean from that assertion that someone has an agenda. I think it’s a really dumb and degrading notion that Sovereign God, Who invented and created everything about human sexuality, needs to have sex in order to cause conception.)