“Un-Common Sense” Mount Olive Lutheran Church Season of Pentecost Sunday Sermon August 18, 2024 – Proverbs 9:1-10

Mount Olive Lutheran Church / Rev. Jacob Quast, LCC Director of Domestic Missions / Sunday August 18th 2024: Season of Pentecost / Proverbs 9:1-10 “Un-Common Sense”

          Wisdom has built her house;

                    she has hewn her seven pillars.

          She has slaughtered her beasts; she has mixed her wine;

                    she has also set her table.

          She has sent out her young women to call

                    from the highest places in the town,

          “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!”

                    To him who lacks sense she says,

          “Come, eat of my bread

                    and drink of the wine I have mixed.

          Leave your simple ways, and live,

                    and walk in the way of insight.”

          Whoever corrects a scoffer gets himself abuse,

                    and he who reproves a wicked man incurs injury.

          Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you;

                    reprove a wise man, and he will love you.

          Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser;

                    teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.

          The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom,

                    and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight. (ESV)

v.8     Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you; reprove a wise man, and he will love you.

Dear friends in Christ, whatever happened to basic wisdom—or "Common sense," if you will?  It seems to be in rather short supply, nowadays, doesn't it?  In fact, certain things that were once considered obviously simple, are now portrayed as incredibly complex.  For example, just a couple of years ago, then supreme court justice nominee, Ketanji Jackson, was asked a simple question by senator Marsha Blackburn at her confirmation hearing.  The question: "What is a woman?"  There can be no doubt that Ketanji Jackson is a highly intelligent person—one doesn't just get nominated to the Supreme Court of the United States, after all—unless one is a highly accomplished lawyer and judge.  However, when asked to define what a woman is—Ketanji Jackson was unable to give a simple answer.  Why?  

This illustration serves to highlight a much deeper problem in our society and culture in which we live.  True wisdom—true insight—is found in one place only—as Solomon writes in our text, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight."  So, while we may be somewhat amazed that highly intelligent people in our communities and world are embracing a worldview that is contrary to plain reason and logic: like when human life begins, what is a man or a woman, what is marriage, etc., we should NOT be surprised.

For those who have abandoned the one true God as revealed in Holy Scripture—the very God who created the heavens and the earth and all therein—those who reject Him—must also necessarily come to reject the very fabric of creation and reality itself—so as to be able to live apart from God—and to rejoice in making themselves into little gods, beholden to no one.  They want to do what they want to do—and heaven help the one who tries to hold them back from indulging in their basest desires—who would seek to restore them to a proper worldview.

So, what are we to do, beloved, in the midst of the insanity of the world around us—that would seek to call good evil and evil good—that is bent on destroying those very things that God has created for our good: the church and the family?  What are we to do when the government (yet another good gift of God to His creation) is being used to bludgeon all people into accepting lies as truth or face dire consequences?  When we are pressured to speak lies like "men can have babies" or to ignore the blatant injustice that innocent babies must be slaughtered on the "altar of inconvenience."

Well, my friends, Solomon has some thoughts on this issue. You may recall that much of the book of Proverbs in the O.T. was written by King Solomon (the wisest man that ever lived, apart from our Lord Jesus).  Solomon is trying to instruct his son in the way of wisdom.  Chapter 9 is the third poem about wisdom in this book.  Herein Wisdom is personified, yet again, as a woman.  In this particular poem that serves as our text, she is seeking to invite the simple and foolish to come and eat and drink from her table, so that they might have a better life.  That people may not indulge in that which is filthy and harmful to them—the lies and evil of the world, but rather may be strengthened and nourished by God's Word of goodness and wisdom.  Indeed, she has sent out her messengers into the world with a gracious invitation: "Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!"  To him who lacks sense she says, "Come, eat of my bread and drink of the wine I have mixed.  Leave your simple ways, and live, and walk in the way of insight."

