A tale of Two Types of Wisdom

A tale of two wisdoms
September 20, 2009
Sixteenth Day of Pentecost
Year B


Have you ever had those moments in your life when you know God is there? When you know that in that moment – you know that someone or something had to have come from heaven to help you out of a situation? There had to be some angels from above looking over you and guiding you through the situation?
A colleague of mine tells about the time when he was helping his church prepare for the fair, they were selling cider, and they needed a press for the apples. In hauling it, he dropped it and an important piece of it broke. He tried to fix it but he couldn’t . And he remembered that the repairman that he went to- had recently died. The fair was to start in 3 hours – what would he do. He prayed and he found that indeed he did have to strength to try and fix it. As he started to work – this face appeared in his mind – the face of the repairman – and gave him step by step advice to fix the wine press- in two hours the press was ready and he could go to the fair.
Another colleague speaks of her mother in law who lived with she and her husband. The mother in law loved flowers – so they built her a greenhouse. One day she and her mother in law came home and found the house smelling like flowers. It was a very distinctive smell. The mother in law was particularly excited, because she said the house smelled just like her mothers house. I might add they never identified where the smell was coming from.
I have had one of those moments – when I knew God was near recently – when I asked for a prayer – and it was answered within a day. And when I asked for something expecting to have to wait and search for an answer – and as life unfolded – the answer was in an obvious very close place. I have had one of those times when I knew God was near. What about you – have you had those times in your life? God can sometimes be illusive, but comes to us in short glimpses, and unexpected ways. I am sure if you think about it, we have all had one of those encounters.
James point to us is that there are two kinds of wisdoms in the world – wisdom from above and wisdom from the world. James is making his point to us because we like to believe that all wisdom is the same. That we can play into the values of the world and the values of God at the same time, because they all fit intogether. We can believe both at the same time. James is telling us that they are not the same, and that they don’t fit in together. As a matter of fact, they are opposite kinds of wisdom, and if you will – they have two very different kinds of personalities. And two very different results.
One is self centered – about me- about my safety, my best interest, my concern. One is based on jealousy – which is a fear that I wont get what is coming to me. “those conflicts and disputes among you- where do they come from – do they not come from your own cravings that are at war within you? You want something and you cannot obtain it”
If there are indeed two kinds of wisdoms in the world – one from earth and one from heaven,which one is James speaking of?......
How is that different from the wisdom of God? …….

James goes on to say that we do not have, because we do not ask. And God does not give to us because we ask for the wrong reason. Once again, we ask for personal gain, and not the will of God.
Jesus actually picks up this theme in Mark. They are journeying along to Jerusalem – Jesus first tells of where they are going and why. But the disciples cant handle that conversation. But Jesus notices that they have been arguing. Who is the greatest among them? Is that a conversation using wisdom from above or wisdom from earth?.....
We know because it is a conversation about personal gain. A concern about where am I in the world. So it is an earthly conversation.
Jesus wants them to think about the things of God. So he pulls a little child aside and reminds the disciples the greatest on earth, and the greatest I heaven are different. Whosoever welcomes a little child in my name, welcomes me.
Now what is so cool about this story – is that we think of children very differently then they did 2000 years ago. Today – we do honor our children. We are a congregation which thinks about the best interest of the child. We understand that children need to be loved and cared for. And that they are not able to take care of themselves. We are willing to do what we can to take care of them. No so in Jesus times, children were nothing. They were a burden. You never knew if a child was going to survive into adulthood. Children were not allowed to own property. If they did not have a family – they were left to fend for themselves. In the eyes of the disciples they counted for nothing. They had absolutely no rights. They were essentially a none person. Today, we get a warm fuzzy feeling when Jesus grabs the little children and says let the children come to me. Then – they gasped in horror – how could Jesus even think of such a thing.
And yet he reminds us that these are the people who God loves the most – the people who the world values the least. There are two types of wisdom in the world – that from above and that from the earth. You cant embrace both at the same time – because they are very different – they are opposites. And they take you in two different directions. With two very different outcomes.
Speaking of Jesus loving the little children – did you see the film clip of the man at the Phillies game – who was fortunate enough to catch a foul ball. He was so excited about his souvenir that he gave the ball to his 3 year old daughter. And she does the right thing – she throws it back into the field. The father is looking on in horror as she has just thrown away his ball. But she is so proud of herself for doing the right thing – she runs into daddy’s arms for a hug. What else was there for him to do – but hug her back and tell her he loves her. Someone commented that perhaps he hugged her because he wanted to squeeze the life out of her. I wonder if his reaction would have been different without the camera rolling. But it captured the heart of America – because it was a God moment. A moment when God was truly present.
I think of the times in my life when I have done the very wrong thing – and God embraced me and loved me anyway. There are two kinds of wisdom in the world – wisdom from God and wisdom from the world- which kind of wisdom was present at this moment?....
Whereever gentleness, compassion, humility, and peace making are present – God is always there. Whereever there is an opportunity to do what you know is right – God is there. Wherever there are people like us – Christians, disciples of Christ present who are determined to put the will of God before their own interest. God is present. God will be seen by the world. The lesson for us today is to be those people who bring God into the world. Not by waiting for miracle, but by living out the wisdom from God in everything that we do.
The final words of James says submit yourselves to god. Of you resist wisdom from earth – the devil will flee, if you seek wisdom from above – by drawing near to God – God will draw near to you. Look for God in actions of others- but in the actions of your heart. And finally Mark reminds us that if you humble yourself – God will always raise you up. The Phillies gave the man in the stands another baseball, and signed jersey’s for the whole family for the love he showed to his daughter. How much more is in store for us? Peace.

