Tawa Baptist

The Tree of Life

Scripture: Genesis 2:8-17, 3:22-24, Proverbs 3:18, 11:30, 13:12, 15:4, Revelation 22:1-2

Video Link: https://youtu.be/bDNF7EVaRIE

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • In the beginning – Genesis
  • In the middle – Proverbs
  • In the end – Revelation
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

Sustainability is a word we hear a lot these days. In 1987, the United Nations defined sustainability as “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” 

Or said another way, sustainability aims to leave the world in better shape than we found it.  

Sustainability has a variety of facets including environmental, social and economic. There is an interconnectedness with the world we live in. Harm done to the environment has a long-term negative impact on the global economy and on social cohesion.

Today we conclude our Testimony of Trees series by focusing on the Tree of Life. We might think of the tree of life as meeting the needs of the present without compromising the future. The tree of life is God’s gift of sustainability to the world.

The tree of life is mentioned at the beginning, in the middle and at the end of the Bible. Let’s start at the beginning because that’s a very good place to start. From Genesis chapter 2, verse 8 we read… 

8 Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. 9 The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. 10 A river watering the garden flowed from Eden; from there it was separated into four headwaters. 11 The name of the first is the Pishon; it winds through the entire land of Havilah, where there is gold. 12 (The gold of that land is good; aromatic resinand onyx are also there.) 13 The name of the second river is the Gihon; it winds through the entire land of Cush. 14 The name of the third river is the Tigris; it runs along the east side of Ashur. And the fourth river is the Euphrates. 15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate God’s word for us.

In the beginning – Genesis 2 & 3

According to the experts, New Zealand is ranked 26th in the world on the Environmental Performance Index. The Environmental Performance Index (or EPI) measures the health and vitality of a country’s eco-systems.

We might think being ranked 26th in the world, out of 170 odd, is pretty good but, sadly, in 2023 New Zealand began to use more from nature than the planet can renew in a year. This means we are not living in a sustainable way. We are taking more than we give.     

In Genesis chapter 2, we read how God planted a garden in the East, in Eden. When we think of a garden, we probably imagine a nicely manicured back yard, perhaps with some roses and raised vege beds. But the sort of garden in view here is more like a national park.

The garden of Eden is sacred space, like a sanctuary or a temple for God on earth. Adam is formed and placed in the garden to take care of it. In many respects Adam is like a DOC ranger and a priest, serving in God’s natural sanctuary. 

Eden (which in Hebrew means ‘delight’) [1] is filled with all sorts of trees which look beautiful and are good for food. The garden of Eden is a picture of sustainability. There is no shortage of food in Eden. The air quality and water purity are excellent. Eden’s EPI is perfect. Admittedly the human population was small back then, but it was about to grow exponentially.

At the centre of God’s national park / holy temple, are two special trees. The tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Back in February we heard about the tree of knowledge, so I don’t need to rehearse that again today. Our focus this morning is the tree of life.

Immediately after introducing the two special trees, the author of Genesis goes on to describe a river flowing out of Eden. This river then divides into four headwaters, each flowing in a different direction.

We recognize two of the rivers (the Tigris and the Euphrates) but the other two (the Pishon and the Gihon) are lost to history. In any case, these rivers water the land beyond Eden and bestow treasures of gold and onyx.

Water represents life. The message here is that God’s presence is the source of life. God makes this world more than just sustainable. God’s presence bestows richness and fertility. God makes life abundant. 

The river flowing through Eden waters all the trees in the garden, including the tree of life. There is some mystery surrounding the tree of life. Does one bite of the fruit instantly grant immortality, or do you have to keep eating the fruit to sustain your life?

We can’t be sure, but the wider Biblical witness and reason would suggest you have to keep eating the fruit to reverse the aging process and live longer. [2] Sounds magical doesn’t it. But it’s not magic, although it may be sacramental.

A sacrament is a physical reality which communicates or transfers God’s grace.

For example, when someone makes a meal for you, that meal communicates you are provided for and loved.

On at least one occasion, Jesus’ saliva served as a sacrament healing a man’s blindness. And on the day of Pentecost, the apostles’ tongues acted as a kind of sacrament communicating the good news of Jesus’ resurrection. 

If we think of the tree of life in the garden of Eden as sacramental, then it was a physical tree that transferred the gift of life and vitality to Adam and Eve.

