Wisdom

What is wisdom and where does it come from? Wisdom is the ability to make good choices. It is also about putting knowledge together in helpful ways. Wisdom can come from our life experiences. We can also get it from parents, friends and others who have more knowledge and experience than us. So, where do we start?

Fear God
The Bible says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.” (Proverbs 9:10 NRSV) Initially, this might seem like a negative statement. How can you have a friendship with someone whom you fear? But “fear” here means a “healthy respect and willingness to obey”. We develop this attitude when we realize the greatness and power of God. Let me illustrate. I once saw a two year old run straight into a swimming pool in great excitement. Her sister was having swimming lessons and she wanted to get in on the action. The problem was the two year old couldn’t swim and had no fear of the water. She had to be dragged out and held back. She lacked a healthy respect for the water and didn’t realize she was in danger. In a similar way, when we ignore God’s wisdom and guidance we place ourselves in a dangerous place.

Ask God
So, how do you get this wisdom? A video clip on “Youtube” offers “weekly words of wisdom direct to your cell phone”. Various voices want to give us their versions of “wisdom”. The Bible says that God gives wisdom to those who ask him for it. (James 1:5) This encouragement is offered to people facing many troubles. James urges them to be joyful, to be patient and to grow stronger in their faith. He also reminds them that God gives his wisdom generously and willingly. But there is also a warning. Doubt is unsettling and destabilizing. It makes us vulnerable to being tossed around. As a teacher, I regularly tell students to “ask for help if you don’t understand something”. God wants us to do the same thing with him. He wants us to be confident that he cares enough to answer our request. This care is confirmed in the death of Jesus on the cross.

A different wisdom
The cross demonstrates a “different wisdom” which can seem foolish to human minds. God dying for our sins seemed (and seems) to some a silly idea. But to those who are being saved it is the wisdom and power of God. (1 Corinthians 1:18-31)

Do you have a healthy respect for God? Are you asking for his wisdom?

Tough minded, tendered hearted

An article in last weekend’s Sydney Morning Herald grabbed my attention on the newsstand. It was entitled "Why God is not great". As you might imagine, I was intrigued by the title and bought the paper. The article was an extract from a soon to be published book. The author argued, among other things, that "free inquiry and open-mindedness are more likely to nurture body and soul than religious belief". He seemed to think that having a religious faith meant being "closed minded" and unwilling to think about issues.

Some people assume that to be a person of faith means being like the scarecrow in the Wizard of Oz. His song was, "If I only had a brain". In fact, to develop a robust Christian faith requires a willingness to think deeply about issues of life and faith. The apostle Paul said to his friends, "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will." (Romans 12: 2) Jesus Christ, also told his followers to love God with "all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind". (Matthew 22: 37) As a Christian community, we encourage a thoughtful and reflective examination of every aspect of the world that God has made. We believe that "all truth is God's truth". Therefore, we are not afraid to seek after truth and to encourage others to do so.

At the same time, we believe that genuine faith in God will stir our hearts as well as our minds. Jesus urged his followers to love God with their heart and soul as well as their mind. A passionate and enthusiastic faith energises a person to engage with God, other people and the needs of our world. A purely intellectual view of life may analyse the world's problems or the nature of God. But it lacks the power to make a difference to our lives or to our world. When Jesus walked the earth few people remained neutral to his message. Those who understood clearly either wanted to kill him or gave up everything to follow him. Some people thought he was mad. Others considered him dangerous. But apathy was rarely an option. Following Jesus is not simply about believing certain ideas about God. It is more about building a life changing friendship. Like any true friendship, this involves taking risks and being open and vulnerable to the other person. It is a response of the heart as well as the mind.

The newspaper article also said that, “There is no need for us to gather every seven days to grovel and wallow in our unworthiness". I couldn't agree more! Christians are encouraged to meet with other believers not to "grovel and wallow" but to celebrate the goodness of God. We meet together with others to “spur one another on toward love and good deeds … and to encourage one another". (Hebrews 10: 24 - 25) In this way we discover more of what it means to be "tough minded and tender hearted", as followers of Jesus Christ.

What kind of faith do you have? Is it thoughtful? Is it passionate?

Finding God in unexpected places

Jacob was an unusual choice. He had cheated his brother out of his birthright and blessing. He was his mother’s favourite. With her help he tricked his brother and then experienced the full force of his anger. Esau was like a time bomb waiting to go off. He swore he would get even. He was just waiting until his parents had died so they wouldn’t see what he was going to do. So, Jacob left town. He fled for his life, out into the desert on his way to another land. He planned to make a fresh start and probably never return.

