We need advocates for wisdom, especially the wisdom referred to in several books of the Bible. When Christians mention wisdom in some discussion, thought commonly turns to Solomon. In my perception the referral may become a limitation, caused by popular tradition. The remark of Jesus, found in Matthew 12, may have been used to perpetuate the inference. It is true that Solomon taught about the virtues of wisdom, wrote proverbs that reflected some practices of wisdom in his time, and proved in part of his reign that wisdom is an important factor in a successful society. For example: his wisdom in evasion of warfare left a peaceful people to develop themselves and society so to advance the arts and education, and to include God in the mix of earthly life. The Temple of Solomon was an artistic gem for God that impressed officials from other lands. They sought him out for counsel. Jesus asserted that in the judgment, the Queen who praised Solomon’s wisdom will condemn the nations that did not incorporate wisdom as integral to them. It is clear that Solomon sought to combine spiritual with human insight.
At this writing, religious personages, including the Pope, various Jewish leaders and others, as well as some secularists, are arguing for some return to religion. The immediate cause of the currency of the issue was the youthful riots in Britain (08/2011) and elsewhere, that included rampant thievery, burning and horror – guided by toughs using cell phones to spread the carnage. The analysis concept of the loss of spiritual perception is that a nation loses a base for values, so breakdown occurs. The European sphere seems to have already lost it, or nearly so. The West ought to take notice. The intelligentsia may not want to. The skepticism among many leaders and insiders is perceived as demeaning to any revival of religion.
Jesus made clear that mankind can test God’s wisdom. What happens to any institution unguided by wise leaders? What happens to an individual or a population without wisdom? Jesus used striking illustration to show how mankind forms rationalizations so to sacrifice truth. He used John the Baptist and himself. John came with the message of repentance, but the leaders focused on the excesses of his style. His use of language, his clothing, his diet, his personality, were all turn offs for them. He was too crude or rustic. For them, the conclusion was that he had a devil. In the vernacular he seemed to be nuts. In modern parlance he may have been called a religious hippie. Jesus appeared and followed the culture in what he wore – in his diet, dress and involvement with the people. Everything was orderly and fitting for Jesus. These leaders said of him that he was gluttonous and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. They rationalized away both Jesus and John. There was nothing left. They would create a vacuum. No matter how the message of God might be presented, in this instance repentance and faith in God for either context, they would focus on the lifestyle of these parapatetic prophets. Since no style would suit, the message would be lost. Neither advocate could win. John the Baptist lost his head, and Jesus died on a cross. Disciples set out to achieve their goals. They died too. Jesus prophesied the scenario.
Others in the ancient world perceived problems of righteousness, and the need of the help of God to follow it. Even reading other ancient literature than the Bible one gets the feel for what Jesus said. Josephus wrote extensively about John the Baptist, and almost nothing about Jesus. Even those sentences about Jesus may have been later interpolations. The point we make is that wisdom is vital to the good of mankind, and survival of nations. Rationalizations will not take that away, but the recurrent cycles of the admission and rejection of the message of God tells us much about our temerity, and something of God’s persistence to offer solutions for all persons, even those without faith. Righteousness belongs to common grace, something contributing to the success of mankind on earth even if human beings reject the spiritual meaning of it all. For some reason, for the convenience we want for ourselves, we tend to believe that somehow everything will work out; that the issues are too large for us as we are, so take life as it finishes out. The Christian believes there is hope in faith, and life directions in Christ. Even so – Righteousness exalteth a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people. *Mark W. Lee, Sr. — 2016, 2020