How to become Wise

For January 30, 2010

All scriptures are from The Message.

Everyone values wisdom and knowledge as they lay the foundations for success in the secular world. In Corinthians Paul gives us what seems to be illogical, that for a full and happy life, for a meaningful relationship with God worldly wisdom can become a stumbling block. Paul was not anti-intellectual and we should bear some things about him in mind as we read from 1 Corinthians:
· He was literate in spite of the fact that only two of ten people of his time could read.
· He was multi-lingual in Greek, Aramaic, Hebrew and probably Latin.
· Probably received training in Greek philosophy and rhetoric.
· According to Acts he received rabbinical training with a greatly respected teacher and religious scholar.

I Corinthians 1:18-21 The Message that points to Christ on the Cross seems like sheer silliness to those hellbent on destruction, but for those on the way of salvation it makes perfect sense. This is the way God works, and most powerfully as it turns out. It's written, I'll turn conventional wisdom on its head, I'll expose so-called experts as crackpots.So where can you find someone truly wise, truly educated, truly intelligent in this day and age? Hasn't God exposed it all as pretentious nonsense? Since the world in all its fancy wisdom never had a clue when it came to knowing God, God in his wisdom took delight in using what the world considered dumb—preaching, of all things!—to bring those who trust him into the way of salvation.

· How would you define wisdom? What causes you consider someone wise? Where does this wisdom come from? Can someone be wise without having an advanced university education?

· How much has the conventional wisdom about science and our world changed in the past 2000 years? Consider that at one time the earth was believed to be the center of the solar system/universe by respected intellectuals. What have we learned about the wisdom of the world that now seems foolish in the financial crisis that we are currently facing? Did that wisdom cause many to act in ways which were harmful to themselves and others? Does humankind have a long history of “conventional wisdom” being “turned on its head” and “experts” being discredited?

· On the other hand how much change has taken place in the gospel message we know today? Why do you think that it remains essentially unchanged?

· How would you present the gospel message if you were asked to give a three minute summary to someone? In what ways can that message seem to be foolish to a non-believer? What would you expect your non-Christian friends to have difficulty accepting?

· The scripture says that the Message “points to Christ on the Cross”, what does that mean to you? Is the gospel message the destination or is it a path to be traveled to the destination?

· The scripture talks about coming “to know God.” What does knowing God mean to you? Is it something we learn and become an expert on, perhaps ready to take a written test? How did you grow in your sense of walking a faith journey with God? What keeps us on the path and what can cause us to lose our way?

Now back to Corinthians
1Corinthians 1: 22-25While Jews clamor for miraculous demonstrations and Greeks go in for philosophical wisdom, we go right on proclaiming Christ, the Crucified. Jews treat this like an anti-miracle—and Greeks pass it off as absurd. But to us who are personally called by God himself—both Jews and Greeks—Christ is God's ultimate miracle and wisdom all wrapped up in one. Human wisdom is so tinny, so impotent, next to the seeming absurdity of God. Human strength can't begin to compete with God's "weakness."

· Paul seems to speak against acquiring proof and human wisdom as a way to know God. Instead he might point us to this scripture from Psalm 19 which speaks to the blessings of coming to know God:

9 The revelation of God is whole and pulls our lives together. The signposts of God are clear and point out the right road. The life-maps of God are right, showing the way to joy. The directions of God are plain and easy on the eyes. God's reputation is twenty-four-carat gold, with a lifetime guarantee. The decisions of God are accurate down to the nth degree. 10 God's Word is better than a diamond, better than a diamond set between emeralds. You'll like it better than strawberries in spring, better than red, ripe strawberries

How would you describe the blessings of your relationship with God? Which of those in the Psalm have you experienced and what would you add to the list?

· Is there a difference between knowing about a person and having a relationship with him/her? How has your opinion of a close friend changed over time? How have you changed because of that relationship? Paul might use this as a way for us to understand "knowing God", how closely does our relationship with God resemble that of a good friend.

These two scriptures speak to the path to a relationship with God:

Proverbs 1:7 Start with God—the first step in learning is bowing down to God; only fools thumb their noses at such wisdom and learning.

Jeremiah 31:33 This is the brand-new covenant that I will make with Israel when the time comes. I will put my law within them—write it on their hearts!—and be their God. And they will be my people. They will no longer go around setting up schools to teach each other about God. They'll know me firsthand, the dull and the bright, the smart and the slow. I'll wipe the slate clean for each of them. I'll forget they ever sinned!"

What do these scriptures seem to say about coming to know God? How is God’s wisdom written on our hearts?

· Jesus was with his disciples throughout his three years of teaching and miracles. They could turn to him with question and learn from his actions and teaching (like us they struggled from time to time). We don’t have his physical presence with us but he promised a gift then which extends to us some 2000 years later:

John 14:15-17"If you love me, show it by doing what I've told you. I will talk to the Father, and he'll provide you another Friend so that you will always have someone with you. This Friend is the Spirit of Truth. The godless world can't take him in because it doesn't have eyes to see him, doesn't know what to look for. But you know him already because he has been staying with you, and will even be in you!

May we all be blessed with the knowledge of this presence!

Closing Prayer
O God, teach us to delight in your law and us it to guide us in your way of life. We give thanks to you through Jesus the Christ who came to show us that way. Amen.

Next Week’s Scriptures: Matthew 5:13-20, 1 Corinthians 2:1-12, (13-16), Psalm 112:1-9, (10), Isaiah 58:1-9a, (9b-12)