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Paradox of Wisdom

“I’d choose wisdom!” 

We were young teenagers and, as teens frequently do, we were asking each other what we would ask for if we could have three wishes granted.  (My memory is that we had recently seen the Disney version of Aladin – and we were captivated by Robin Williams’ portrayal of the Genie.)  My friends all said they’d wish for billions of dollars, or the like.  When I stated my wish would be for wisdom they looked at me like I had ten heads.

I had recently become a Christian and I had taken seriously my spiritual mentor’s encouragement to read a Psalm, a Proverb and a New Testament passage every day.  In doing so, I had become fascinated with the benefits of having, and pursuing, wisdom.  My immediate thought when my friend asked this question about the wishes was, if I get wisdom first, I’d then know the best way to use the second two wishes.

This is often the way of life.  If we have wisdom, we are better positioned to make good choices.  Unfortunately, even ‘wise’ people can make poor decisions.  But, generally, wisdom brings understanding, an ability to see through the conundrum at the surface in order to address the matters at the heart of a situation.

Wisdom is different from knowledge.  I smile when I hear the ‘modern proverb’ that says,

“By knowledge we understand that a tomato is a fruit,

By wisdom we know not to slice a tomato into our breakfast cereal.”

Wisdom rarely fits into a particular mould.  Even though one may have wisdom, determining a course of action requires that the wise person understands the context.  Wisdom may require action in a given situation at one time, but at another time, in what appears to be the very same situation, wisdom may require a different action.  This often-forgotten principle is clearly stated in Proverbs 26:4-5.

“Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you will be like him yourself.

Answer a fool according to his folly, or he will be wise in his own eyes.”

I have spoken to many who appear troubled by this seeming contradiction within Scripture.  How can the Word of God so blatantly disagree with itself?  But, these two verses are not a contradiction. Rather, they are an instruction to look beyond the issues at the surface, to get within the context of the one who is speaking in order to understand the ‘folly’ that is being espoused.  The challenge for the wise person, is to attempt to identify, without judgement or accusation, the motives and intentions of the one speaking before deciding if wisdom compels one to enter the discussion.  Clearly, it is possible that a decision to enter the conversation could reveal substance as folly-filled as the first speaker.  In another context, with different understanding, assessment and clarity, it may be essential to enter the conversation.

In today’s world we will have multiple opportunities to learn how to apply this principle.  We are faced with a myriad of opinions, perspectives and points of view that are not always helpful or beneficial.  Some are complete folly.  Some are spoken by people who genuinely desire and intend to do good but have become confused.   Regardless of who speaks or what is said, before we dive into the conversation, it will be beneficial for us to consider the principles within Proverbs 26:4-5. 

In doing so, we will do well to remember that this principle is built on the assumption that in all circumstances we’re seeking to display the heart of God and learning to speak with grace, truth, gentleness and respect (1 Pt 3:15) and avoiding the temptation to speak curses over someone made in God’s image (Jms 3:9).  For not only is it kindness that leads people to change (Rom 2:4), but it is through the Church that God will display his multi-faceted wisdom (Eph 3:10).

More Than A Question

“Who will speak up for the vulnerable children?”

The tears began to flow as I walked.  I was startled at the intensity of my emotion, but even more surprised at the immediacy of their arrival.  Aware of my surroundings as I walked through Dublin city centre, I was glad for the typically drizzly day and for the rain drops which hid my tears.

In the moments preceding the tears I had been in dialogue with God asking questions about the work of Tearfund Ireland, the various projects and how I could best contribute.  I even asked the Lord if I should continue working there.  It was at this moment that I felt the powerful subtlety of the question back to me; “Who will speak up for the vulnerable children?”

The force of that still, small voice surprised me.  So clear, so concise, so direct.  The faintly whispered shout penetrated all my rational defences and went straight to a deep part of me where, to this day, it continues to reverberate.  

“Who will speak up for the vulnerable children?”

For me, the question was more than just a question; it was an invitation.  In that moment I knew I was being invited to pursue a cause that is close to God’s heart.  But more than that, I realised I was experiencing a degree of his compassion for vulnerable children.  In those short few moments on that drizzly street in Dublin His question put an end to my questions.  I now had a compassion-led conviction that I, and Tearfund Ireland, would speak up for vulnerable children.  

Tearfund Ireland have three ongoing development projects in Ethiopia, Cambodia and Lebanon.  While each project targets needs specific to that context, a common theme across all three is that we are addressing the needs of vulnerable children.  

In Ethiopia, our Self-Help Groups targets vulnerable women, predominately mothers, to enable them to lift themselves out of poverty.  The children of these women are among the most vulnerable.

