Wisdom Wednesday: A Paradox of Wisdom
Submitted by Debbie’s Dad
At that time Jesus said, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants.” Matt 11:25 NASB 95.
In this passage, Jesus had just completed declaring judgment on three cities around the Sea of Galilee for their callous rejection of His ministry. Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum had rejected the Messiah, and Jesus told the people of the judgment to come for the people of that day that rejected his message of repentance from sin, and acknowledgement of Him as the Messiah and Redeemer, evidence by His miracles.
Turning from His talk of judgment, He thanked His Father that the message was “hidden” from the “wise and intelligent”. It was hidden in the sense that they could not comprehend and accept His message. The seeming paradox here is that they were not only intelligent but also “wise.” The explanation is, of course, because the wisdom they had was a wisdom of the world, not the wisdom of God. We must carefully distinguish the two categories of wisdom described in the Bible:
The Wisdom of the World–This is the perspective of the world, apart from any direction from God, or acknowledgement of His sovereignty and redemption. IT is the walk of life apart from God. Jesus called it the “Wide way” that leads to destruction:
- This wisdom is foolishness to God (I Cor 1:19-20; 3:18-19) and those who claim to be wise become fools (Rom 12:22-25)
- This wisdom is not worthy of boasting (Jer 9:23-24)
- It is earthly, unspiritual and demonic (James 3:13-16)
- At the time of Jesus performing wonders, the wisdom of the wise men of Israel would perish, and their unspiritual discernment hid them from the truth (Isa 29:14)
The Wisdom of God–This is the “narrow way” that acknowledges God, His redemption, and seeks to walk in accordance with His direction and Word:
- By this wisdom, God provided salvation to those who receive Him. (I Cor. 1:21,24; 2:7)
- We can live by His wisdom, which begins as we reverently fear God. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” (Proverbs 9: 9 5 NIV)
- We may live a life that pleases God when filled with knowledge of Him by spiritual wisdom and understanding (Col. 1:9-12)
- This wisdom is characterized by purity, peace, gentleness, reason, mercy, spiritual fruits, impartial and sincere (James 3:17-18)
On another occasion, Jesus illustrated the humble wisdom of His kingdom: “And He called a child to Himself and set him before them, and said, “Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven”. (Matt 18:2–4)
These are the “infants” Jesus referred to–those who humble themselves as children before their wise heavenly Father.
Paul taught the Corinthians in a way such that their “…faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God. (I Cor 2:5) He was quick to point out that, “ but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory; the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.(1 Cor 2:7–8)
Let us live in God’s wisdom, as if a humble child, looking to Him to impart His wisdom to enable us to make decisions to walk in a way that honors Him.