Jesus was the embodiment of wisdom from above.
Who is wise and understanding among you? Show by your good life that your works are done with gentleness born of wisdom. . . . But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace for those who make peace.
Jesus was the embodiment of wisdom from above. Scripture teaches us that he “became for us wisdom from God” and was “the power of God and the wisdom of God.” Thus, we will know that our wisdom is from above if it reflects Jesus, his message, his actions, his death, and resurrection. And we’ll know that we are enacting this wisdom in our own lives if we are becoming more and more like Jesus each day.
If we get an idea that seems to be a bit of wisdom from above, how do we know it’s really from God? Many of us have thought at one time or another that God was guiding us in a particular way, only to realize later that we were mistaken. It’s so easy to project our own desires onto God and claim them to be God’s will. Plus, we regularly come across stories in the news of Christians who do silly or even hurtful things, claiming they are following God’s guidance. So, if we believe we have received a gift of wisdom for a particular situation in our lives, how can we know it’s wisdom from above and not, as James puts it, false wisdom that is actually “earthly, unspiritual, devilish” (James 3:15)?
In this devotional series, we’ve seen that God’s wisdom often comes to us through the vehicle of Scripture. Thus, weighing our particular bit of wisdom in light of biblical teaching is an essential element of discernment. Anything that contradicts Scripture is surely not wisdom from above. But often the wisdom we’re evaluating isn’t obviously measured by biblical teaching. If, for example, you believe God is guiding you to quit your job and move to Alaska, you can’t point to a passage in the Bible that says, “Yes, quit your job and move to Alaska.” Scripture may help you evaluate your motivations for such a change. But Scripture alone may not completely solve your discernment problem.
We’ve also seen that the Christian community is a receiver of gifts of wisdom from the Holy Spirit. Thus, we rightly conclude that the church is also a place for appraising Spirit-inspired wisdom. In 1 Thessalonians 5:19-21, for example, we are taught to be open to the Spirit but also to “test everything.” 1 Corinthians 14:29 urges the Christian community to “weigh” what appears to have come from the Spirit. We who are doing the weighing need to be sure and we’re not just offering our personal opinions. If you believe God has granted you wisdom from above, be sure to check it out with your Christian community. Share what you believe the Spirit has placed upon your heart with mature, godly Christians who can help you in the crucial task of discernment.
The letter of James gives us yet another way to evaluate wisdom. He writes to one who is wise, “Show by your good life that your works are done with gentleness born of wisdom” (James 3:13). A few verses later in chapter 3, James gives what appears to be a definition of “wisdom from above.” It is “first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy” (James 3:17). This description points more to the fruit of wisdom than to its essential nature. If we are guided by and filled with God’s wisdom, then we will act in ways that are peaceable, gentle, yielding, merciful, fruitful, impartial, and consistent. For example, you might ask yourself: As I’ve been following this wisdom, have I become more peaceable? More gentle? Etc.
When we reflect on the description of wisdom in James, we’re reminded of Jesus. He was, after all, peaceable, gentle, yielding, merciful, fruitful, impartial, and consistent. We mustn’t confuse this with being nice, however. Jesus didn’t hold back from teaching difficult truths, confronting injustice, and unveiling hypocrisy. Yet Jesus himself said, “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30).
The way Jesus talks about himself and calls us to him echoes the portrayal of God’s Wisdom among ancient Jewish writers, such as found in the book of Proverbs (see Proverbs 8, for example). These similarities remind us that Jesus wasn’t just a teacher of wisdom from above. He was the embodiment of wisdom from above. We read in 1 Corinthians that Jesus “became for us wisdom from God” (1 Corinthians 1:30). He is “the power of God and the wisdom of God” (1 Corinthians 1:24). Thus, we will know that our wisdom is from above if it reflects Jesus, his message, his actions, his death, and resurrection. And we’ll know that we are enacting this wisdom in our own lives if we are becoming more and more like Jesus each day.
Comments