(Further reflections on "Wisdom Calls"--Sunday 9-July-2023)
Being straightforward is wise. And the opposite is foolish.
People who tend not to be straightforward will find themselves in a situation were they need to do a lot explanations. For things un/intentionally, untruthfully, or wholly told, they have to find ways to keep the stories not fully straightforward and to be continued.
One of the characteristics of God's wisdom is being straightforward. God did not hide His plan and will. Even His redemptive plan is straightforward, they didn't get it because they didn't believe that His words are true. They heard it but did not perceive. They saw it but did not understand. Their heart was deceitful and their mind was crooked. Thus, straightforwardness is oftentimes not easy for our sinful humanity to understand. In fact, people are prone to view/think (though they might not say it) that God may not be totally wrong but not right either for whatever circumstances or situation they are in. So earthly wisdom, being not straightforward, is somewhat a default mode.
Now it is challenging (if not impossible) to be straightforward in our daily dealings if we do not understand His word. We might read it but we do not get it. Why? Perhaps because of a dull heart and doubtful mind! Check it yourselves. And those who are not being straightforward sooner or later find themselves in a wrong side of God's wisdom and instruction. Why? Because they do not have knowledge of His word? Why? Because though they know how to read, they do not read it- of course with 100,000 reasons, which can boil down to 3: busyness (which is a noble thing in this world); tiredness (which no one dare to talk about it); and personal matters (who on earth doesn't have it). Even the King of the Great Banquet (cf. Luke 14:16-24) dared not to ask it. So these are the "great" reasons that anyone can have when he/she wants to stay the same or remain unchanged or eliminate any possible transformation.
We are told that God's words "are all straight to him who understands, and right to those who find knowledge (Proverbs 8:9)." But the sad reality was and still is, is that not everyone loves Wisdom though they say they want it. Perhaps they don't treasure it as the most valuable asset or costly material in the world. It should be priceless. What price tag do we put on the full manifestation and embodiment of God's wisdom--Jesus Christ and His work at the cross? We cannot afford to have it but we can begin to receive it by faith in the fear of the Lord. This means God's wisdom cannot be received by our own wise or street-smart ideas, which is wanting be wise in His eyes. This is very pleasant and natural to our fallen nature of which, there is more hope for a fool than for such people (cf. Proverbs 26:12).
For God so love the world that He sent His Son as a sounding "alarm" (like a rooster crow) to the naive, the fool, and the wicked; to the lawful and the lawless, both Jews and Gentiles, so that those who believe Jesus will be saved, spared from eternal damnation, and begin to live a new life in Christ, being able to respond to the Wisdom call rightly and straightforwardly. May this be the reality of this Body of Christ, our church. Amen.
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Pastor Lap
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