Jesus: Wisdom Incarnate
In my article on the Proverbs 31 woman last month, I discussed the Greek term of areté – excellence or the fulfillment of potential. As Christians, we all recognize that the incarnate Jesus displayed the complete human fulfillment of potential. He fulfilled the daily-life wisdom proverbs that deal with compassion, being a good neighbor, etc. But what is most interesting is that He is the complete fulfillment of all of God’s wisdom. You may wonder why I think that that is so interesting though.
In 1 Cor. 1:22, we read that the Greeks sought wisdom. I discussed this last month too – the Greeks had their cardinal virtues and loved to discuss and debate the topic of wisdom. However, another characteristic of the Greeks was that they were always seeking something new (see Acts 17:21). This is why we can date eras so well using items such as Greek pottery, because they had a philosophy of out with the old and in with the new. Sound familiar? So, they were willing to hear Paul’s “new” thoughts in Acts 17, but only a few actually believed these thoughts. You may be wondering what this has to do with the fulfillment of wisdom, and why I think it is interesting. If we continue to read in 1 Cor. 1:27-29, Paul states:
“But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.”
This gives me pause – this fulfillment of wisdom will look foolish to the world. It will be low and despised in the world.
Recently, I have been reading a book called A Little History of the World in which the author (E.H. Gombrich) covers the entirety of history in a relatively short book meant for children. There is a chapter where the Israelite nation is described as a small relatively weak country that is constantly being overrun by others, but he goes on to state, “they didn’t just become part of history, they made history – and by that I mean they shaped the course of all history to come. And this special something was their religion.” You see, historians recognize that the Israelite nation literally changed the course of history with their ONE God and with one descendant of the nation (Jesus). God took a small, insignificant nation and took the youngest or weakest of that nation and made them His people, and finally, God chose an insignificant man and woman to raise a man who was not considered great by any worldly standards who turned out to be the most influential significant figure in history – Jesus Christ. He was “foolish” in order to shame the wise. He was “weak” in order to shame the strong. He was “low and despised” in the world so that a plan could be put into place that NO HUMAN BEING could boast that they could have come up with. And then this wisdom is ultimately fulfilled by God’s grace through us – the church! We are not a people filled with the wealthiest, or most powerful, or most knowledgeable. We don’t all agree politically or enjoy the same hobbies. We aren’t all naturally the best of friends. No – we are a people joined by ONE commonality – Jesus. But that commonality is to create a bond unlike any other. One that crosses gender, race, socio-economic status, and intellectual barriers. One that creates a force that has transformed the world over time. Because all fall short of the glory of God, history has been replete with mistakes, and the future will hold many more – but there are deep seated beliefs in locations where the gospel has been sounded that are significantly different from the ancient empires that once ruled the world. The belief that each individual human has value. The belief that there is value in sacrificing for the weak and vulnerable. That is because at its core, the gospel has a dead God on the cross who was killed by the very people He wished to save. And then, after three days in the grave, He rose from the dead. Would any human come up with THAT story for salvation?
The world will still try to convince us that belief in God or going to church and sacrificing of ourselves is foolish. But I find more and more comfort in the words of Paul as I grow older, and like the virtuous woman, I can laugh at the time to come because I know that God has used what the world calls “foolishness” to shame the strong. I can see the beauty of my fellow sisters in Christ and realize the inward beauty cultivated by a life in Christ far surpasses what Hollywood tells me is beauty. I can see that the peace that comes from resting in God is far greater than that provided by the current self-help best sellers. This is why Jesus’ fulfillment of God’s wisdom is so interesting. It turns our worldly wisdom upside down. It requires us to tune out the world and become laser focused on being Christlike.
If we have any hope of developing a level of excellence or areté, then we must humbly submit to the wisdom of God and realize that we must become weak to be made strong. Paul goes on in 1 Cor. 1:30 to state that Christ Jesus did not only become wisdom from God, but also righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. So, BECAUSE of Christ, we are empowered to look foolish to be wise. We are able to be low and despised in order to be glorified by Him, our great intercessor. Amen – may it be so.
