Thursday of 2nd Week of Easter
Acts 5: 27-33; John 3: 31-36
By Deacon Larry Brockman
Most of us are easily duped, duped by the wisdom of the world. It is, after all, the wisdom of the establishment. It is provable by logic; backed up by science and studies; and is usually directed towards making us feel better. The wisdom of the world captures our minds.
The wisdom of God, on the other hand is fleeting. It requires faith, defies logic, and often causes us discomfort. The wisdom of God is aimed at capturing our hearts. And so, it is so much easier to accept the wisdom of the world than it is to accept the Wisdom of God.
Such was the lot of the Pharisees and the Sanhedrin in Jesus’ time. Jesus’ message was one that moved people’s hearts, not their minds.
The Pharisees and the Sanhedrin couldn’t understand that. Jesus and his disciples broke all the rules, rules that paid lip service to the intent of the law but on the surface, they seemed to capture the intent of the Jewish tradition. And so, people could just follow the letter of the law. They didn’t have to think about what God’s will was for them; they could feel good knowing they were just following the rules. Their efforts were directed at playing it safe and being comfortable by doing their own thing. Their efforts were not directed at making a difference by loving.
On the other hand, Jesus preached repentance and accepting God’s greatest commandment, to love our neighbor as we love ourselves; to forgive transgressions and love our enemies; and to go out and be proactive by drawing others to God. And that was hard; it was challenging. And the Sanhedrin was tired of being told they didn’t have it right. And so they wanted to get rid of Jesus; to silence the prophetic voice that there was more to God’s plan than just following some rules.
Our Gospel tells us that we must listen to and believe the teaching of Jesus if we are to have eternal life. That means we need to embrace the wisdom of God. It’s a matter of the heart. The Holy Spirit gives us that wisdom- it is a free gift. All you have to do is ask for it.
So, do that, ask for the gift of the wisdom of God at the beginning of each day, especially when you are challenged, when the going gets tough? Do you make time to pray for and ask for God’s wisdom before you get going each day?
Fill your heart, and not your mind with the real inspiration you need to get through life’s trials- The wisdom of God.
Tags: Wisdom of God