Friends,

Here is Common Christianity #830 (10-11-22), “What in the World?” Godly wisdom and worldly wisdom are two fairly different things, but easy spot while hard to define.  See the column just below.  Have a great week!  Bob

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Labels: James 3:13-18, Kindness, Mustard Seed Bible study, peace, philosophy, U.S. Supreme Court, wisdom

Spirituality Column #830

October 11, 2022

Common Christianity / Uncommon Commentary

What in the World?

By Bob Walters

“Who is wise and understanding among you?” – James 3:13

Wisdom is one of those wonderful cosmic qualities, like love and beauty, that defies common, worldly definition.

One can spend a great deal of time describing wisdom or love or beauty without nailing a repeatable, true-in-every-case, conclusive list of qualities.  It’s easier to revert to the “I know it when I see it” argument Justice Potter Stewart used in a 1964 U.S. Supreme Court case involving free speech and a more opposite idea, obscenity.

But wisdom is the topic of the day.  In preparing a lesson on James 3:13-18 for a Mustard Seed session last week I discovered a couple of plainly observable elements of “wisdom” that I’ve previously overlooked … but now realize they are there all the time.

One is kindness, and the other is peace. Yeah … it surprised me too.  These have not been the first things I think of regarding wisdom.  Now, I can’t un-think of them.

James is considered the New Testament’s unofficial “wisdom literature” because it is similar in pithy, practical, easily accessible tone and advice to the Old Testament’s Book of Proverbs.  Plain language, plain instruction: do the right thing and it is wisdom.

“Who is wise…?” James can tell with two sure indicators – “a good life, and humility.” (v13) Good life here means “free of self-inflicted chaos” and humility is bridling one’s pride.  If we think of a “good life” as being “rich, smart, good looking, and healthy” – hey, I’d take it, I think – we are nonetheless flirting with and possibly nosediving into James’ next point (v14) about harboring “bitter envy, selfish ambition … [and] boasting.”

Humans tend to idolize the worldly stuff we attain, and we need to not do that.

We never encounter selfish envy and think, “This is a wise person.”  But when we see grace and calmness amid difficulty, and an abiding concern for others, and let’s not forget love, we sense a power beyond fallen humanity’s chaotic fight for survival.

I daresay we sense the comforting, peace-tending presence of the divine.

James, the half-brother of Jesus, clearly delineates origins of two different kinds of wisdoms: the wisdom from above, i.e., God, and the wisdom from below, which he describes as earthly, unspiritual, demonic (v15).  This is the worldview that creates trouble amid those who are “wise in their own eyes” (Is 5:21, Prov 26:12, Rom 1:22). To avoid, disbelieve, or discount divine – i.e., God’s – wisdom is to sow chaos and death. 

Only God’s wisdom is permanent and eternal.  Man’s earthly wisdom – we all have at least some – works for a while but ends at human death; there is no enduring, eternal peace, no “next round” to go to.  Unspiritual wisdom gives rise to earthly disorder, and when the “wisdom” of demons and Satan call the plays, evil flourishes.

Sadly, there is only limited “play” for this assessment, and that only among those of us who believe the Bible and the Lordship of Jesus Christ.  Jesus is our connecting point to God and salvation. Whatever else happens in life, when we have relationship with Jesus, wisdom shows in kindness and inherent peace. Non-believers lack that.

Think of the countless libraries of human philosophy that are plenty erudite but lack God, the fear of God, and relationship with Christ. James shouldered the task of defining the world’s new reality in Christ, and it was God’s wisdom James shared.

Walters (rlwcom@aol.com) encourages you to think of Godly and wise people you know; they live in kindness and peace, right?