Following Wisdom

Monday, May 19, 2008 -- Week of Proper 2
Dunstan, Archbishop of Canterbury, 988

Today's Reading for the Daily Office (Book of Common Prayer, p. 967)
Psalms 1, 2, 3 (morning) 4, 7 (evening)
Proverbs 3:11-20
1 John 3:18 - 4:6
Matthew 11:1-6

We are beginning to read from the book of Proverbs for the next two weeks. It is a fascinating anthology of instruction and pithy sayings offering sage advice from elder to younger. Although the presumed target is an upper-class male in a tribal or royal household, people of all ages and conditions have treasured this wisdom. Reading Proverbs is like being in touch with ancient lore not only of Israel, but also Egypt and all of Mesopotamia where this form of writing abounded.

An underlying assumption of Proverbs is that life is good. God orders creation in such a way that promotes blessing for those who live a disciplined life. If we seek wisdom, live justly and honor God, we are more open to the blessings of God. Those who follow the opposite path, Proverbs says, will find they will reap misfortune and cursing. Live rightly, and God may bless you. Live wrongly, trouble will follow. The book has an optimistic confidence in God's justice and promotes a strong sense of human autonomy. (The books of Job and Ecclesiates were written, in part, to challenge the theology of Proverbs.)

The early church borrowed from Proverbs, especially the Gospel of John and the Epistle of James. John describes Jesus as the personification of Wisdom who has descended to offer life and truth to humanity. The Epistle of James is a wisdom instruction. Today, many people are adopting the Jewish tradition of writing an Ethical Will for one's descendants, passing on the wisdom and philosophy that one would like to bequeath to subsequent generations.

Some of the expectations of Proverbs and the other Wisdom literature became an impediment for the proclamation of the early Church that Jesus is the Messiah. Jesus did not enjoy the expected fruits of the Wisdom literature -- long life, earthly honors and prosperity. Many Jews, Romans and Greeks ridiculed the notion that God's anointed would end up condemned, dying shamefully in a Roman execution.

We feel a piece of this conflict in the gospel reading today when John the Baptist asks from prison, "Are you the one?" It is obvious that Jesus is not fulfilling the traditional expectations of the Messiah. There has been no raising of the status of Israel, no throwing off of the foreign yoke, no liberation and restoration of Jewish autonomy and honor. Peace and justice have not broken out in obvious, God-blessed ways. "Are you the one?" John asks from his prison cell, with some sense of doubt and hope.

Jesus' answer is to describe his mission with reference to some of the Messianic vision of Isaiah: "the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them. Blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me."

Today the church continues the compassionate and healing ministry that Jesus initiated. We also encourage people into the path of Wisdom. Our congregation's rule of life is not unlike the advice of the Proverbs of the sages: "We aspire to worship weekly, pray daily, learn constantly, serve joyously, live generously." Underlying that good advice is the optimistic conviction that such discipline opens us to God's direction and blessing. We know, as Job says, that sometimes the good suffer and the bad prosper. We know, as Ecclesiastes says, that there is much injustice and futility in life. But underneath that is a renewing confidence that God is good, creation is good, and if we persevere in the paths of Wisdom that Jesus and our ancestors have shown us, we live more open to some of the possibilities of blessing.

Lowell

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About Morning Reflections
Morning Reflections is a brief thought about the scripture readings from the Daily Office of Morning and Evening Prayer according to the practice found in the Book of Common Prayer of the Episcopal Church.

Morning Prayer begins on p. 80 of the Book of Common Prayer.
Evening Prayer begins on p. 117

An online resource for praying the Daily Office is found at www.missionstclare.com
Another form of the office from Phyllis Tickle's "Divine Hours" is available on our partner web site www.ExploreFaith.org at this location -- http://explorefaith.org/prayer/fixed/index.html


The Mission of St. Paul's Episcopal Church
is to explore and celebrate
God's infinite grace, acceptance, and love.

Visit our web site at www.stpaulsfay.org

Our Rule of Life

We aspire to...
worship weekly
pray daily
learn constantly
serve joyfully
live generously.

Lowell Grisham, Rector

St. Paul's Episcopal Church
Fayetteville, Arkansas