Two Kinds of Wisdom

Two Kinds of Wisdom

James 3:13-18

Proverbs 11:16-20

We have all heard many definitions of wisdom. Each of us would probably define it a little differently from the others. Famous writers have written about it and the Bible has many statements about what constitutes wisdom.

In the first part of the text from James today, the Greek word is “sophia.” Clement of Alexandria defines sophia as the knowledge of things both human and divine and of their causes. William Barclay suggests that “sophia” itself is always noble, always implies goodness, but can be perverted into bad.

Someone has said that “often the false is made to look appealing.” How true. We see the same in the acts of terrorism that seem to occur daily in the middle east and now in England and France, and occasionally here in the United States. The fruit of earthly wisdom is selfish ambition and bitter jealousy. Omar Bradley summed it up quite accurately, “The world has achieved brilliance without conscience. Ours is a world of nuclear giants and ethical infants.”

Proverbs 4:7 tells us, “Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil.”

We might call this perverted wisdom. It is what James was speaking about when he referred to earthly wisdom. There are three aspects of it to consider: its nature, its content and its product.

I. It’s Nature

James says “this wisdom is not such as comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, devilish.” When we think of wisdom as being earthly, we can see immediately what Barclay had in mind when he speaks of there being two kinds of wisdom – good and bad. James, you see, is not kind in his description of earthly wisdom. This wisdom is that which cannot see beyond the horizon of this world. It is that which is inspired by motives popular among those whose “mind is set on earthly things.”

In other words, too often, we count ourselves wise only in human terms. We overlook the fact that, as Paul says, “wisdom of this world is foolishness with God.” Whenever we set ourselves as judge in any situation, or consider ourselves to be the expert on any given matter, we are forgetting that there is but One who is a perfect and just judge, One who is all-knowing and all-wise. We forget that we must submit to Him. And you know something? It is better to submit to Him now and follow His wisdom rather than wait until that last day and stand before Him regretting our unwillingness to grant Him first place in our lives and in our decisions.

James goes on to say that earthly wisdom is unspiritual. What he is saying is that it is not of the Holy Spirit, it is strictly from us and for us. Some scholars have suggested that it is sensual wisdom and as such it is the kind of wisdom which we have in common with animals. It is the selfish, self-preservation type of wisdom, the kind that causes us to turn on a brother or a sister in order to preserve ourselves, or prove ourselves “wiser” or “more capable” than others.

The third thing James says about this earthly wisdom is that it is “demonic.” He is saying that its source is the devil, not God. Its content is that which comes from the devil, its product is that which pleases the devil. This earthly wisdom is the kind that disappoints God because the person who appropriates this wisdom does not turn to God for help, rather he/she turns to other men and women seeking their praise.

One of the reasons the United States is so hated by many across the world is our wealth and success, as opposed to many small countries who have so little by comparison. Wars, aggression and acts of terrorism committed in the name of religion point clearly to a false religion imposed on ignorant people who are taught the falsehood that their acts of terror will achieve a place in heaven. James says that one of the characteristics of earthly wisdom is that it is demonic. This is clearly the case in the instance of Islamic extremists.

James tells us that the result of earthly wisdom is disorder and every kind of evil. We have seen the disorder created by many who think they are wise. We have seen many kinds of evil perpetrated in the name of religion. Why? Perhaps Isaiah foretold this age as well as another. Speaking for the Lord, he said, ‘These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men. Therefore once more I will astound these people with wonder upon wonder; the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish.” (Isaiah 29:13-14)

The question remains: how do we recognize this earthly wisdom? How is it characterized? And, James gives us a clear answer to those questions. He gives us two characteristics or ways in which it manifests itself. Both, I believe, are readily recognizable.

The first is bitter jealousy. The pew Bible (NRSV) translates this as envy and jealous ambition. Clearly, the two are very similar. Some versions use zeal, in a negative way, rather than envy. We hear of those who are zealous for the Lord. And that’s a good thing: they are not afraid to share their faith. They are not afraid to wear their Christianity on their shirt sleeve, so to speak. But zeal which becomes bitter or pointed or sharp has degenerated from good to bad, and becomes a hurtful thing.

Jealousy, is never a good thing. It breeds discontent and unhappiness. It is an indication of the loss of faith. As the lover, for instance, becomes jealous when the one he loves looks at or speaks to another, he feels he cannot trust her – in his own mind, it works and works until it becomes an obsession. And as it goes on brooding and breeding, it disintegrates into a complete loss of faith and the relationship is destroyed.

This is what happens to us in our earthly wisdom. Because we are not all-wise, all-knowing, we are threatened by anyone who treads on “our” territory. Relationships then break down – including our relationship with God.

The other characteristic which James offers for earthly wisdom is that of selfish ambition. Because we tend to consider ourselves wise, we want, perhaps even demand:

$recognition

$more money, a promotion,

$more “unwise” or “less wise” people around us.

The devil is a crafty fellow. He helps us realize how important it is to hear ourselves praised. And so, we push for recognition, ambition, praise to the exclusion of our God who made us in His own image, the One whom we need to be truly wise.

The saddest part of earthly wisdom is the product – the harvest it reaps. James says the product of envy and selfish ambition is disorder and wickedness of every kind. That’s exactly what Satan likes to see! When Satan can cause brothers and sisters, friends and neighbors, co-workers or fellow Christians to turn on one another, create disorder, join in sinful practices, he is a happy person. When we begin to deal with others with an air of superiority or earthly wisdom, we begin to create strained relationships. We lose our identity as Christians because the love of Christ is no longer in us.

