Wisdom

The last week brought big news to us and I've been somewhat preoccupied by them. I'll get back to that a bit later but for now here is yesterday's sermon. The theme for this Sunday was Truth and Delusion but as you can see I took a fancy to the Old Testament reading from Job and talked about wisdom. The readings for yesterday were: Job 28: 7-15, 23-28, 1 John 4:1-6 and Matthew 7: 15-23.

At the heart of distinguishing between truth and delusion is wisdom, hence the first reading from the book of Job. Wisdom is also what I am going to talk about in a little while but, before we get there, let’s establish a couple of things.

Firstly, humans sin. We all know this right? Secondly, we have the capacity to distinguish between right and wrong but seem less inclined to do so than is good for us, which brings us back to point one: humans sin. Thirdly, despite the fact that we know ourselves to be sinful as well, we seem to be more interested in the sins of others than our own. We are very quick to judge others and have a hard time forgiving them for being imperfect. Not that we’re very good at forgiving ourselves for being imperfect either. In other words we have hard time accepting that we sin.

What follows from this is this: we are quick to think that we know the truth about others. Unfortunately often that truth is based on very little actual understanding. We are more inclined to look at actions than what is in the heart of those actions. If we could choose everyone should think the way we do and value the same things we do. We don’t like people who break the rules - be they laws or rules of our own making. We are easy to condemn and judge others but get upset if others do the same thing to us.

Now, I know this seems like an exaggeration. We are reasonably good people all of us, aren’t we? We try to do good and live Christian lives. However, honestly, I don’t think I’m too far off the mark here. Yes, we do want to be good but then the thing is that wanting to be something and actually being that is not the same thing. And the problem is this: we cannot change ourselves. We cannot change the basic structure of being human.

We can absolutely change a lot of things about ourselves but we cannot make ourselves sinless. Only God can and - and will. However, before that, although we are entirely and forever forgiven, we are not quite yet without sin.

Now what has this do with wisdom then? Firstly, in the heart of human wisdom is the understanding that we are sinful and will remain so. Secondly, we are nonetheless through God’s grace also holy. God has given us His Holy Spirit and that is why we are also holy. What follows from this is the amazing fact that all of God’s wisdom is available to us. We just need to seek for it.

The very essence of God’s wisdom is that it is the wisdom of forgiveness, love and grace; forgiveness – love - and grace. God’s wisdom is not merely about knowing everything nor is it about being smart and clever. It is not about brains – although talking about God’s brains seems a bit funny – but about the heart; God’s heart. A heart that is forever willing to forgive, a heart that desires nothing more than to without any selfishness give itself to you and me. A heart that is merciful and gentle.

Our God is the God of miracles. We are sinful but He is the one who can and will change us if we allow Him to do so. We will stay sinful to the day we join Him in heaven and yet this is all the more reason why we are called to turn to God and ask Him to make us more like Him each day we live. Theologians call it sanctification and it is through that process that we can truly start to understand the difference between truth and delusion.

I finished the sermon by reading the whole 28th chapter of Job at the end of the sermon and it can be found here.