(Today’s Readings: Psalm 54, James 3:16–4:6, Mark 9:30–37 )
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Who among us is wise and has understanding?
We are too easily blinded by pride.
We assume it is better to be rich than poor, to be satisfied than hungry.
We subtly interpret our gifts and blessings as signs of superiority over others.
We readily form judgements of others and then downplay our own weaknesses.
We hold back from confessing our sins and resist the work of repentance.
In our Gospel reading we find for the second time in a few weeks Jesus proclaiming, “The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of His enemies. He will be killed, but three days later He will rise from the dead” (Mark 9:31b).
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The disciples failed to understand His predictions, and in 9:32, we read “They were afraid to ask Him what He meant.”
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Jesus died to free us to serve and to walk a road of true greatness, the road He Himself walked as He “did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).
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Jesus questioned the disciples about their ongoing discussion on the road. In 9:34 we read, “they kept silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest.”
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Jesus stated a new truth He wanted the disciples to accept, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all” (v 35).
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The disciples had yet to embrace the truth that gripped the heart of missionary David Brainerd who wrote, “It is sweet to be nothing and less than nothing that Christ may be all in all.”
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Divine wisdom is something the disciples had very little of though their teacher exhibited it in His every act.
What comes to mind when you hear Divine Wisdom?
The Bible states in Job 9:4 that, “God is wise in heart and mighty in strength.”
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Isaiah 11:2 was speaking of the future Messiah, our Lord Jesus Christ and said, “the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.”
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Romans 16:27 reveals that our God, the Creator of the Universe, is the ONLY wise God.
Divine Wisdom – All God’s choices, pursue the highest end, the greatest good, by the best means by which to arrive at the highest goal, which is always the glory of God and the good of His people.
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You and I can never fully understand the wisdom of God except for that which He reveals to us. In Isaiah 55:8-9 we read, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, declares the LORD. 9For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
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The greatest revelation of God’s wisdom is seen in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. The power of that cross to save sinners, God’s perfect plan of salvation, could only be the result of God’s great wisdom.
“There is one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity – the man Christ Jesus. He gave His life to purchase freedom for everyone.” (1 Timothy 2:5)
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In today’s Epistle lesson we find James, the younger brother of our Lord, presenting two sources of wisdom with the purpose of showing us that we must be discerning as to where our wisdom originates.
There is a wisdom that we might call worldly, but James is a bit more harsh, in 3:15 he writes, “This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.”
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In Genesis 3 the serpent tempted Eve to trust in his wisdom instead of God’s wisdom, and the adversary is doing the same thing in every one of our lives today.
Our own Whitey Haugan has taught us for years, that the evil one tempts us to first doubt God’s wisdom, then to doubt God Himself, to take action on our own wisdom, and then get others to do likewise.
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The most important factor in our growth in wisdom is perspective. Wisdom not of God doesn’t view life in light of eternity but in terms of personal benefit – how can I advance my agenda, promote myself, or assert myself?
James explains that such wisdom comes from the pit of hell.
Self-centered ambition is demonic, it is filled with envy, always comparing oneself to others to see who is better or worse. In 3:16 James writes, “where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.”
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The wisdom of the world produces self-centered pride in mankind. Wisdom from God produces humility in all who walk in it. James describes divine wisdom, verse 17, “The wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy, and good fruits, impartial, and sincere.”
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Notice how these characterizations of wisdom in James reflect the Beatitudes Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5:3-12
What a beautiful picture of the blessings of the wisdom that comes from God!
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James illustrates the results of worldly wisdom – the disorder and evil that is the result of pride, envy and selfish ambition that was permeating the community of faith.
This picture is summed up in 4:4: “You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore, whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”
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Out of the overflow of our hearts should come words and deeds that glorify our Heavenly Father and that point others to His Son Christ Jesus. This is true wisdom.
James wants us to understand that Divine Wisdom with an eternal perspective, flows from the one who is a friend of God and not a friend of the world.
BROTHERS and SISTERS –
“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” (James 1:5 NIV)
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