Sometime in a Bible reading there is an obvious speed bump that makes the reader, preacher and congregation slow down for a moment to put on their thinking caps and reflect. We had one of these in a reading at church recently.
“But wisdom is proved right by all her children.” (Luke 7:35)
It is a text that slows the reader down because it is not immediately obvious why it is there and what Jesus is communicating through it.
How do preachers deal with texts like this?
1. Context.
Preachers must ask questions like, “Why is this text placed here?” and “What is its function?”
This concludes a story about Jesus and John the Baptist. John is in prison, and whilst there he is wracked with self-doubt. He had been one of the first people to enthusiastically endorse Jesus, yet he seems to be having second thoughts. John sends a message to Jesus to ask if he is the one that the nation has been waiting for. Jesus replies with a list of the things he has been doing that underline his credentials as the kind of Messiah that the nation has been promised. The history of Christianity has from its birth attracted its critics and opponents but genuine wisdom will shine through, however dark our mood or dire our circumstances.
2. Use of Language
When I talk about the four voices of preaching: teaching, encouraging, sage and testifying, I liken them to the four Gospels, with Luke as the sage. It is interesting to see how he describes wisdom. The word “wisdom” is used seven times in Luke’s Gospel, including the present text.
The first three texts occur in the first two chapters and relate to the lives of Jesus and John the Baptist and the distinctive ministry John has in preparing people to receive Jesus.
The first is a description of that ministry:
“And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous — to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” (Luke 1:17)
Then there are two descriptions of the development of John and Jesus as children:
“And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him.” (Luke 2:40)
“And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.” (Luke 2:52)
The ministries of John and Jesus are self-evidently examples of true wisdom.
The three other uses of wisdom in Luke are 11:31, 11:49 and 21:5. The last one is interesting because it has this same note of the validation and vindication of God’s servants:
“For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict.”
Preachers: don’t ignore the speed bumps. Let them slow you down, ask questions, for if you do you might find a window into the meaning to the passages before and after.
Photo by K. Mitch Hodge on Unsplash