Readings for Proper 20B:
Wisdom 1:16-2:22; James 3:16-4:6; Mark 9:30-37; Ps. 54
September 24, 2006
The Rev. Karen Siegfriedt
St. Jude the Apostle Episcopal Church, Cupertino, CA
“But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy.” [James 3:17]
In a recent article about Baby Boomer spirituality, the author pointed out that baby boomers are a generation of seekers. What they had originally grown up with and what they were taught, did not satisfy their deep hunger for meaning and happiness. Many lost respect for authority, for politicians, for ministers, for tradition, and even the advice of their parents. They rejected the conventional teachings of the day and turned to other ways of learning about life. Many sought out spiritual practices from the East, transcending “the ordinary” through meditation, subduing chaotic and aggressive feelings through chanting, and getting in touch with higher levels of consciousness. Others explored life through sensual pleasures, using drugs, sex, and music to satisfy their passions. Some became “Jesus freaks” following the radical, prophetic teachings of Jesus while putting aside more traditional forms of Christian piety. Instead of being concerned about the eternal salvation of their souls, baby boomers were more interested in finding meaning in this life.
This search for meaning and happiness continues today among all generations, who at some level, know that things are not quite right with the way things are. Instead of turning to transcendental meditation or psychedelic drugs, many are seeking meaning through high-level performance, frantic activity, material acquisition, and technology. If they can’t find it there, some turn to addictive behaviors to try to fill the hole.
In both scenarios, what is being sought after is really wisdom. We want to know how to live in a way that engenders peace, meaning, and happiness. We search everywhere, try everything, and seek out “experts” to find the secret of abundant life. And yet the wisdom that offers the key to abundant life can be found in our own backyard. It is the wisdom of God that is spoken through the words of the bible. When I speak of the wisdom of God, I am not talking about the dead letters on the pages of some ancient manual, used by fundamentalists to brow beat 21st century thinking adults into submission. I am referring to the living Word, the words of life that come alive when we enter the scriptures with eyes of compassion, being guided by the Holy Spirit who leads us into all truth.
Wisdom is the mediating principle of God’s will in creation. The Greeks called wisdom sophia. Christians believe that Jesus is the personification of God’s wisdom for humanity. All wisdom begins with God, although God has lavished wisdom upon creation through revelation and reason. Wisdom is the ability to discern God’s will. This ability can come to us in many ways. Some receive wisdom as a spiritual gift; they are just naturally wise. Others develop wisdom through prayer, personal experiences, study, and learning. Some gain wisdom through redemptive suffering. The thirst for the wisdom of God is often inspired through many biblical passages. Here are a few:
- “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding.” [Psalms 111:10]
- “For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding; he stores up sound wisdom for the upright.” [Proverbs 6,7]
- “How much better to get wisdom than gold!” [Proverbs 16:16]
- “If you think that you are wise in this age, you should become fools so that you may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God.” [1Cor 3:18]
- “Pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, so that with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you.” [Eph. 1:17]
- “I want their hearts to be encouraged and united in love, so that they may have all the riches of assured understanding and have the knowledge of God’s mystery, that is Christ himself, in whom are hidden all the treasure of wisdom and knowledge.” [Col 2:2]
In today’s readings from the Holy Scriptures, there is much wisdom being offered. At first glance, this godly wisdom is not intuitive because we have been so indoctrinated by the wisdom of this world, a distorted kind of understanding. Let take a closer look.
The first reading is from the Wisdom of Solomon. This book is found in the Apocryphal section of the bible. It was not actually written by Solomon but was written around the 1st century B.C.E. by an unknown Greek-speaking Jew. It speaks about immortality, Israel’s sacred history, wisdom and its attributes. Today’s reading summarizes three erroneous positions held by distorted thinkers who embraced only the wisdom of this world. Their philosophy was as follows:
1. Think short term, not long term. This earthly existence is all that there is. So let’s eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we may die.
2. Every man for himself! To hell with the plight of others. Let them take care of themselves.
3. Don’t try to change my mind with righteous insights. It makes me feel uncomfortable and I will do whatever I must to prevent that voice from making me feel guilty.
The reading ends with: “Thus they reasoned, but they were led astray, for their wickedness blinded them, and they did not know the secret purposes of God, nor hoped for the wages of holiness, nor discerned the prize for blameless souls.” [Wisdom 2:22]
The second reading, from the book of James, points out what happens when people make decisions based on their passions and cravings rather than the wisdom of God. We all have passions and cravings. The problem with them is, that they distort our ability to think clearly and to act generously. If I believe the world revolves around me and my wants, self-pleasure becomes my ultimate goal. This is what the world is teaching us today. Unfortunately, when we are denied these pleasures, then there is a tendency to lash out and hurt whatever has caused the denial. It is a slippery slope that many children, adults, politicians, nations, and companies have been deceived into following. We call this slippery slope, the wisdom of this world.
James invites us to reject the slippery slope and focus on the gift of the wisdom from above. On one end of the spectrum is the wisdom from God, marked by the good fruits of gentleness, mercy, impartiality, peace, and inner purity. On the other end of the spectrum is earthly wisdom, marked by the bad fruits of conflict, discrimination, disorder, wickedness, and unbridled cravings. He concludes that these two kinds of wisdom are incompatible: “Whoever wishes to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.” Is this a hard saying to incorporate? Yes! But don’t be afraid of it. Take this passage home and meditate on it. Allow the Holy Spirit lead you into truth.
Finally, in today’s gospel, the story is told about Jesus and his very human disciples. They have just been on a long mission, healing the sick, feeding the hungry, and learning about a life of self-sacrifice. Jesus now speaks to them about his death. The narrator informs us of the disciples’ lack of understanding who were strangely “afraid to ask him.” We learn of their continuing hardness of heart as they argue with each other over who is the greatest. They sound like a bunch of kids out on a playground, bragging about who is #1 and then trying to prove it. Jesus challenges their worldly wisdom and teaches them that in God’s kingdom, roles are reversed: “Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.” This too is a hard piece of wisdom that we need to take to prayer. But it is a word of hope that can change the world in which we live to one of peace rather than violence.
We too (like the disciples in today’s gospel) are often like a bunch of kids, fearful and silent, lacking understanding, and posturing for greatness. What are we to do? Where are we to seek wisdom? “Behold God is my helper; it is the Lord who sustains my life.” [Psalm 54]
| Updated 9/26/06 |
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