Insightful Musings on the Scriptures

by

Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67

Greetings, dear special people.

Some rain has finally arrived…following an unusual dry spell.

I plan to run to Wood Mizer to pick up my resharpened sawmill blades. The “master chainsaw mechanic” I refer to below is right on the way. How do you suppose he will respond if I give him a copy of this devotional?—and point out that he’s the guy? I don’t know either. But I’m motivated by the idea that I sure can’t hurt anyone—and there are some important concepts there for unbelievers to consider—so I intend to find out.

I need to run along. Becki and I will be running off to a doctor appointment in Beaverton—needing to leave in about 40 minutes. Following that is an ongoing big list—including Becki’s engagement in the annual conference of the Brain Injury Alliance of Oregon.

Have a blessed day. Good bye.

Love. Dad/Ray.

I remember my dad telling about a little boy who was reprimanded by his mother, “Johnny, stop pulling the cat’s tail!” Johnny countered, “I’m not pulling his tail—I’m just holding it—he’s doing all the pulling!”

In the case before us, who is doing all the pulling and reacting and causing of real trouble? Who was inciting the mob to riot against Paul and the Gospel message? Who was promoting anger, deceit, and violence? Were they objective lovers of truth? Were they people who were passionate about seeing lives freed from the bondage of sin? Were they people who represented and demonstrated “the fruit of the Spirit?” Hardly. But, ironically, it is important to recognize again that they were the very ones claiming truth and godliness—religious leaders. It says, “But the Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city.” What noble upstanding citizens they were! Jealous of what? They were jealous of the fact that these preachers of the crucified and risen Christ were tampering with their traditional “sacred cows” and their monopoly on power, control, and importance. (Parenthetical note: The tenets of witchcraft come in many different packages. The basic core values of that diabolical orientation are fear, manipulation, and intimidation for purposes of control. In this sense, have you ever seen witchcraft in the church? I have.) Paul was simply holding to the truth of the Gospel. Those of the religious elite were doing all the fighting and reacting. They were the ones cooperating with behind-the-scene kingdom-of-darkness influences.

On the other hand, there is truth in what the riot ringleaders said: “These men…have caused trouble all over the world.” In the sense that Jesus spoke in Matthew 10:34, the proclamation of the Gospel is SUPPOSED to make trouble—at least the kind that riled these Jewish leaders. Jesus said, “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.” (See Heb. 4:12 and Eph. 6:10-17) So perhaps it would be appropriate to call Jesus THE GREAT TROUBLEMAKER. And in this vein, maybe the Great Commission could be reworded to say, “Go ye into all the world and MAKE TROUBLE”—because this kind of TROUBLE is man’s only SOLUTION.

May the Lord bless, inspire, and encourage you to be a very good and effective TROUBLEMAKER.