As he settled down for the night he began to dream. In his dream he saw a ladder coming down from heaven and angels going up and down the ladder. God spoke to him and promised to both bless and protect him. He woke up with a fright, overwhelmed by his experience. “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it”, he said. (Genesis 28:16) As a result he promised to serve God and give one tenth of all that he received back to God.

I wonder if you have faced a situation where you have thought, “God couldn’t possibly be interested in this”. Or perhaps you’ve asked, “Where is God? He doesn’t seem to be around here.” There have been times in my life where I have felt like that. The words of Jacob are a reminder to me that God meets us in unexpected places. He comes to us in ways that surprise and amaze us. Jacob’s conflict and fear probably made it hard for him to be aware of God’s guidance and direction. So, God spoke to him through a dream and met him out in the middle of the desert.

After the death and resurrection of Jesus he appeared to his followers on several occasions. Even so, they didn’t really know what to do about the exciting news that he had come back to life. Instead, they went back to their old way of life. As professional fishermen they returned to their boats and nets. After being out all night they had caught nothing. In the morning as they came near to the shore Jesus was on the beach next to a charcoal fire. But they didn’t recognise him. John turned to Peter and said, “It is the Lord”. With that, Peter jumped into the water and swam to shore. Jesus gave him three opportunities to reaffirm his love for Jesus. One for each time that he had denied him at his trial. Peter’s eyes were blinded to the presence of Jesus near to him. Perhaps his own guilt at having let Jesus down made it hard for him to see. It took the insight and encouragement of a friend to help him see that Jesus was nearby.

How aware are you of the nearness of God? What conflicts, fears or guilt make it difficult for you to believe in God or know that he is with you? Be open to the different ways that God might make himself known to you this week. (See Genesis 28:10-22 and John 21:1-25 for the full version of the stories mentioned)

“I’m not here to tell you what to believe”

I often begin the school year by telling my classes that, “I’m not here to tell you what to believe”. This shocks some students, because they assume that as School Pastor that is my job! I go on to clarify my statement by saying, “I am here to help you to think about what you believe, or don’t believe, and why that is so. I’m also here to talk with you about what I believe and why it is important to me.” I find the following Bible verses especially helpful guidance in this matter,

“ Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if you are asked about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it. 16 But you must do this in a gentle and respectful way.”(1 Peter 3:13-16 NLT)

These words were addressed to early Christians who were suffering for their faith. They were encouraged to continue to be open and honest about what they believed while respecting others who did not share their faith.

Within our school curriculum we attempt to teach students about other religions from a position of "committed neutrality". That is to say, we make no secret about our personal and school convictions that Jesus Christ is God's Son and the One who died for the sins of the world. We declare this to parents on enrolment as a matter of integrity. In this regard parents and students can see where we are "coming from". It is not hidden or subversive.

At the same time, we believe that the varied beliefs and non-beliefs of our parent and student population should be treated with respect and presented fairly and accurately. Students are not "rewarded" for believing or "penalised" for not believing. Our encouragement is for them to evaluate and be informed about the teachings of the major religions of the world and secular belief systems. Within this context we make it clear that we believe the person and message of Jesus Christ has something unique and special to offer. As a school parent, as a well as a teacher, I appreciate the trust placed in our staff by parents and their desire to have their family values treated with respect. Where the teachings of the school are different from those taught at home students are encouraged to honour their parents. They are also encouraged to discuss the values and beliefs they are being taught at school with their family.

We also believe that it is unhelpful and indeed counter-productive to pressure students in any way, or misinform them about other beliefs. Faith is both a gift from God and a response to God. It is an expression of trust based on knowledge and love not deception or manipulation. What about you? Do you know what you believe and why?

Recommended Reading:A Spectator’s Guide to World Religions: an introduction to the big five – John Dickson

Christianity and Islam in Australia and beyond

The Sydney Morning Herald has recently begun a series on Islam in Australia. It aims to show the variety of people and experiences which represent Muslim people in our country. It is a reminder of the changing political and religious climate in our world. A balanced understanding of the role of Islam is essential to a clear appreciation of local and world affairs. This is one of the reasons that students study world religions as part of our Christian Living and Studies of Religion Courses. The value of this approach has been reinforced for me by two stories I came across this week.