Of course, the specifics of these things are beyond our knowing so we cannot be too dogmatic about it.

Access to the tree of life was lost to humanity when Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit from the tree of knowledge. From verse 22 of Genesis 3 we read what happens after Adam and Eve broke faith with God.

22 And the Lord God said, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat and live forever.” 23 So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. 24 After he drove the man out, he placed on the east sideof the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.

You may have heard of the law of entropy. The law of entropy says that when left alone in natural states, eventually everything goes into disorder. Or, as Murphy’s Law puts it, when left alone everything goes from bad to worse.

For example, after you have boiled the water for your tea it will eventually cool and return to room temperature. Or once you have frozen the ice cubes for your lemonade, they will eventually melt and your lemonade will become lukewarm.

Or if you leave your shiny new car out in the rain, it will eventually rust and fall apart. Or as you approach middle age, the six pack you were once so proud of will start to resemble a keg. Entropy is all that we know.  

But what if there was an antidote to entropy? Well, there is. The tree of life is the antidote. Eating the fruit of the tree of life reverses the aging process and restores your six pack. It takes away your sore back, your cataracts and your grey hair. It renews your strength and your health.

After eating from the tree of knowledge, Adam and Eve were denied access to the tree of life. God placed cherubim in the way to guard the tree. Cherubim are not the cute little cherubs (with cupids’ bow and arrow) that we might think of. Cherubim are God’s throne bearers. They are fearsome creatures, guardians of the holy presence, sort of like God’s secret service agents.  

Without access to the tree of life, humanity could not reverse the aging process. Consequently, life was no longer sustainable, and we all became subject to the law of entropy and death.   

It might seem like God’s judgement, in denying humanity access to everlasting life is a bit cruel, but actually God’s judgement is merciful.

Who wants to live forever if it means more and more pain and suffering?

Who wants to live forever if it means enduring our own sinfulness and the harm caused by others’ sin? If you live with entropy long enough you get to a point when you want it all to end.

In the middle – Proverbs

Okay, so that is the tree of life as it was in the beginning. We next hear about the tree of life in the middle of the Bible. In the book of Proverbs, the tree of life is associated with four things which make life sustainable: wisdom, righteousness, hope and healing.

In Proverbs chapter 3, verse 18, wisdom is described as a tree of life. Those who hold her fast will be blessed.

Wisdom enhances life. Wisdom makes life better, for you and others.

One bite of wisdom won’t grant you immortality, but if you keep nurturing the tree of wisdom, you will be blessed and life will become more sustainable.

In Proverbs 11, verse 30 we read: The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and the one who is wise saves souls.

In the Bible, to be righteous is practically the same thing as being wise.

Here the righteous are pictured as a tree of life, feeding others. The fruit of the righteous person (that is, their deeds of justice and mercy) save the souls of other people.  

In Victor Hugo’s novel, Les Miserable, the fruit of the righteous Bishop Myriel, giving away his silver candlesticks in an act of grace and forgiveness, was a tree of life for Jean Valjean. It made life sustainable for him.

Who has been a tree of life for you? Who can you be a tree of life for?

Proverbs 13, verse 12 says: Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.   

Just as the tree of life heals those who eat its fruit, so too a hope (or a longing) that is realised restores our faith and fills the cup of our soul.

When the disciples met the risen Jesus, in the days and weeks following his resurrection, their longing to see the Lord again was fulfilled and this reinvigorated their lives with fresh purpose and joy.

Seeing the risen Jesus was a tree of life for them. It sustained them in their mission of spreading the gospel. Indeed, faith in the resurrection of Jesus provides us with a pathway to eternal life.

What do you long for? Is your hope based on the sure promises of God?

Or is your hope misplaced in that which will ultimately disappoint?

Proverbs 15, verse 4 tells us that, a gentle tongue is a tree of life,but a perverse (or deceitful) tongue crushes the spirit. 

If you break your leg, you will probably need crutches to support your weight for a while, until the leg heals. The crutches serve as a kind of tree of life.

Bad words, deceitful words, words said with the intention of wounding, break something in our spirit. They cause pain and prevent us from walking by faith.

But a kind word, a true word, communicated at the right time and in the right way, can silence the voice of the critic and heal a broken spirit.

A gentle tongue is a tree of life, providing the strength and support we need to walk again by faith.

In the movie, Good Will Hunting, Robin Williams’ words to Matt Damon, “It’s not your fault”, were a tree of life.