As Christians, we have the great joy and privilege of calling out to the world with the wisdom of God.  Inviting them to come to the Lord's house and to take up His Word of truth and learn from it, thereby gaining life.  For wisdom in Scripture is not simply knowing when to come out of the rain, as it were, but rather "Fear of the Lord."  That is, having faith in the Lord God—in Jesus Christ, the Son of God—the Wisdom of God made flesh.  For it is in Jesus and Him alone—His death on the cross for all our foolishness and sin—that truly gives life to the believer through the forgiveness of sins.  Jesus' blood and righteousness—the folly of the cross—is what alone can bring true wisdom to a people captured by lies.

However, as Christians, we do not approach this noble task naively.  We do not simply assume that because we proclaim God's truth that everyone who hears it will repent and believe.  We pray for that to happen!  We long for that to be the case!  But, we also know the stubbornness of human hearts—for our hearts were of the same rock hardness, until softened by the coming of the Holy Spirit who breathed new life into us by His grace through Word and Sacrament.

For we know, beloved, we know all too well that the wisdom of Solomon holds true to this day: "Whoever corrects a scoffer gets himself abuse, and he who reproves a wicked man incurs injury."  As more and more people in our society turn up their noses in rejection of God and His Word, the more dangerous it becomes for us to proclaim that Word of truth.  Solomon warns, "Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you…"  But we must.  We MUST, dear friends, for God's Word cannot be contained—and the great joy that comes from knowing and believing in Jesus and all He has done is simply too good to keep to ourselves!  Yet, as Solomon teaches us, we know that we will incur the wrath and hatred of those to whom we preach.

Even though we may suffer abuse and scorn from those around us who see us as backwards and strange people, holding on to outdated philosophies about men and women, human life, and marriage, creation, etc.—even though we may be "cancelled" by our culture—lose our jobs—be publicly shamed in social media—yet we cannot keep silent.  Though they may eventually come not just for our possessions and goods, but even for our very bodies and lives—seeking to do us harm—yet we still speak out in love.  We still speak the truth.  Why?

"Reprove a wise man, and he will love you.  Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning."  So, we teach our children and grandchildren.  We lovingly share with them the Word of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  We uphold one another in prayer—sharing God's Word to build each other up in the truth.  And we boldly continue to share this truth with those around us: friends, neighbors, family, and strangers alike.  For we know that God desires all men to be saved and to come to knowledge of the truth—to have the wisdom of God in them—the fear of the Lord—faith in Christ Jesus that alone will give them eternal life.  And God can and does work this in peoples' hearts—at His good pleasure, according to His will.  We steadfastly endure suffering and persecution in this world so that others may hear the Word and believe it and so have life. 

We have been fed and nourished at wisdom's table.  We have feasted sumptuously upon the Word of God that declares the mighty works of Jesus—He who died and rose again to pay for our sin and those of the whole world.  We take comfort in our Baptism, whereby the Holy Spirit has been poured into us, to lead us to faith in Jesus, making us wise unto salvation.  We are satisfied at the Lord's Table, whereby He feeds us the life-giving body and blood of Jesus under simple bread and wine to remove our sins and strengthen our faith. 

This call to faith in the Lord is not just for you and me, but for all people.  And it is a great joy and privilege to call out with this simple, yet profound wisdom: all people are sinners—and yet all people are loved by God who died for them.  May the Holy Spirit work through His Word to bring people to true wisdom through faith in Jesus Christ.  Indeed, may the Lord preserve His church in our community so that "Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!"  Let the simple know that here is the place of Wisdom—for here in this place is Jesus—the Wisdom of God made flesh.  He who sets us free from the prison of our own foolish beliefs.  He who died to set us free from the bondage of our sin and the lies of the devil.  He who loves us with a mercy so deep and profound that hearts are changed and lives are spared.  Thanks be to God in Christ Jesus.  Amen.

Photo Credit: Main photo of open book from pixabay.