Firstly, I read in the Herald article about a mosque in Hopper’s Crossing in Victoria. It has the unusual name of the “Virgin Mary Mosque”. The leader of the mosque chose the name as an expression of some of the common elements he felt were shared between Christianity and Islam. He also wanted to show that Muslims can honour women in his faith. It challenged me about the importance of speaking respectfully with people of other faiths and looking for our common ground. But it also reminded me about the challenges of doing this without confusing or compromising what we believe. The Qur’an (Koran), Islam’s holy book, does mention both Jesus and Mary. But it gives to them a lesser place and role than that described in the Bible. For Islam, Jesus is the second most important prophet after Muhammad. However, for Christians Jesus is the Son of God and also God appearing in human form.

Secondly, I heard about a young Indonesian man who left his village to go and train in a militant Islamic Jihad school. He learnt how to kidnap and beat up westerners; burn down churches and blow up pastors. Then he began to have dreams in which a shining figure came to him warning him to change his ways or he would be “changed”. At this time he had attempted to murder a local pastor by blowing up his car. When this failed he took a gun and tried to shoot him. But he couldn’t pull the trigger. Unnerved by this series of events he returned to his home village where he was helped by a group of Christians. Through this experience he came to understand that the shining figure in his dreams was the Lord Jesus Christ. He turned away from his violent ways and is now a follower of Jesus.

The apostle Paul had a similar experience of being transformed by an encounter with Jesus Christ. After this, instead of being motivated by hatred and anger, he was filled with God’s love and compassion. He went on to write,

“I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile”. (Romans 1:16)

Do you know the transforming power of this gospel in your life? How might you relate respectfully and honestly to those around you who have a different faith or belief?

The Good Shepherd

What things do you think are worth spending your life on? Australian adventurer Andrew Macaulay came from Glenbrook in the Blue Mountains. He invested his life in testing the limits of human endurance. He came very close to setting a new record in paddling across the Tasman Sea from Australia to New Zealand. Sadly, within 50-60 kilometres of landfall his canoe capsized and he was lost at sea. Some people would say that he was crazy to attempt such a dangerous feat. Others would see it as pursuing his passion. He gave his life for the things that mattered to him. His wife and family were justifiably proud of this.

Jesus spoke to his disciples about his willingness to die for them using the image of a shepherd. A shepherd in Jesus’ day had a flock of about one hundred sheep that he knew by name. At night they slept in a pen that he guarded with his life. He was the “gate”. Any thief or wild animal had to get past him to attack the sheep. He would defend them to the death because they were his flock. Jesus put it like this:

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away.” (John 10:11-12)

In contrast, there were times when a hired servant looked after the flock. They didn’t have the same care or concern for the sheep. They would run away when danger came. They were more concerned about saving their own life than protecting the sheep.

The Christian faith reminds us that God knows us by name. It also teaches that we have been made by God and belong to God. As a result we are “his”, like the shepherd’s sheep. Even when we get lost and stray away he comes looking for us. (Luke 15:1-7) His commitment is not half-hearted or self-serving. It is passionate, total and self-giving. Jesus confirmed his words by his actions. As “the good shepherd” he laid down his life for us.

Like sheep we are often unaware of the dangers we face, from our ignorance of God or our disobedience. We may be tempted to dismiss the idea of being “saved” by Jesus as unnecessary. While life is going well we feel self-sufficient. When things go wrong we may wonder why God didn’t help us.

Alternatively, we may trust or follow a variety of “hired hands”. These are friends, gurus, philosophers, pop stars and other hero figures. They may have limited or no commitment to us. They accept our friendship, money and adoration but move on when it suits them. When pressure, danger and difficulties come our way they are gone.

Jesus’ death on the cross demonstrates his commitment to us. His resurrection from the dead confirms his claim to be God and His promise to be with us always. (Matthew 28:19-20) He offers more than words in calling us to follow him and claiming ownership of our lives. He gave his all for us. What are you offering him in return?

What would Jesus do?

I had some students who came late to class last week without a good reason. I had already warned them that if they were late again they would be on detention with me at lunchtime. When I reminded them that was what would be happening one of them said, “But sir, what would Jesus do?” Usually, that is a good question to ask, especially in a Christian Living class. I think they thought that I would say that Jesus would be kind and loving and forgive them. (And as a result he wouldn’t give them a detention!) In fact, I said that I thought that Jesus would tell them to get their act together and turn up to class on time.

