Close to God
James 3.13-4.3,7-8a
Mark
9.30-37
James's epistle is headed two kinds of wisdom. So, what is wisdom? A
look in the dictionary is not exactly helpful!
An element of personal character that enables one to distinguish the wise from the unwise.
A piece of wise advice.
The discretionary use of knowledge for the greatest good.
The ability to apply relevant knowledge in an insightful way, especially to different situations from that in which the knowledge was gained.
The ability to make a decision based on the combination of knowledge, experience, and intuitive understanding.
The ability to know and apply spiritual truths.
Only the last begins
to address what James is writing about, two kinds of wisdom; earthly wisdom and
the wisdom from above. The best description of wisdom I have come across is in
the form of the joke: -
What is the
difference between knowledge and wisdom. Knowledge teaches me that a tomato is
a fruit, wisdom tells me not to put it in a fruit salad!
As
I prepared for this, I came to realise there does not appear to be much wisdom
in the world today, if there ever was. Or rather, there is much which purports
to be wisdom but it is that type of wisdom that James describes as bitter envy
and selfish ambition.
As
soon as I began to research the subject of wisdom, the newspapers and media
were full of example of the worldly wisdom, full of bitter envy, selfish
ambition and disorder that James in his letter was talking about.
Politicians,
especially in unguarded moments, are prone to revealing such earthly wisdom
that are divisive, un-peaceable and arrogant. It matters little how well
educated and articulate they are, the effect of such earthly wisdom is to cause
trouble and disturb personal relationships.
But,
they are not the only group who hawk earthly wisdom around with a great lack of
humility and a great sense of their own importance, it's just that they seem to
hit the headlines more. We all do it. Leaders and those in the positions of
power just seem to be more susceptible than most.
This
bitter and arrogant wisdom, this earthly wisdom is so different from real
wisdom. It is self seeking and measures itself in the worldly terms of success,
fame, wealth, power, ambition and possessions. It does not seek to bring people
together but to drive people apart. How many wars, insurrections and civil
upheavals have been caused by the earthly wisdom that places the self above
everything else.
How
many of the conflicts and riots that have hit the headlines this week were
caused by those who saw their own point of view, their own wisdom, was more
important than anyone else's.
Don't
think for one moment that we are immune from using earthly wisdom to our own
advantage. It is the clever person with the gifted tongue that can cause
disruption and fracture personal relationships in any committee, or church, or
group of people. Whatever you perceive the devil to be, it is this kind of
wisdom that the devil delights in and uses to his own advantage.
When
I think of true wisdom, the wisdom that comes from God, I cannot help but think
that, to the world, it looks like foolishness. Christian wisdom is
counterintuitive. It is based in love because God is love and, because there is
no greater power than God's love, it can overcome all things.
Heavenly
wisdom is pure; it has no ulterior motives. It is peaceable; it seeks right
relationships between people and between God and his creation. It is just and
seeks justice beyond rules and regulations. It is firm though not rigid and
knows when to yield. It is merciful and of practical help. It is honest; there
is no hypocrisy in it.
Jesus
set a child before the disciples when they were showing every sign of being
tempted towards earthly wisdom. They had been arguing about who was the
greatest among them. The child represents all those who need our help but have
no influence, power or wealth.
It
is so easy to cultivate the friendship of those who can be useful to us and,
equally so, it is easy to avoid those who would be a burden on us. But Christ
asks us to act against the wisdom of the world by helping those who cannot help
themselves and in doing so, meet him face to face.
When
I look for examples of Christian wisdom there is no end of those that show God's
love in action, the wisdom that is counterintuitive. The wisdom that takes a
leap of faith, that says go at the risk to self and do God's work. Few stories
are more compelling in demonstrating this than the story of Father Damien.
The
curse of the Hawaiian islands was leprosy. People with leprosy were sent to a
peninsula on Molokai. The disease was so feared that the government had made it
illegal for anyone landing on the peninsula to return to the other islands.
Damien knew this was a one way trip. On May 4, 1873 he made an irrevocable
decision. He would confront this hell on earth.
Conditions
on the island were inhuman. The stronger victims threw the weaker out of the huts
to die. The community was diseased and full of despair. Most of the sufferers
reeked of decaying flesh. Although there was plenty of water close by, there
was little in the settlement. Damien diverted a stream of water into the
community. He started farms. He burned the worst houses and cleaned out the
rest and built new ones. He laid out a cemetery. He cleaned up the village and
its neighbourhood. He evangelised the people. He led dozens to Christ. The same
men who had stolen from the dying or dumped them in ditches, came to Damien for
baptism.
The
authorities, who had done little for the lepers, were jealous of his success
and spread scandalous stories about him. After twelve years, he discovered that
he had contracted leprosy. Four years later he was dead. His gentle courage
became know all over the world. It brought funding to the island and a staff of
nurses and other help. By his own shocking living death he battered down the
gates of this particular Hell.
To
the world Father Damien's actions are seen as foolishness. In the terms of
God's kingdom on earth they are wisdom born of love.
The
final line from today's reading from James's letter is '... draw near to God
and he will draw near to you'. This gives us hope. God's love for us is so
great that the closer we get to him, the closer he gets to us.
Do
you really believe that you can find the strength and will to act against your
natural instincts and the world's expectations? It is only in turning to God,
acknowledging that we are weak and sinful, that we lack wisdom and discernment,
and in looking to repent that we benefit from the grace that comes through
Christ's death on the cross. God's wisdom here is that we enter into a right
relationship with him again and that with this we can overcome all that the
devil would heap upon us and throw in our way.
We
make this easier for ourselves when we move towards God by seeking conversation
with him in prayer; not talking all the time but listening too. We get to know
God better by reading his Word; and entering into a conversation with the Bible
in daily study. We get to understand God in different ways through regular
worship and fellowship with people of faith.
God
wants us to get closer to us but needs us to meet him part of the way. It is a
journey once begun never finishes until that we meet him face to face, at the
end of our earthly life. We all have that opportunity to meet with the Christ;
to get closer to God.
So will you stick with the worldly wisdom that
says leave the tomato out of the fruit salad, or will you accept the heavenly
wisdom that says forget the fruit salad and just enjoy the tomato.
Get closer to God and the God of love will get
closer to you.
The way of God's wisdom
Often we think we have it all worked out,
but you come to teach us a better way.
Show us another way,
show us, Lord, the way of your wisdom.
The wisdom that comes from above
is full of your heavenly love.
Thank you, Lord, for all your love.
Amen.
