Sunday, May 10, 2015

Proverbs 4:7, 18-19 (RSV): Seeking the Light and Wisdom of Christ

Proverbs 4:7, 18-19 (RSV): Seeking the Light and Wisdom of Christ
7   The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom,
   and whatever you get, get insight. . .
18 But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn,
   which shines brighter and brighter until full day.
19 The way of the wicked is like deep darkness;
   they do not know over what they stumble.


Comment:
King Solomon, the likely sacred writer, emphasizes the importance of attaining wisdom and insight: “Get wisdom. . . get insight.” The wisdom we seek, however, is not a worldly wisdom, for it is the wisdom that frees us to love; it is the wisdom of God. Wisdom, knowledge, and discernment (see 1 Corinthians 12:1-11) are three of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit Paul mentions. Wisdom, in the position of primacy, is the first mentioned.  In New Testament language, therefore, we are to be wise in the love and grace of Christ.
We must also walk in the light of Christ, following “the path of the righteous.” When we are living in the light of Christ, our path "shines brighter and brighter," and we can, by the grace of the Holy Spirit, recognize our sins in order to repent, ask forgiveness, and grow in love. When we walk in self-serving wickedness (sin), however, we live in the "deep darkness" and are numbed to our sin, for “the wicked . . .  do not know over what they stumble.”  

Let us seek wisdom, God’s wisdom, and walk in the righteous path illuminated by the Son.

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