What gentle words do you need to hear? What gentle words do you need to speak?

We’ve heard about the tree of life at the beginning of the Bible (in Genesis). And we’ve heard about the tree of life in the middle (in the book of Proverbs). What then does the Bible have to say about the tree of life at its end?

In the end – Revelation

From Revelation 22, the very last chapter of the Bible, we read…

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.

We are talking about the tree of life. So, what is life? People today often reduce the meaning of life to physical terms. We tend to think that if our heart is still beating and our lungs are still breathing, then we are alive. But for the writers of the Bible, life and death are not merely physical, they are spiritual as well.

Life is connection. You see, we can’t live in isolation. We need other people and we need other non-human creatures too. When we don’t have good connection, fear and insecurity creep in and before you know it people are doing harm to each other.

One of the key messages woven through the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, is that God is the source of life. Therefore, if we want our lives to be sustainable and abundant, then we need to have a good connection with God.

If life is connection with God (intimacy with him) then death is when we are cut off from the presence of God, alienated from him, hanging on by a thread.

At the end of the Bible, the apostle John gives us a vision of the heavenly city (the city of God) come to earth. It is a vision of renewed connection. A vision of abundant life. A vision of healing and nourishment. A vision of fulfilling service and intimacy with God.

In Revelation 22, verse 1, the angel shows John the river of the water of life, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and the Lamb…

This picture creates a connection with the paradise of Eden. In Genesis 2 we read about a life-giving river flowing out from the presence of God, sustaining the earth. There is another life-giving river in our future.

The Lamb in Revelation is a reference to Jesus, the Messiah. Jesus is the sacrificial Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Jesus reigns with God in heaven. Indeed, Jesus is God, Lord of all.

The water of life is probably a reference to the Holy Spirit.

In the gospel of John chapter 7, Jesus said: “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”  39 By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive.   

Returning to the vision in Revelation 22, John sees the tree of life growing on each side of the river of life. Again, the mention of the tree of life creates a connection with the garden of Eden, but also with the tree of life proverbs we heard earlier.

This heavenly tree of life bears twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. It is unclear whether these are 12 different kinds of fruit each month or whether it is the same kind of fruit all year round.

In Galatians we read that the fruits of the Spirit are many and varied: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

Given what we know about the diversity of God’s creation, we are inclined to think the tree of life bears many different kinds of fruit.

In any case, we are shown a picture of abundant nourishment. Twelve is an ideal number, representing wholeness and perfection. This tree is well watered and extremely fruitful. No one is going hungry in the city of God. Everyone’s needs are met.

But wait, there’s more: the leaves of the tree of life are for the healing of the nations.

Tree leaves are often used in traditional medicine for the healing of wounds.

In Māori culture Kawakawa leaves are regarded as having medicinal properties and are often worn at special ceremonies like tangihanga, when people are in need of healing and restoration. 

In a world torn apart by war and violence, the nations are in desperate need of the healing leaves of the tree of life. We pray for this kind of healing in places like the Middle East, Ukraine and parts of Africa, but also in our own land, for we are not without strife.

Conclusion:

God’s presence is a tree of life, renewing our relationships and transforming this world beyond mere sustainability to abundance. 

How then do we gain access to this wonderful tree of life? Through Jesus. When Jesus died on the cross, the veil in the temple which separated the holy of holies, was torn in two as a sign that humanity has access to God the Father through faith in Jesus. Jesus restores our connection with God and one another.

Let us pray… 

Gracious God, we thank you for sustaining your creation. Help us to remain in Christ, faithful to the end, that we may eat from the tree of life and enjoy eternity with you. Amen.

Questions for discussion or reflection:

  1. What stands out for you in reading these Scriptures and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?
  2. What is life?
  3. What does sustainability mean to you? How might we live in a more sustainable way? Environmentally? Economically? Socially? Spiritually? Etc. 
  4. What is the tree of life associated with in Genesis? Why do you think God created the tree of life in Genesis 2? Why did God deny access to the tree of life in Genesis 3?
  5. Discuss / reflect on the tree of life in the book of Proverbs. E.g. In relation to wisdom, righteousness, healing and hope? Who has been a tree of life to you? Who can you be a tree of life for?
  6. What connections do you observe between the tree of life references in Genesis, Proverbs and Revelation? 
  7. How do we gain access to the tree of life?

