Wisdom is pure (The gift of Christmas)

"Who is wise and understanding among you?

The wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere." (James 3:13, 17)

Who is wise among you? Who acts with wisdom that is pure?

Those are two very weighty questions.

I don't want to discount the good that has been done throughout history. There have been many well-known and many unknown people who have lived lives dedicated to helping others, improving society, and who have done a lot of good for our world, but I think if we are honest with ourselves, the history of the human race is fraught with unspeakable evil, jealousy, and selfish ambition of all kinds. Time and time again, we have repeated the horrifying behaviors of the past. We have been slow to learn from those who came before us, if at all.

The human heart from which all actions stem is untrustworthy. Our hearts are prone to selfishness and pride, and even our best wisdom the Bible calls foolishness with God. (1 Corinthians 3:19)

"All the ways of man are pure in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the spirit." (Proverbs 16:2)

If I am honest with myself, at times the good I have done has been stained by self-righteousness, the desire to be recognized, or the desire for something in return. Any authentic good I have done or wisdom I have offered has not originated from me. It has blossomed and bloomed directly from God's divine influence on my heart...God's grace.

There is no cause to boast.

The human race desperately needs wisdom originating from outside of itself. We need wisdom unstained by our own agendas and selfish ambitions. We need wisdom whose vantage point is omniscient and everlasting. We need a perspective that comes from outside of humanity.

We need wisdom that is pure.

God in His wisdom, didn't leave us hopeless. He didn't abandon us to figure out how to obtain pure wisdom on our own. Jesus stepped into our world, brimming with failure, as a tiny baby. The fullness of God and His perfect, pure wisdom grew before the world's eyes.

"But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. And because of him, you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption,"

(1 Corinthians 1:24-25, 30)

Jesus is God's unmatchable gift to us. He is the wisdom of God who came down to shine beautiful, radiant, pure light into a dark world. Oh, how we desperately needed Him and still need Him, and He came.

Emmanuel, the fullness of God, His wisdom, righteousness, and redemption, with us.

In the final hours of His life here on earth, Jesus displayed love and wisdom so pure when He hung naked, beaten, and bloody on the cross: "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do."

Father, forgive them because they do not understand. Forgive them because their wisdom is foolishness.

He didn't reflect the hatred, anger, and mocking behavior of those around Him and He didn't respond out of hurt and pain. Instead, He radiated divine beauty. Beauty so unlike anything else on earth, that if we stop to take in the wonder of it all, we can't help but say, "Truly, this man was the Son of God."

You might ask, how was Jesus hanging bloody and dying on a cross beautiful? There my friend is the wisdom of God. What looked like defeat and death, was really victory and life gifted to us. The cross symbolizing the convergence of deity and humanity. God came to us. God's wisdom shook the world as He came to rescue us from the kingdom of darkness into His glorious light.

After Jesus rose triumphantly from the grave and returned to heaven, He generously gave us His Holy Spirit, who tends to and cultivates our new lives as God's children. He gently points our hearts and minds toward the wisdom of God, toward truth, and toward Jesus. He reminds us to forsake earthly wisdom and rest in the safe, life-giving wisdom of God.

The word pure is hagnos in Greek and means clean and innocent.

In ancient times, gold was made pure by putting it into a hot fire. The craftsman would stir the molten gold and the impurities would rise to the top of the liquid to be skimmed off.

"Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!" (Psalm 139:23-24)

Search (chaqar: to penetrate, to examine intimately)

Heart (lebab: the soul, affections, will, purpose)

Grevious (otseb: pain, sorrow, an idol)

The word try (bachan) means to test, especially with metals. In other words, to submerge the metal in fire and let the impurities rise to the top.

*Hebrew words in parentheses

Here the psalmist is admitting that he can't truly know his own heart. Like all of us, he lived with fallen flesh. His wisdom was limited, tainted, and unclean. He needed wisdom that came from outside of himself and the world he lived in. He cried out to God and asked Him to intimately examine his soul, affections, will, purpose, and thoughts...Everything about him. He knew God's wisdom was like a fire that would set his heart ablaze and reveal all of the impurities. It would reveal the false gods and the foolishness that led him down painful and sorrowful paths.

"and lead me in the way everlasting!"

The psalmist trusted that God's wisdom wouldn't only reveal his impurities, but God's wisdom would cleanse him and lead him in the way everlasting. Why? because the Lord is a loving, merciful, life-giving God. His wisdom is pure because it has no hidden agenda. If we believe He created us, then He truly knows what is best for us. His wisdom is meant to help us flourish here on earth, bring glory to His marvelous name, and to lead us to life eternal. As we draw from God's wisdom, He helps us reflect His compassionate, forgiving, generous, joyful, and patient character. His wisdom not only brings blessings to our lives but is meant to make us a blessing to the people around us.

He makes us a blessing to our neighbors, co-workers, family, friends-

to the outcast

to the homeless

to the widow

to the orphan

to the marginalized

yes, even to those who persecute and hate us...

Isn't this truly what Christmas is about? God gave us Jesus who met our deepest need. We were forgiven and made children of God, and as His children, He calls us to love Him and others. He wants us to live given so that our lives point to the greatest gift of all.

When we rest our faith in the person and work of Jesus, we have continual access to the divine, pure wisdom of God. Apart from Him, we can do nothing, but in Him, we can shine His brilliant, clean, and untainted wisdom to a world in need.

Sincerely,

Amy