Phil. 4:6-9; Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31
Today, we celebrate the graduates. I still remember the day that I took the oral defense of my Ph. D thesis. I thought that was the very last exam for me. I would be free from exams, reflection papers, term-papers. No more report card, at last! Wow! Wow? Yes, “wow” but a different kind of “wow.” I was asked to revise my conclusion and resubmit my thesis. Wow! That took me another 6 months to finish up my thesis. I am just glad that it’s over now. Yes, it was a long journey…, a VERY long journey!
Somewhere I read of the last day of classes being marked by yelling and cheering, bells, whistles, cartwheels in the halls… and that was the TEACHERS! I think I can understand that because my oral defense committee members were as happy as I was when I finally defended my thesis.
Today is also father’s day. Fathers, do you remember when you became a father? It seems like it was yesterday, doesn’t it? Graduates, do you remember when you first attend school? It seems like it was yesterday, doesn’t it? Mothers, do you remember the day that your mom gave birth to your siblings? Grandmas & grandpas, do you remember when your children said “I do” to their true love? I am 100% sure that you remember when and how your loved one passed away.
Each of these events is a mile stone in the journey of life that every one of us is on. Today I want to speak to all of us, about what I feel is important to hold on to as we continue our journey.
A good start might be the passage from our Epistle lesson: “Finally, Beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me – put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” What an excellent advice to all of us, especially for the graduates!
For my sermon today, I could not choose a subject better than the one chosen by the church’s lectionary reading from Proverbs for this day: It’s al about wisdom:
Does not wisdom call,
and does not understanding raise her voice?
On the heights, beside the way,
at the crossroads she takes her stand;
Beside the gates in front of the town,
at the entrance of the portals she cries out:
“To you, O people, I call,
and my cry is to ALL that live.
Today’s Old Testament lesson is a part of the so-called WISDOM literature. Here, wisdom is personified, takes voice and speaks in soaring poetry:
The LORD created me at the beginning of his work,
the first of his acts of long ago.
Ages ago I was set up,
at the first, before the beginning of the earth.
When there were no depths I was brought forth,
when there were no springs abounding with water.
Before the mountains had been shaped,
before the hills, I was brought forth.
When he had not yet made earth and fields,
or the world’s first bits of soil.
When he established the heavens, I was there,
when he drew a circle on the face of the deep,
When he made firm the skies above,
when he established the fountains of the deep,
When he assigned to the sea its limit,
so that the waters might not transgress his command,
When he marked out the foundations of the earth,
then I was beside him, like a master worker;
And I was daily his delight,
rejoicing before him always,
rejoicing in his inhabited world
and delighting in the human race.
According to this, Wisdom is not about to take a back seat to anyone or anything in its importance in this world. And that pre-eminence extends back to creation. Tying this back to our opening thoughts about the end of the school year, that is not a bad theme for a baccalaureate or commencement address. If a graduate or ANYONE would choose a worthy goal, Wisdom would be a wonderful choice.
If that is indeed your goal, the book of Proverbs has a good deal to say about it, beside the fact that it is so crucially important. For example, what is the source of wisdom? Proverbs 2:6 – “For the LORD gives wisdom. . .” In other words, wisdom is not something for which we study or go to school. Knowledge, yes; wisdom, no. Wisdom, according to scripture, is one more good gift of a gracious God.
What can wisdom do for you? Well, there are health and welfare benefits: Proverbs 3:16 – “Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor.” Wow! Really?
Long life? OK. Knowledge of good health practices – diet, exercise, no smoking, and so on – are all well and good, but it takes some wisdom to actually put that knowledge into practice. That makes sense, but riches and honor, too? Absolutely! I believe so.
One more thing about wisdom this morning (although there is so much more that could be said). Proverbs 8:12 – “I, wisdom, live with prudence, and I attain knowledge and discretion.” Wisdom is honest enough to admit that it does not have all the answers, that there is still much, much more to learn. Wisdom still looks to “attain.” I became a “fan” of Thomas Edison. He was a man of true genius whose inventions utterly changed the world. A brilliant scientist, yet he once admitted, “We don’t know the millionth part of one percent about anything in our world.” And this from the man who invented the light bulb, the movie projector, the phonograph and hundreds of other useful items. Edison was a truly wise man. In the spiritual realm, the truly wise also admit that there is MUCH we do not know.
A few years ago, a thought-provoking article entitled, “If You Are 35, You Have 500 Days to Live” suggested that when you subtract the time spent sleeping, working, tending to personal matters, hygiene, odd chores, medical matters, eating, traveling, and miscellaneous time-stealers, in the next thirty-six years you will have roughly the equivalent of only five hundred days left to spend as you wish. That being the case, then take the advice of scripture and pray, “[Lord], teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts to WISDOM.”
Class of 2019 and Fathers, and members & friends, as you continue your life/faith journey, may the wisdom of God and the joy which is the gift of the Spirit, permeate your lives on this special day and always. Amen.
Photo by Julissa Capdevilla on Unsplash
