7th SUNDAY 2017
WISDOM? It can be said
that it is knowledge of truth; knowing the true nature and purpose of things and how interact with them.
For centuries people thought the earth was flat but eventually it was discovered that it is round. Every day, science discover new true facts about the workings of this world.
We have learnt through medical sciences that prolonged smoking of tobacco can
harm one’s health – even cause early death – so a wise person chooses not to smoke.
So, what is the wisdom St.
Paul is referring to – what is this “wisdom
of this world” that he says is not true wisdom? Paul is talking about the
wisdom to know and truly understand, who we are, why are we here, what we must do
to live a true and successful life in God’s eyes. In Paul’s day, very much like
our world today, there were many and contradicting ideas or philosophies about the nature and purpose of human life.
In today’s second reading,
Paul is talking to the new Christians of the church in Corinth who have
believed in Jesus and the true wisdom flowing from his gospel. Accepting and
believing in Jesus now shapes their world view. Here, he is warning them not to
fall back into there old ways of thinking.
o Let no one
deceive himself. If any one among you considers himself wise in this age, let
him become a fool, so as to become wise. For the wisdom of this world is
foolishness in the eyes of God.
Our society today is
becoming increasingly a secular society. It is turning away from religious
values, religious interpretation and understanding of our world – especially
from the Christian world view that has characterized our society. A secular
world view suggests that truth does not come from the heavens, it’s whatever we
say it is. “Alternative facts,
alternative truth.”
o Paul tells us: We
have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit that is from God, so
that we may understand the things freely given us by God. And we speak about
them not with words taught by human wisdom, but with words taught by the
Spirit, describing spiritual realities in spiritual terms.
He goes on:
o Now the natural person does not accept what pertains
to the Spirit of God, for to him it is foolishness, and he cannot understand
it, because it is judged spiritually. . . . .
For “who has known the mind of the Lord, so as to counsel him?” But we
have the mind of Christ.
Today, the spiritual mind
is clashing with the secular mind. But we must be clear about what this means.
It is not that the spiritual mind opposes the truths about this world that
science discovers. The question is what we do with this new information. When
medical science discovers that an unborn child has a medical condition does not
mean that this fact gives licence to abort the child. Wisdom must now inform us
what to do.
Paul is telling the church
of Corinth and us today – be on your guard.
We examine ourselves
carefully. From where am I acquiring the wisdom that governs my life and the choices I make – from the
secular world or from the Spirit?
1 When I came to you, brothers, proclaiming the mystery
of God, I did not come with sublimity of words or of wisdom.
2 For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you
except Jesus Christ, and him crucified.
3 I came to you in weakness and fear and much trembling,
4 and my message and my proclamation were not with
persuasive (words of) wisdom, but with a demonstration of spirit and power, 5 so
that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God.
6 Yet we do speak a wisdom to those who are mature, but
not a wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age who are passing away.
7 Rather, we speak God’s wisdom, mysterious, hidden,
which God predetermined before the ages for our glory, 8 and which none of the
rulers of this age* knew; for if they had known it, they would not have
crucified the Lord of glory.
9 But as it is written:
“What eye has not seen, and ear has not heard,and what has not entered the human heart,what God has prepared for those who love him,”
10 this God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For
the Spirit scrutinizes everything, even the depths of God.
11 Among human beings, who knows what pertains to a
person except the spirit of the person that is within? Similarly, no one knows
what pertains to God except the Spirit of God.
12 We have not received the spirit of the world but the
Spirit that is from God, so that we may understand the things freely given us
by God.
13 And we speak about them not with words taught by human
wisdom, but with words taught by the Spirit, describing spiritual realities in
spiritual terms.
14 Now the natural person does not accept what pertains
to the Spirit of God, for to him it is foolishness, and he cannot understand
it, because it is judged spiritually.
15 The spiritual person, however, can judge everything
but is not subject to judgment by anyone.
16 For “who has known the mind of the Lord, so as to
counsel him?” But we have the mind of Christ.
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