Insightful Musings on the Scriptures

by

Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67

Good evening, dear ones.

It’s been a full day. Whew! I had a little fun driving the dogs crazy when I came home from a run to the Hillsboro area with another box of 115 used tennis balls. I grabbed 6 balls right away and threw them out on the driveway for the two dogs. They can do OK with one at a time—but that many at once. Dandy is the greedy one. Every ball thrown he claims as his, but he can only get one at a time in his mouth.

Tomorrow marks the 40th anniversary of Andy’s birth. It took place on the exotic island of Majuro, Marshall Islands. Oh, the memories! The celebration will call for some stone cooking.

It’s past my bedtime. Good night. Blessings.

Love, Dad/Ray.

Old man Simeon directed these words to Mary when she and Joseph brought baby Jesus to the temple in Jerusalem to be dedicated. It really is a remarkable prophecy. “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against.”

Just before this address to Mary, Simeon had burst forth in a prophetic praise to God. “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel” (Luke 2:29-32).

My overview of Biblical revelation would indicate that people who have no means for knowing truth and righteousness are not judged as much guilty against the truth and law of God as those who have been given revelation light. (Consider Jn. 9:41; Mtt. 10:34, 11:20-24; Lk. 12:48; Rom. 4:15, 5:13, 7:8) Those who have been given light have no excuse for remaining in the dark. Jesus, of course, is that LIGHT. He is the Revelation of God to man. Men are now responsible for how they respond to that Light and Revelation. Thus, Jesus Christ becomes the determining factor of man’s eternal falling or rising.

Notice also the statement of Simeon that this child is destined “to be a sign that will be spoken against.” There is a sadness to the story of Jesus as we behold men so mistreating their only hope of salvation from sin. And it is very sad to hear so many people today still speaking against Jesus Christ as though He were so much trash. I hope you do not find yourself comfortable with popular profanity that reduces His Name to no more than a blasphemous exclamation. Arrogantly and unwittingly, they are confirming their own eternal falling.

Ah, but for those of us who respond to this Light, it’s an entirely different story. We are like a drowning man clinging to the life line of our only hope, and find Jesus Christ to be a mighty Savior—our only hope for rising. (Jn. 1:12; Rom. 1:17-17; 1 Cor. 1:18-19)