Insightful Musings on theScriptures

by

Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67

Good morning, special ones.

Becki and I did our walk/jog. Now it’s a matter of sorting through all the pressure points, making judgments as to which are most important, and trying to get something done.

I see Thano coming this way to call me to the breakfast table. Lots to talk about.

Blessings on your day.

Love, Dad/Ray.

Do you remember that setting early in Jesus’ public ministry when He read a special passage from the scroll of Isaiah in the synagogue at Nazareth? This is the section He read: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord” (Luke 4:18-19). Then he added, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing” (Luke 4:21).

Although the FOCUS VERSES bear reference to the historical record of Israel being bound in captivity by foreign nations (Egypt, Babylon, Syria), and then delivered by God’s gracious intervention, it’s easy to make a parallel application to the experience of individual believers, previously captives to sin and guilt, experiencing God’s gracious intervention through Christ, with dramatic deliverance from that psycho-spiritual bondage—why would there not be an emotional explosion of exuberant joy?!?! Here’s how Peter describes the emotional effect of a conversion/deliverance experience: “Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls” (1 Peter 1:8-9, KJV).