Sometimes, we can have a limited view of who Jesus is, and also of how he shows us God’s love. Jesus certainly is kind, merciful and forgiving. But he is also challenging, disturbing and confronting. Jesus meets us and accepts us for who we are, and where we are. As we saw last week, he describes himself as a doctor who comes to sick people. But good doctors don’t want us to stay sick. They do all that they can to help us get well again. Sometimes, this involves painful surgery. At other times it involves telling people that they need to change their diet or lifestyle.

Jesus treats us in the same way. Correction and discipline are reminders that God loves us. As it says in Hebrews,

“‘When the Lord punishes you, don’t make light of it, and when he corrects you, don’t be discouraged.
6 The Lord corrects the people he loves and disciplines those he calls his own.’

7 Be patient when you are being corrected! This is how God treats his children. Don’t all parents correct their children? 8 God corrects all of his children, and if he doesn’t correct you, then you don’t really belong to him. 9 Our earthly fathers correct us, and we still respect them. Isn’t it even better to be given true life by letting our spiritual Father correct us?

10 Our human fathers correct us for a short time, and they do it as they think best. But God corrects us for our own good, because he wants us to be holy, as he is. 11 It is never fun to be corrected. In fact, at the time it is always painful. But if we learn to obey by being corrected, we will do right and live at peace.” (Hebrews 12:5-11)

Whether it is a parent, a teacher or God who does it, being corrected is never fun and often hurts. But when we learn from the experience we will do right and live in peace. A football coach corrects us so that we can play a better game; a music teacher corrects us so that we play in tune so others may listen and enjoy our music. God corrects us so that we can reflect more of his character, and be like Jesus. A wise man once said, “Embrace your critics”. What he meant was, “love the people who show you where you need to change”. Sometimes, this is easier to do than others. Often, we want to react defensively, proving we are right or blaming someone else. But if we can get beyond this, and admit that there may be some truth in what the other person is saying we can grow.

When I was a child we had a poster on the wall at our place. It was of a rhinoceros with its head down about to charge. The caption on the photo said, “I may have my faults, but being wrong isn’t one of them”. It was a constant reminder to laugh and listen, instead of react when we were corrected about something.

How do you cope when you are corrected? What would Jesus do in your life at the moment?

Who needs a doctor: the healthy or the sick?

Lat week, as I was driving home from school I was disturbed by the sound of sirens approaching from behind. I pulled over expecting what was about to happen. Three police motorcycles cleared the roadway waving cars down as they came. They were followed by several four-wheel drive vehicles, a large armoured prison vehicle, more four-wheel drives and a police car. A helicopter hovered overhead, following them along the Northern Rd and down onto the M4. The prison vehicle contained nine men. They are on trial at Penrith Court accused of planning to blow up some significant Sydney landmarks.

As we watched them disappear into the distance I wondered about their families and their faces. Each of them is somebody’s father, brother or son. Yet in the media they appear as faceless men with black bars across their faces. They are alleged “terrorists” whose potential to cause great harm to many people is evidenced by the strict security surrounding them. We continued our journey home. But they stayed in my mind. I wondered what background and beliefs have led them to where they are today. I wondered if one of my friends who is a chaplain at Silverwater jail would get to meet them, or at least see them face to face. I thought about sitting across a table in Berrima jail talking with a convicted murderer, who seemed so “ordinary”. I remembered visiting a local juvenile justice facility and sitting opposite a young boy who had shot a relative. I didn’t see a “criminal”, just another human being.

I also remembered one of the questions that Jesus asked the religious leaders of his day.
“Who needs a doctor: the healthy or the sick? Go figure out what this Scripture means: ‘I’m after mercy, not religion.’ I’m here to invite outsiders in, not coddle insiders.” (Matthew 9:12-13 Msg) Jesus was being criticised at the time by the respectable people, for being friendly with “crooks and riff-raff”. But that was exactly who he came to earth to save. Christianity was never meant to be a religion for “good” or “perfect” people. It is God’s invitation to imperfect and sinful people of all nations, tribes and tongues. All of us need “Doctor Jesus”. Some of us realise that we are “sick” and in need of healing. Others, like the religious leaders Jesus questioned, need it but don’t see that they do.

In our school community there are some people who are brilliant students, athletes and musicians. There are others who struggle to study, compete or play. Some people have multiple certificates, awards and trophies. Others have none. Some people find it easy to keep school rules about uniform, homework etc. while others are pleased to have a week without getting a detention. But Jesus question speaks to all of us, “Who needs a doctor: the healthy or the sick?” The answer is obvious. Sick people need a doctor. All of us are “sick” in some way. All of us need the healing and saving power of Jesus in our lives. Have you been to “Doctor Jesus” lately?