PULLING TEETH – SONG, November 11, 2025

Hup had gone to see his dentist, Philip Paxton, forty years. Over that forty years, Hup had also shared the Gospel with him, though Phil remained agnostic. Philip did get a kick out of Hup’s stories, and Hup felt that his exceedingly liberal friend paid him greater attention than many of his church acquaintances. Why that was? Hup theorized they were friends too long to let religion or politics ruin a good laugh. Climbing into that pot together back in the sixties – as those proverbial frogs – why would they jump now given the boiling in politics? It wasn’t as if the water wasn’t boiling in the 1960s. It’s just that they had a cool relationship, and they were friends. As far as Hup was concerned, the relationship heats up the water. 

 

“Okay, so, you had this dream. You saw Jesus. In heaven, and he appeared as a hibiscus. Here on earth, he appeared as a white lily – earth being the valley,” Phil asked and rotated his neck in circles to relieve the stress.

“Yes, the Rose of Sharon… 

“Hibiscus… ” Phil clarified.

“Yes, it had beautiful white petals, but was crimson red inside.”

“Meaning what to you Hup?”

“Well? What have I shared with you over the years? Jesus was born, and lived a perfect life – no sin – pure… and after his crucifixion, burial, and resurrection, he ascended to heaven to be an advocate for the elect of God. There, standing at the right of God, he manifested both the purity of his life on earth as those white petals, as well as his blood sacrifice – the crimson of his heart.”

“But Jesus wasn’t born yet – not at the time Solomon wrote his song,” Phil countered.

“No, but even as while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us Phil – come on, get with it.” Hup looked at his friend and cocked his head. Hup knew that his friend understood what he was saying, but it’s not the understanding, it’s the believing. “What Solomon wrote was the image of the coming Messiah, as Christ was, is, and will be for all eternity.”

“And while on earth?” Phil continued.

“Let’s just say, that Jesus was the lily of the valley – a lily among thorns. That’s the description given in the second verse, but more than that, Christ’s love wasn’t to be received among the daughters.”

Phil pressed into Hup as he laid back in the chair. “Meaning?”

“It’s a parallel Phil – Come on… The lily was to the thorns, as Christ’s love was to the daughters… meaning the Jews. As you know… because I’ve told you… the Jews rejected Jesus as their Messiah.”

“I guess you can say it’s a prickly subject,” Phil said and laughed.

“I’d guess you’d know old friend.”