Proper 15B
Judy
Dear Friends,
This Sunday’s sermon is entitled “Wisdom- Start with the Facts and Watch Your Mouth” and deals with the Old Testament lesson (1st Kings 2:10-12; 3:3-14). Here it is:
Today we heard the wonderful Old Testament episode from the book of 1st Kings (2:10-12, 3:3-14) that told why King David’s son, Solomon, was so dearly special to God. As you recall, when God promised him anything (wealth, power, territory), he asked for wisdom. Parents, grandparents, godparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, youth mentors- can you imagine how you would feel if you asked your specially-loved child what they would like and (instead of a bike, a car, clothes, a computer or iPhone) they asked for WISDOM? I know how I’d feel- I’d think they were sick and had lost it! But Solomon, when he could have had anything, really did ask for wisdom. This is good advice for us too. Did you notice Paul’s warning in Ephesians (5:15-17): “Act like people with good sense and not like fools. These are evil times, so make every minute count. Don't be stupid. Instead, find out what the Lord wants you to do.” Then the Psalm (34:13-14) tells us what that is: “Then don't say cruel things and don't tell lies. Do good instead of evil and try to live at peace.” Psalm 111:10a says “Respect and obey the LORD! This is the first step to wisdom and good sense.”
Wisdom- what is it and how do we get it? The Random House dictionary defines wisdom as “Knowledge of what is true or right coupled with good judgment.” Wisdom starts with the facts. When I was a little girl, you can guess how tired my mother was of hearing my mouth, because I was a real chatterbox! She finally taught me this little poem: “A wise old owl lived in an oak. The more he saw, the less he spoke. The less he spoke, the more he heard. Why can’t we all be like that wise old bird?!” It didn’t work- I still ran my mouth, but my mother really did have a point. How many ears did God give us for collecting the facts? (Sure- two.) And how many eyes did God give us for collecting the facts? (Again- two.) And how many mouths? (Only one.) Doesn’t that tell us something? Remember Ephesians 5? God expects us to have good sense, not act like fools, and not be stupid. (Isn’t that what it says?) To be wise, we must get our facts first.
There’s a problem with this Bible advice. Did you notice how Paul reminded us that these are evil times? There was a sign on a plumber’s window that said, “We repair what your husband (or wife) tried to fix.” Everybody’s got to be an expert, even if they don’t have the facts. Our culture teaches us to pick a side and treat anyone who doesn’t agree with us as the enemy because they are either stupid or wrong, and then speak and act without listening to anyone else. Can you even start to guess how many marriages break up because of this anti-Biblical attitude, how many friendships are lost, how many families have members not speaking to each other, and how many arguments from this kind of behavior have even degenerated into abuse or violence? Did you hear about the minister and the rabbi who wanted to do their good deed for the day? They stood along a well-traveled road with a sign that said, “Turn around, the end is near!” Along came a car speeding by. The driver saw their sign, gave them the finger, and shouted: “Religious fanatics- trying to tell me what to believe!” The next thing they heard was a huge splash. “Lost another one,” said the minister. “Maybe we should stop trying to be so fancy on our sign. Maybe we should just say “Bridge out.” Maybe so, and maybe we can learn from this driver how to listen to others. James (1:19-20) says, “My dear friends, be quick to listen and slow to speak or to get angry. If you are angry, you cannot do any of the good things that God wants done.” So what’s the Bible way? Listen, truly listen to your opponent, even if your opponent is a child.
Here are some devil-traps to avoid if we’re going to get the facts so we can truly apply Godly wisdom:
- Don’t enter a discussion “armed for battle.” Your purpose is not to win. Your purpose is to understand.
- Don’t be so busy thinking about how you’re going to respond that you don’t hear where the other person is coming from.
- Don’t assume the other person is evil or even wrong. Instead, if the person is a Christian, assume they are looking at the issue from a different point of view. Treat them with honor and respect. (“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”)
- A good friend of mine often says, “Unless you are without sin, don’t throw the first stone.” In other words, don’t judge your neighbor. Follow the advice of Jesus, Paul, and James.
- Don’t keep trouble going- that’s a greater sin than whatever the original problem is because you are sowing hatred between people.
- Don’t call someone on the phone to tell them about another person. Instead, talk to the person himself or herself. If you must talk to someone else, do it in confidence with the goal of helping the other person.
- Finally, remember in last week’s gospel how Jesus told the people to stop grumbling and complaining. Follow his advice. Stop worrying about other people and work on your own spiritual life. When is the last time you helped someone in Jesus’ name? What bad habits do you have? What are you struggling with yourself? How are you doing in your Bible reading and prayer life? When is the last time you learned something new or stretched your mind and spirit?
May God bless us as we continue learning how to get the facts, to hear and appreciate other points of view, and to grow in Godly wisdom. May God bless us as we follow James’ advice: “My dear friends, be quick to listen and slow to speak or to get angry.” And may God help us remember his further advice: “If you are angry, you cannot do any of the good things that God wants done.”
For anyone who is interested, this sermon and updated African-American wisdom statements are posted on our parish’s web site under “Sermons & Stuff”. The address is: http://www.stpaulsepisag.org .
Blessed preaching,
Judy Boli
St. Paul's Episcopal Church
Saginaw, Michigan