[1] Refer Derek Kidner’s commentary on Genesis, page 62.

[2] Refer John Walton’s NIVAC on Genesis, page 170.

Tawa Baptist

Origin Story

Scripture: Proverbs 8:22-31

Video Link: https://youtu.be/87rpvMSs4HM

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Wisdom’s origin
  • Wisdom’s function
  • Wisdom’s delight
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning, everyone.

Today we continue our series in the Old Testament book of Proverbs. Proverbs contains the ABC’s of wisdom. The wisdom of Proverbs is not academic or abstract. It is down to earth and practical.

Over the past few weeks, we have been dipping into the opening chapters of Proverbs in which a parent is impressing upon their children the importance of choosing wisdom when making life decisions.

There are essentially two aspects to wisdom: character and competence. Character has to do with integrity and righteousness, while competence has to do with skill and the ability to do things well.

If we think of wisdom as a tree, then character represents the roots and competence the branches. Wisdom is about maintaining strong roots of good character and healthy branches of competence that bear good fruit.    

A couple of weeks ago we began looking at Proverbs 8, which personifies wisdom as a woman, Lady Wisdom. This morning our message focuses on the second half of Proverbs 8 which explores wisdom’s origin, function and delight. From verse 22 we read…

22 “The Lord brought me forth as the first of his works, before his deeds of old; 23 I was formed long ages ago, at the very beginning, when the world came to be. 24 When there were no watery depths, I was given birth, when there were no springs overflowing with water; 25 before the mountains were settled in place, before the hills, I was given birth, 26 before he made the world or its fields or any of the dust of the earth. 27 I was there when he set the heavens in place, when he marked out the horizon on the face of the deep, 28 when he established the clouds above and fixed securely the fountains of the deep, 29 when he gave the sea its boundary so the waters would not overstep his command, and when he marked out the foundations of the earth. 30 Then I was the craftsmanat his side. I was filled with delight day after day, rejoicing always in his presence, 31 rejoicing in his whole world and delighting in humankind.

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate God’s word for us.

As I mentioned before, these verses point out wisdom’s origin, wisdom’s function and wisdom’s delight. Where does wisdom come from? It comes from God. What is wisdom’s function? To create order. And what does Lady Wisdom delight in? She delights in creation, especially humankind. Let’s begin then with wisdom’s origin. 

Wisdom’s origin:

The movie, Batman Begins, tells the origin story of Batman. As a child, Bruce Wayne witnessed his parents being violently killed and this sowed seeds in shaping his future as a vigilante hero.

Wolverine had a similar origin story. His powers were realised when he witnessed his father being killed.

Spiderman’s ‘origin story’ involved Peter Parker being bitten by a radioactive spider. And the latest Guardians of the Galaxy movie explores the origin story of Rocket. Origin stories are popular in the comic book world.  

In Proverbs 8, Lady Wisdom tells us her origin story, how she came to be. Unlike these comic book heroes, wisdom did not have a traumatic childhood or get her super powers by accident. Wisdom had a wonderful upbringing and she was born with her powers. 

In verse 22 Lady Wisdom says of herself: “The Lord brought me forth as the first of his works before his deeds of old;”

This tells us that wisdom comes from God and wisdom comes first, before time began and before the stars and the earth were formed. Because wisdom comes from God and because wisdom comes before creation, wisdom possesses a unique authority. 

Now, as I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, these verses are not suggesting that wisdom is an actual person. This is poetry and not to be taken literally. Lady Wisdom is a personification of God’s wisdom or God’s way of doing things. Wisdom is an aspect of God’s character or personality if you like.

In Job 38, the Lord God (Yahweh) says to Job, “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand…”

Job could not possibly answer the Lord’s question. Wisdom could answer this question though because wisdom was there with God when the Lord was creating the universe.

Returning to Proverbs 8, the point is, the Lord did not make anything without wisdom. Wisdom is woven into the very fabric of the universe. This means there is design and purpose in the world. Some randomness, yes. Quite a lot of mystery and wonder but also discernable patterns. Everything is connected.

Given that wisdom comes from God, we need to look to God for wisdom. To imagine we could live without God is to turn our back on wisdom. Because God used wisdom in making the universe, it follows that we should use wisdom too. Wisdom is essential to our survival. We cannot live without it.

You might ask, ‘What difference does it make that wisdom comes from God?’