Anger, bitterness, jealousy, selfishness all begin to clutter our thinking, to push God out of our minds, to let confusion and disorder reign. We can no longer think rationally and all sense of wisdom is gone.

II. Heavenly Wisdom

James then goes on to talk about heavenly wisdom – he calls it that which comes from above. He gives eight features which characterize this wisdom which comes from above; features that we will want to keep in mind as we try to cultivate within ourselves this heavenly wisdom.

The first is purity. James makes the point that this is not just one in a list, but that it is first – above all others. Purity here means totally lacking in bitter jealousy or selfish ambition. It means, one scholar suggests, pure enough to approach God; whereas earthly wisdom might want to hide from God. Heavenly wisdom is pure because it lacks personal motives. It seeks to accomplish what is best in God’s eyes and thus bring Him praise, rather than seeking what helps us the most, gets the most for us, brings praises to ourselves.

Next, James says this heavenly wisdom is peaceable – able to promote peace. As a result, it can prevent the disorder that is characteristic of earthly wisdom. This peace, however, pertains specifically to basic relationships: man to man, woman to woman, man to woman, individuals to God. Paul speaks of this peace in Romans 5:1, “Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” In other words, because of our faith in Jesus Christ, we are set right in our relationship with God. We thus may know peace, satisfaction in that relationship as well as in our relationships with others. Faith, you see, is the key to finding that peace – to promoting that peace.

The third characteristic is gentleness. This kind of gentleness is that which is considerate in its demands. It does not ask the ridiculous, does not insist on its rights, is able to forgive even when justice is on its side. This gentleness is able to temper justice with mercy.

I fear our society has all but lost this quality. We are moving steadily towards the day when it becomes extinct. For example:

$every imaginable group demands its rights today;

$one group’s demands are often in conflict with another group’s demands – reproducing disorder;

$people sue one another at the slightest provocation with no thought of forgiveness, mostly with a thought of greed;

$people develop all kinds of reasoning, some very strange and twisted, in order to reinterpret the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, even the Bible to cover their own whims and desires.

Next, is being open to reason, or as the pew Bible puts it, willing to yield. Other versions use the simple word “friendly.” A person who is friendly, in this sense of the word, is one who recognizes the personhood of others. They accept and understand that others may have differing opinions as valid and as strong as their own. It is the person who will, with an effort to understand, listen to a differing opinion. It is the person who is not stubborn, insisting on their own way. The person who knows when to yield. The person who is docile and willing to yield to reasonable requests.

The fifth and sixth characteristics are full of mercy and good fruits. A person who has these qualities is one who shows active sympathy towards those suffering and sorrowing. In other words, a person who does not investigate the cause, but looks at the need and actively seeks to help that needy person. That is, their mercy and compassion are manifested by the good deeds, which they exhibit in trying to help the person who is in need.

The next item in James’ list is what the pew Bible calls without a trace of partiality. A more accurate translation is to be without uncertainty. More simply said, it is undivided. This quality speaks of the person who is not vacillating on issues, not wavering and hesitant. In other words, impartial. It stands to reason that the one who has heavenly wisdom is certain because their direction comes from God.

Finally, James says this person is without hypocrisy. You see, heavenly wisdom brings forth in a person, their honesty. They are not pretending to be someone or something they are not. They are sincere, authentic.

The harvest of all this wisdom from above, James says, is goodness that is produced from the seeds peacemakers plant in peace. If you remember, the passage started with these words: “Show by your good life that your works are done with gentleness born of wisdom.” (James 3:13) A good life, you see, exhibits humility. And that humility is an essential accompaniment of wisdom. Any contentiousness or arrogance, any tendency to self-assertion, any desire to glorify oneself over others, is a clear sign that this humility is lacking.

But we must understand that this humility, or meekness as other translations put it, is not that which allows itself to be controlled by earthly cares or lustful desires. Not to be allowed to be pushed around and trodden under foot. We need only study the life of Jesus to recognize the kind of meekness or humility James refers to. A humility that is backed up by obvious authority, which comes from heavenly wisdom.

When James speaks of a good life, he is not talking about lying around all day, with beautiful girls (or guys) fanning you and feeding you grapes. Rather, the word “good” could be better translated “strong” – the reference being to our witness to others.

The Apostle Paul told the Christians in Rome, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” (Romans 12:1-2) You see, “the turning point in our lives is when we stop seeking the God we want and start seeking the God who is.”

The point of all this commentary on earthly and heavenly wisdom is that we need to seek the wisdom that is from above. If we set ourselves as wise without God’s guidance and help, we will in fact, be foolish. Our witness to the world will be disorder and chaos and every evil practice -- which others will find distasteful.

If we have found heavenly wisdom, through our faith and trust in Jesus Christ, our witness will be one of strength and right relationships, love and concern for our fellow men and women. The health of the body, the church, will be strong and people will see and say, “I want that!”

Someone has said, “God gave us two ends: one to think with and one to sit on. Heads you win, tails you lose.” Another wise sage has pointed out that “it is impossible for a worthwhile thought to enter your mind through an open mouth.” We can learn to live by the wisdom from above, as James calls it, by reading God’s word on a regular, preferably daily, basis; by meditating on it and letting our minds digest it; and in prayer seek out God’s will and put Him first in our lives. It has been my experience that putting God first in your life solves the other problems, because you have acted to rely on the wisdom that comes from above.

Prayer:

Father God, You have loved us in spite of our weakness and failures. For that we can only say Thank You. So we ask now that You help us work to make our wisdom: that which You have offered in Your Holy Word, rather than our own, sometimes perverted, and sometimes personal, ideas.

Hold us close and help us lean on You day and night and always seek Your plans and Your wisdom. In Jesus name. Amen.