2016 picture of Ray Sparre

Insightful Musings on the Scriptures

by

Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67


Wednesday, January 22, 2020

Good morning, dear ones.

There’s only 15 minutes of it left as I enter these final words before sending this off.

May your days include the formula Jesus offers below—as it assures us of success.

Blessings. Ray.

22 Jan 2020
Matthew 15:1-28
Focus: “Jesus turned to the crowd and said, ‘Come, listen and open your heart to understand.’”
Matthew 15:10 (The Passion Translation)

While engaging in my old man jog this morning along with Tazzy dog and ruminating on these words from Jesus, it occurred to me that Jesus was addressing perhaps the most common shortcoming of all mankind—a failure, for whatever reason, to

  1. COME TO HIM
  2. LISTEN TO HIM
  3. OPEN ONE’S HEART TO UNDERSTAND THINGS ONLY HE CAN IMPART.

My ongoing meditation led me to the general observation that many, if not most, people that I meet are afflicted with a clouded or confused UNDERSTANDING of 5 basic concepts that I believe are extremely important to UNDERSTAND:

  1. WHO/WHAT AM I?
  2. WHERE DID I COME FROM?
  3. WHY AM I HERE?
  4. WHERE AM I GOING?
  5. HOW AM I GOING TO GET THERE?

You already know where I’m going with this—but I’ll just state it anyway: I am convinced that every one of these questions are adequately and abundantly answered by means of the formula Jesus prescribes to the crowd as stated above. It is, I believe, the only formula available for avoiding conformity to the ignorance and destructive outcome of popular opinion that Jesus so clearly addresses earlier in Matthew 7:13-14: “Come to God through the narrow gate, because the wide gate and broad path is the way that leads to destruction—nearly everyone chooses that crowded road! The narrow gate and the difficult way leads to eternal life—so few even find it!” (The Passion Translation)

“Listen carefully and open your heart. Drink in the wise revelation that I impart.
You’ll become winsome and wise when you treasure the beauty of my words.
And always be prepared to share them at the appropriate time.”
Proverbs 22:17-18 (The Passion Translation)