Well, it means that all true wisdom is God’s wisdom. There is no wisdom apart from God.

The Bible is a special book for Christians. It is sacred and carries more weight than other books because we believe the Bible to be inspired by God and therefore full of wisdom. That being said, without the wisdom of good character and competent interpretation, our reading of the Bible can do more harm than good.  

The Bible is not the only source of wisdom available to us though. The physical world in which we live is also a source of wisdom. A few weeks ago we heard how the humble ant teaches us skills for life. We can learn from studying creation because God made the universe with wisdom.

This is where science is helpful. Some people pit faith and science against each other, as if they were enemies. But faith and science are pursuing the same goal; the goal being truth. Of course, just as faith can be misapplied, so too science can be misapplied to harmful effect. Science needs the wisdom of good character and competence.   

Wisdom has the ultimate origin story. Wisdom comes from God and before creation. God made wisdom a priority and so should we.

Wisdom’s function: 

What about wisdom’s function? What purpose does wisdom serve? Put simply, wisdom creates order and order supports life. Said another way, wisdom’s function is to make the world functional and to make our lives functional.

Last Monday was a beautiful day so I mowed the lawns. I love the instant satisfaction you get from a freshly mown lawn. It distracts me from all the weeds in the garden.

Anyway, as I was mowing, the engine cut out for no apparent reason. A half mown lawn is not satisfying at all. I thought about it for a moment and deduced it was either a problem with the fuel supply or the spark plug. Sure enough, the spark plug was too dirty to fire. So I cleaned it and had the mower running again in no time.

My knowledge (or wisdom) about lawnmower engines enabled me to fix the mower and make it functional again. The function (or purpose) of wisdom is to make things work well.

From verse 27 of Proverbs 8, Lady Wisdom says of herself…

27 I was there when he [God] set the heavens in place, when he marked out the horizon on the face of the deep, 28 when he established the clouds above and fixed securely the fountains of the deep, 29 when he gave the sea its boundary so the waters would not overstep his command, and when he marked out the foundations of the earth.

This is a poetic description of God creating the universe. It is not a literal or scientific description of creation. The poetry here is saying that God uses wisdom to bring order to the chaos and make life functional. 

Notice the two basic things wisdom does to create order. Firstly, wisdom sorts things. Wisdom puts the elements in their proper place. The clouds go above; the foundations go below. The sea goes here and the land goes there.

Wisdom sorts things. A bit like when you are doing the washing. You keep the colours separate from the whites.      

Or to return to the anecdote about my lawnmower; the engine stopped functioning because dirt and grease got into the spark plug where it didn’t belong. Once I had removed the dirt and grease from the spark plug, the engine worked fine again.  

The second basic thing wisdom does to create order is to set boundaries.

God marks out the horizon. He gives the sea its boundary so the waters don’t overstep and he marks out the foundations. Sort of like when you are building a house; before you pour the concrete slab you measure out the footings and put in the boxing to hold the cement. Wisdom sets boundaries.

The Law of Moses is God given wisdom designed to create order in society and prevent chaos. The ten commandments set out clear boundaries to enable society to function well. Don’t steal, don’t commit adultery, don’t murder and so on are all necessary boundaries to prevent injustice and harm.

Sometimes this world gets a bit chaotic and we struggle to function well. What’s happening in the Middle East and Eastern Europe at the moment is what you get when boundaries are transgressed. It’s a tangled mess that can only be sorted by the wisdom of God.

We do not have the answers and so we pray, ‘Your kingdom come, Lord, your will be done’, in the hope that God will bring order to a disordered world.

When our personal lives are in chaos, wisdom says, ‘Stop. Think. Sort out in your mind what is in your power to control and what is not. What is your problem to deal with and what is someone else’s problem? Don’t waste time and energy on what you cannot control. Give yourself to that which you can control. Establish some boundaries in your life.’       

How functional is your life at the moment? Wisdom creates order by sorting things and setting boundaries. Are there things in your life which are out of place and need to be sorted? Do you have healthy boundaries? 

Establishing healthy boundaries might mean working less overtime so you have more time and energy for your family. It might mean drinking less so you have more control over your choices. It might mean telling someone, ‘No. Stop it. I don’t like this.’ It might mean being less of a people pleaser and honouring your own values. You will know the boundaries you need.

Wisdom finds its origin in God and before creation. Wisdom’s function (or purpose) is to create order and make life functional. And what does Lady Wisdom delight in? She delights in creation.

