Sunday, February 5, 2023
/The Fifth Sunday after Epiphany
February 5, 2023
Isaiah 58:1-12; Psalm 112; 1 Corinthians 2: 1-13; Matthew 5:13-20
The Rev. James M.L. Grace
In the Name of God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. AMEN.
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” That’s a verse from the Bible, not an original statement coined by me. It comes out of the book of Proverbs in the Hebrew Bible, chapter 9, verse 10. We have a stained glass window in the Chapel of the Good Shepherd which the design is based upon this very book from Proverbs. The window is, fittingly titled “Wisdom” and in it wisdom is personified, as a woman. Is there any question that women are smarter than men. We all know that.
There’s a Grateful Dead song entitled “Man Smart Woman Smarter” - there’s a great line “women today, smarter than the men in every way.” Anyway – I digress. As you leave church today, stop by the chapel, and look at the window. It’s beautiful. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” What does that mean? What do you think it means?
The Hebrew word translated as “fear” in Proverbs is yirah. In this particular verse, the word yirah doesn’t mean “to be afraid of or scared” – that’s what I think of when I hear the word fear. Rather, yirah means something very different. It means reverence. Perhaps another way to read Proverbs 9:10 is this: “The reverence of the Lord is the beginning of all wisdom.”
Why am I talking about Proverbs this morning, when none of our readings are from this book? That’s a great question. I mention Proverbs this morning, for two reasons. First, I know I need to be reminded that reverence of the Lord is the beginning of all wisdom, it is the beginning of everything. I need to be reminded of that – daily, sometimes hourly – sometimes every minute. Because I forget. And when I forget I casually make the mistake in thinking that I, not God am the beginning of wisdom. People have a term for that kind of self-centered thinking – insanity is what they would say to describe that.
Secondly, I mention Proverbs 9:10, as a way to introduce us to one of the readings that we did hear today, a part of the letter written by the Apostle Paul to a Christian community in the city of Corinth. Although Paul doesn’t mention Proverbs 9:10 in his letter, I get the sense that this understanding of reverence before God permeates word.
Preaching on the epistles is not easy, by the way. Reading them isn’t that easy, either. Whenever I read the epistles in the New Testament, it’s like I’m reading someone else’s mail, which we kind of are. Paul’s letter to Corinth was intended to be instructional and also to remind the people worshipping in this community of something integral which they seem to have forgotten: reverence. Yirah.
It seems that the community at Corinth thought pretty highly of themselves. Paul sees their arrogance from a mile away, and quickly calls them on it. Elsewhere in the letter Paul scolds them for thinking they are so smart, and reminds them, in part of the letter we will hear next week that as smart as they think they might be, spiritually they are mere infants.
Paul understands the wisdom of God. He speaks to them not from a place of self-satisfied professionalism, but rather from a place of deep reverence and trust in the Holy Spirit. He does this not to impress, but rather, as he says, so that the people in this church in Corinth would learn not to rest on their strength, but upon the strength of God.
It’s a powerful message, and probably was not very popular. Who, after all, enjoys being criticized? If Paul wrote a letter to St, Andrew’s and I knew it was full of criticism, I’d probably let it sit unopened at the bottom of my mail stack, or ask Clint to respond to it.
And yet – what Paul is saying in this part of the letter is relevant to all of us. I believe he writes to encourage, and remind, all of us to seek God’s wisdom which is greater than any wisdom you or I might have. Paul says this wisdom is secret and hidden, but is available to us through the Holy Spirit.
How do we get it? We receive God’s wisdom when we learn reverence and humility. ! Lessons in humility are rarely pleasant, but they are necessary. Where is reverence lacking in your life? Where are you currently feeling entitled? That’s as good a place as any to begin digging out your own wisdom, and replacing it with God’s. AMEN.