Dreams and Nightmares - August 16, 2009

Eleventh Sunday After Pentecost
Year B
1 Kings
Ephesians 5:15-20

Dreams and nightmares – what is the difference
This week I watched this really cool video from Honda Corporation of all places, on dreams and nightmares. It talked about why we dream. Dreaming is thinking in an altered state, said one expert on the video. And it showed clips on how we dream, and how the mind can put together thoughts in a dream in really strange ways, for instance they showed a dream of someone cooking a boot on the stove.
The video helped me to realize that there is really no difference between our dreams and nightmares. They are both our minds way of trying to work something out. The difference is our reaction, nightmares play upon our fears that we are usually afraid to face in a waking state.

The difference is in the way we interpret them and the meaning we place on what is happening. A nightmare is a dream.

Solomon found that out the night he talked with God in a dream

He Asked for wisdom to lead his country. and God gave him more. God felt that because his heart was in the right place, that he would also have the things that make life enjoyable, a good life, health, riches, and wives.

Sometimes Nightmare and a dream are the same thing. Solomon was fulfilling the dreams of his father. He built the temple, he built the kingdom, he gained a international reputation.

Solomon started out doing some amazing things

But in the later years not so much. He got cocky and started to tax the people the support his extravagant building projects, he lost the kingdom – what david united, was split apart again. He also married many wives, and at times started to adopt their religions, sometimes giving his own a second seat – breaking to commandment to put no other God before God. What started out at a dream come true, became a nightmare. He even stopped thinking about the wisdom which was so important to his daily rule.

Wisdom is the way we live our lives – and what we do. It is the choices that we make.

Ephesians picks up this theme of wisdom and doing the right thing

Everyone has to be filled with something – some filled with wine – you should be filled with the spirit says Ephesians.

Singing and rejoicing, Righteousness and Wisdom are the three themes of our scripture for today.

Wisdom is Defined as a doing the will of the lord


God has a vested interest in the way we use our time

Just as God had a vested interest in the way Solomon used his wisdom – God has that same interest in us and what we do with our lives.

eksagorazamenoie means buying time in the marketplace. We have a responsibility to buy our time, just as Solomon purchased wisdom and spend it wisely.

The way we use our time affects not just us, but the world. Filled with the spirit – living our lives according to gods will


Story of rubber, metal and glass. Some of our commitments are rubber commitments – it doesn’t matter if we follow them, if we break an appointment, we can just make it up when we realize we have done wrong and there is no love lost. Some of our commitments are metal – they make a lot of noise when we drop them – but the reality is they don’t break the relationship. And other commitments are glass – once broken they cannot be repaired, once the moment passes we cant make it up.

Our priority are glass commitments – time we spend in the will of God – is fragile and will break. God wants us to think about our glass – special time.

Heal and make a difference.