Wisdom’s delight:

If you are a baker, you will delight in making a cake that tastes delicious and looks yummy.

If you are a carpenter, you will delight in crafting a perfect dovetail joint or putting up a wall that is straight.

If you are a teacher, you will delight in seeing your students learn to read or do maths or play an instrument or gain understanding.

If you are an accountant, you will delight in reconciling the accounts and saving money.

If you are a parent, you will delight in seeing your children grow up to make good choices.

If you are a lawyer, you will delight in fair processes and seeing justice done. 

If you are a chess player, you will delight in out manoeuvring your opponent. 

If you are a gardener, you will delight is seeing your plants thrive and bear quality fruit.

What is it that you delight in? 

Wisdom delights in God’s creation and especially in humankind, for we are made in God’s image. From verse 30 of Proverbs 8, Lady Wisdom says…

Then I was the craftsmanat his side. I was filled with delight day after day, rejoicing always in his presence, 31 rejoicing in his whole world and delighting in humankind.

This is a poetic way of saying, wisdom is a source of joy for joy breaks out whenever and wherever the creator’s wisdom is exercised.

As Christine Yoder puts it: ‘Far from being burdensome or tedious, learning is a joy-filled, love inspiring, playful relationship with knowledge and God.’ [1]

It’s interesting that wisdom describes herself as a ‘craftsman’ by God’s side at creation. Jesus was a craftsman, a carpenter.

The writers of the New Testament make a connection between Jesus and wisdom. In John’s gospel, for example, we read of Jesus that he is the Word of God who was with God in the beginning and through whom all things were made.  

The original Greek noun translated as ‘Word’ is logos. Jesus is the logos of God, as in the logic or reasoning of God. When we look to Jesus we see God’s wisdom, we see how God thinks.

This is not to say that Jesus is exactly the same as Lady Wisdom. Lady Wisdom is a personification whereas Jesus is an actual human person, the Son of God. Nevertheless, Jesus embodies the wisdom of God.   

The apostle Paul picks up on this point in his letter to the Corinthians where he writes: but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

Jesus, the master craftsman, the one who embodies God’s wisdom, delights in establishing God’s order, God’s kingdom on earth. Jesus came to restore and redeem creation, to make all things new.

There’s a lovely little moment, in Luke 10, where we see Jesus himself delighting in God’s handiwork. From verse 21 we read…

21 At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.

Wisdom comes from God. Wisdom makes life better. Wisdom is a source of joy and delight. Wisdom is embodied in Christ and wisdom is communicated by the Holy Spirit. Get the Spirit of Jesus and you get access to God’s wisdom and joy.

Conclusion:

There will be times in life when we don’t feel particularly wise. Times when things are not going so well and we feel a bit lost. Times when we simply don’t know which way is up or what the best course of action is.

At those times we may feel foolish, like the wisdom we desperately want is out of reach. If we find ourselves in that situation, then hearing a sermon about how we should be wise might make us feel worse. Be gentle with yourself and have some faith in God.   

When I look back over my life so far, I don’t think, “Gee, I’m wise. Man, I’ve made some smart moves”. No. I think to myself, “Gee, I’ve made some dumb decisions and man, I’m slow to learn. But wow, how wise is God to work my choices for good.”   

Wisdom does not consist in having all the answers. Wisdom begins with looking to God, who is the origin of wisdom. And wisdom continues as we trust Jesus to be our wisdom.

Let us pray…

Loving God, we pray for your Spirit of wisdom to shape our character and make us skillful in doing your will. May we delight in you and you in us. Through Jesus we pray. Amen. 

Questions for discussion or reflection:

What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?

  • What is your origin story? What role has wisdom played in your life? Why do we need wisdom? 
  • What difference does it make that wisdom comes from God? How do you understand the relationship between faith and science? What can we learn from faith? What can we learn from science / creation?
  • What function / purpose does wisdom serve?
  • How functional (or chaotic) is your life at the moment? Wisdom creates order by sorting things and setting boundaries. Are there things in your life which are out of place and need to be sorted? Do you have healthy boundaries?  What needs to change?
  • What do you delight in? Why do you delight in this? How might you make time for delighting in God?  
  • What does it mean to trust Jesus to be our wisdom? How might we do this?

[1] Christine Yoder’s commentary on Proverbs, page 103.