I Want to Know True Wisdom in My Life
I Want to Know True Wisdom in my Life”
James 3:13-4:3, 7-8a
Mark 9:30-37
James’ words today reminds me of the words from Ecclesiastes and the search for wisdom. Solomon did not find wisdom in great houses, great gardens or in dining with fine wine, or in great strength. In our search for true wisdom we have often stopped at one of these things and stayed there in that house. But we did not find wisdom there for long. Solomon finds that the end of the matter was ,” Fear God, and keep his commandments : for this is the whole duty of man.” 12:13
James is all about the application of our wisdom that we profess we have. James says our Christian lives must be shown in good conduct, or as the KJV has it “ who is a wise man, and endued with knowledge among you? Let him show out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.” 3:13
Matthew Henry was a Puritan preacher and a Presbyterian whose father Philip Henry had been thrown out of the Church of England because he would not submit to the Act of Uniformity passed during the reign of Charles II. ( the puritans objected to certain said prayers that were in their mind teaching false theology and the like as well as the interference of Romanist Bishops who did not hold to the true protestant faith of the reformers). In his commentary on James , Matthew Henry finds six short things that characterize true wisdom: “
True wisdom is pure, is peaceable, is gentle, is easy to be entreated, persuadable, is without partiality, and without hypocrisy.” Six things make up wisdom.
Pure- this is from the same root as holy. “ Beloved, now we are the sons of God, and it does not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that , when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as He is. And every man that has this hope in him purifies himself, even as He is pure.” I John 3:3 This is our desire that while we are in the world we shall not be of the world. John in his Gospel reminds us of this and he then says, “ Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” This is something we have to work at obviously and it is not easy in the world in which we live to practice holiness . But that is what we are called to.
Peaceable- Here Jesus is our example . His was a life of meekness. Matthew 11:29 says, “ Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart..” Paul when he wished to vindicate his apostleship appealed to the church “ by the meekness and gentleness of Christ…” “Heavenly wisdom makes men peaceable” said Matthew Henry. Calvin points out as well that those who exercise wisdom that is from above “ while they meekly tolerate many things in their neighbors, do not cease to sow righteousness, but strive to correct the faults of others by peaceful means. They moderate their zeal with the condiment of peace, for those who wish to be physicians to heal vices ought not to be executioners.” We could have our way but that is not the way of Christ for us.
Gentle- “ the wisdom from above is gentle and considerate in the demands it puts upon others.” James by Tasker. Matthew Henry puts it this way, “ not being rude and overbearing in conversation , nor harsh and cruel in temper.” Thomas Merton once said, “It is in deep solitude that I find the gentleness with which I can truly love my brothers. The more solitary I am the more affection I have for them… solitude and silence teach me to love my brothers for what they are, not for what they say.”
“ is easy to be entreated, persuadable” –niv has “submissive”. RSV-“open to reason” This kind of person is not unwilling to yield to reasonable requests. No is not the first word of such people. My grandfather used to tell me of one officer in his church in downtown Philadelphia who always said no even though the requests were reasonable. We do not want to be a “ Mr. Wilson” even though we are believers . But such believers are not very attractive to the outside world who are in need of God’ grace.
“without partiality”- this goes without our comment as we know how one gets treated and how sometimes the other gets treated without any reason. Literally the word means “ to be without suspicion”. Free from judging is the result of this.
Lastly true wisdom in my life and in ours is without hypocrisy. No disguises are worn. Play acting is the idea that we want to avoid. This wisdom descends from above as James tells us.
“ Almighty and everliving God, ruler of all things in heaven and in earth, hear our prayers for this church. Strengthen the faithful, arouse the careless, and restore those who repent. Grant us all things necessary for our common life, and bring us all to be of one heart and mind within your holy Church; through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
James 3:13-4:3, 7-8a
Mark 9:30-37
James’ words today reminds me of the words from Ecclesiastes and the search for wisdom. Solomon did not find wisdom in great houses, great gardens or in dining with fine wine, or in great strength. In our search for true wisdom we have often stopped at one of these things and stayed there in that house. But we did not find wisdom there for long. Solomon finds that the end of the matter was ,” Fear God, and keep his commandments : for this is the whole duty of man.” 12:13
James is all about the application of our wisdom that we profess we have. James says our Christian lives must be shown in good conduct, or as the KJV has it “ who is a wise man, and endued with knowledge among you? Let him show out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.” 3:13
Matthew Henry was a Puritan preacher and a Presbyterian whose father Philip Henry had been thrown out of the Church of England because he would not submit to the Act of Uniformity passed during the reign of Charles II. ( the puritans objected to certain said prayers that were in their mind teaching false theology and the like as well as the interference of Romanist Bishops who did not hold to the true protestant faith of the reformers). In his commentary on James , Matthew Henry finds six short things that characterize true wisdom: “
True wisdom is pure, is peaceable, is gentle, is easy to be entreated, persuadable, is without partiality, and without hypocrisy.” Six things make up wisdom.
Pure- this is from the same root as holy. “ Beloved, now we are the sons of God, and it does not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that , when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as He is. And every man that has this hope in him purifies himself, even as He is pure.” I John 3:3 This is our desire that while we are in the world we shall not be of the world. John in his Gospel reminds us of this and he then says, “ Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” This is something we have to work at obviously and it is not easy in the world in which we live to practice holiness . But that is what we are called to.
Peaceable- Here Jesus is our example . His was a life of meekness. Matthew 11:29 says, “ Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart..” Paul when he wished to vindicate his apostleship appealed to the church “ by the meekness and gentleness of Christ…” “Heavenly wisdom makes men peaceable” said Matthew Henry. Calvin points out as well that those who exercise wisdom that is from above “ while they meekly tolerate many things in their neighbors, do not cease to sow righteousness, but strive to correct the faults of others by peaceful means. They moderate their zeal with the condiment of peace, for those who wish to be physicians to heal vices ought not to be executioners.” We could have our way but that is not the way of Christ for us.
Gentle- “ the wisdom from above is gentle and considerate in the demands it puts upon others.” James by Tasker. Matthew Henry puts it this way, “ not being rude and overbearing in conversation , nor harsh and cruel in temper.” Thomas Merton once said, “It is in deep solitude that I find the gentleness with which I can truly love my brothers. The more solitary I am the more affection I have for them… solitude and silence teach me to love my brothers for what they are, not for what they say.”
“ is easy to be entreated, persuadable” –niv has “submissive”. RSV-“open to reason” This kind of person is not unwilling to yield to reasonable requests. No is not the first word of such people. My grandfather used to tell me of one officer in his church in downtown Philadelphia who always said no even though the requests were reasonable. We do not want to be a “ Mr. Wilson” even though we are believers . But such believers are not very attractive to the outside world who are in need of God’ grace.
“without partiality”- this goes without our comment as we know how one gets treated and how sometimes the other gets treated without any reason. Literally the word means “ to be without suspicion”. Free from judging is the result of this.
Lastly true wisdom in my life and in ours is without hypocrisy. No disguises are worn. Play acting is the idea that we want to avoid. This wisdom descends from above as James tells us.
“ Almighty and everliving God, ruler of all things in heaven and in earth, hear our prayers for this church. Strengthen the faithful, arouse the careless, and restore those who repent. Grant us all things necessary for our common life, and bring us all to be of one heart and mind within your holy Church; through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
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