Based on Luke 2:40-52
It has been a strange three months. How has the lockout down been for you? Some of us have felt bored with the repetition of life, while others have enjoyed having their homes and gardens tidier than ever, and we have read new books and walked to different places.
We are all certainly older but are we really any wiser? There is a well known myth that says the older you get the wiser you become. I am not sure about this. I have met some wise people who are very much getting on in years, but also I have been amazed by the maturity and wisdom of some quite young people including on occasions some of our grandchildren. So today we are going to look at wisdom through the eyes of a young adolescent, the Lord Jesus Christ Himself
There is only one reference to the childhood of Jesus in the scriptures but it is a significant story when His parents lost him for a while, and only found him when they went back to the synagogue where they saw Jesus asking searching questions of the priests. He talked of being about His father's business. As my friends in Northern Ireland would say, "Wise up, Mum and Dad", you know this is where I need to be. As I read this passage again last week, I felt it was saying to me that I need to wise up, and maybe some of you do too, and acquire the wisdom the Lord wants to give us as followers of Him.
We need to wise up because the getting of wisdom does not come automatically. As some wise person said, " Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad."
Knowledge is horizontal. Wisdom is vertical; It comes down from above.
It is far more important to grow in wisdom than to grow in wealth. Wisdom outweighs wealth and having a close relationship with God the Father leads to growth in wisdom. So if you have grown in wisdom in life, it will be because you have grown in your relationship with God during this time.
After Jesus' parents find Him in the temple courts, As well as "wise up", He also says to them "I must deal with the things of my father", which is how the Message translates v. 49.
On the one hand, Jesus' relationship with His Father was unique. On the other hand, He also enables all of us to call Him Father. He prayed to God as "Abba", an Aramaic word used by children on intimate terms with their father, and taught His disciples to do the same - see Luke 11:2.
And then Paul in Rom.8:15 writes about the Holy Spirit, saying, "For you did not receive a spirit of a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption, and by Him, we say, "Abba, Father".
Back to Luke 2, we can learn I believe four things that comes from intimacy with the Father by examining Jesus' example.
1. Wisdom comes from listening
Wisdom comes from a willingness to listen and learn from others. Jesus was sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions (v.46). I wish I had really known this principle much earlier in my life and ministry. A number of years ago I had the privilege to doing a course on Christian listening, which made me really understand what my true role as a pastor was. Previously much of my time was spent with people coming to me with their problems, and I felt I was only doing my job when I found a solution to their problems, whereas in fact most people do not necessarily want their problems solved; they want someone to listen to their hearts and help them to put the issue into some sort of perspective. When I realised that God was seeking to talk to me about this, it was quite late on in my ministry, but better late than never to acquire the wisdom God wants for us. So please do not assume you have to solve people's problems - it is likely they want to revive your wisdom from just listening to them.
Sir Isaac Newton once said, " I find intelligence is better spotted when analysing the questions asked rather answers given,"
Over the years I have discovered something about people. It is that those who know most, speak least. When we are talking, we are usually repeating what we already know. When we are listening, we may learn something new. So true wisdom comes from listening.
2. Wisdom leads to simplicity.
You know, wisdom brings clarity. Jesus knew where He should be and what He should do. He declared, "Didn't you know, I had to be in my Father's house." (V49). Knowledge leads us from the simple to the complex and wisdom leads us from the complex to the simple. Sometimes the more we know about the good news of Jesus, the more complex we make it in communicating it to others. Keep your story of how you came to faith in Jesus simple and straightforward, and likewise answer people's questions about the Gospel in a clear unambiguous way. So true wisdom does lead to simplicity.
3. Wisdom is holistic.
Did you realise that wisdom is shown not only in what we say, but also how we live? Verse 51 says of Jesus that he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. You see, wisdom is about the whole of life not just about our intellect or our words. So often the glorious gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ is held back by many who have plenty to say but lead very shallow lives. They know how to talk the talk but have not yet learnt how to walk the walk. Remember the Bible says by their fruits you will know them. Show me someone who exhibits the fruit of the Spirit like love, joy, peace, patience, long-suffering, and I will show you a wise man or woman.
4. Wisdom should grow.
We are not talking about something here that is static. You do not suddenly acquire wisdom and that is it. V.52 says, "Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and people". This is a very similar to that used about Samuel in 1 Samuel 2:26.
Wisdom should grow as we get older and the reason it should grow is all to do with our relationship with the Lord. You and I should be wiser people now than when we first believed. If we are now less wise, I would venture to suggest that we do not have that intimate relationship with the Lord that brings us true Christian wisdom. The deeper our relationship is with God , the less likely we are to make major mistakes because we have heard God wrongly. This is such an important part of our lives as followers of Jesus Christ.
Please remember that wisdom comes from listening, it leads to simplicity, it is holistic and it should always be growing. The wisdom of Jesus came from His intimate relationship with His Father. God was His Father. He knew He had to be in His Father's house, and His intimacy with His Father was the foundation of His wisdom. This wisdom needs to be ours too.
Amen
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