In Lebanon, we have worked alongside the Church to support needs of Syrian refugees, particularly, the parents of children.  For many years we have participated in intervention education and skills-based training for these children who are among the most vulnerable.

In Cambodia, we continue to help children remain with their families.  Addressing the cultural practice of sending children to an orphanage when the family is experiencing financial hardship or difficulties accessing education, we are helping parents and communities find ways to keep their children with them.  Children who have been sent away from their families are among the most vulnerable.

In a world where women are still undervalued, mistreated or marginalised, Tearfund Ireland is working to restore relationships and enable women to change their circumstances.  We regularly hear stories from our local partners about women whose lives are being transformed.  These women become change-agents themselves, transforming the lives of their own children and, commonly, children within their community.  

I frequently hear the reverberations of the question the Holy Spirit embedded into me that rainy day; “Who will speak up for the vulnerable children?”.  When I read the reports from our partners about how the lives of women and children are being changed, I feel a genuine sense of satisfaction that we are, even if in a small way, impacting the lives of vulnerable children.  

The team in Tearfund Ireland are committed to demonstrating God’s goodness, love and justice to the most marginalised and vulnerable around the world.  As an organisation we are embracing the question the Lord asked, and we are speaking up for the vulnerable children.  We are learning to do right and seeking justice.  We are taking up the cause of the fatherless and pleading the case of the women who have been left alone (see Isaiah 1:17 & James 1:27).

Personally, I am honoured to work with a dedicated and skilled team of people, who have embraced this mission (invitation) with passion and professionalism.  Will you come alongside us? 

Visit www.tearfund.ie for more information.

Sean Copeland

Originally posted on www.tearfund.ie in June 2023

…But We See Jesus

 “In putting everything under him, God left nothing that is not subject to him.  Yet at present we do not see everything subject to him.  BUT WE SEE JESUS…”  (Hebrews 2:4-8)

The world is not as it should be. 

The year 2020 has been called an unprecedented year.  A global pandemic causing the death of multiple thousands, sickness of millions, ruining livelihoods, straining the health-care services and causing instability across global economies.

The world is not as it should be.We watched helplessly as, once again, those whose role it is to serve and protect did the opposite. The names of the victims who made global news in the summer of 2020 should never cease to ring in our souls: Floyd Landis, Breona Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Rayshard Brooks and hundreds of others whose names are remembered by those closest to them.

The world is not as it should be.

We’ve witnessed governments sworn to uphold democracy distort those very principles for self-serving agendas. Though we’ve lamented the system, we’ve succumbed to the narratives of opposing ideologies oblivious to our power to create alternative possibilities.  Yet when violent crowds combined nationalistic theism with self-righteous justification we were shocked by our surprise.  We seemed to have forgotten the principle of sowing and reaping as we ignored the gradual digression which led to the sudden assault on democracy.

The world is not as it should be.

We value ease and convenience while prioritising comfort, no longer aware of the consequences resulting from the pursuit of our happiness.  Profit, consumerism and disposables drive the cycle of consumption, waste and pollution; degrading the earth and disregarding the reversal our grandchildren must engineer.

The world is not as it should be.

We’ve become numbed by continuous access to everything at all times.  Willingly handing over the intimacies of our identity, we’re drawn into the cavernous chamber of echoes but immune to the temptation to disconnect.  We’ve championed one’s right to speak freely as more important than empathy to another’s understanding of the words heard.  One’s claim to entitlement is presumed more justified than another’s cry for equity and, we’ve drifted from the practice of humility; residing where retaliation, retribution and revenge are the established default responses.  

No, the world is not as it should be.  But the way it is, doesn’t have to be the way it is.  The current condition does not need to be the final outcome. 

Though things are not as they should be…  we see Jesus  a prayer                  

Holy Spirit, though the world is not as it should be, help me keep my eyes on Jesus.  Heavenly Father, you demonstrated your love for the world by sending Jesus (Jn 3.16) to seek and save all that was lost (Lk 19.10) and reconcile all back to yourself (Rom 5.10). 

You’ve given me the right to become a child of God (Jn 1.12), and I choose to lean into you and pursue righteousness and peace as a child of God (Hb 12.11). 

Father, we know that you have entrusted stewardship of creation to us (Ps 8.6, 115.16).  You’ve invited us into your mission (Jn 20.21) that your will would be done on earth as it is in heaven (Mt 6.10) until the knowledge of the Lord will cover the earth as the waters cover the seas (Hab 2.14). 

We thank you for welcoming us as your children (Jn 1.12) and enabling Christ to dwell in our hearts through faith (Gal 2.20) so we can be formed by him (Gal 4.20).  We choose not to be conformed to the basic principles of this world (Col 2.20), but choose to be transformed by the renewing of our minds (Rom 12.1-3) so we can become like Jesus (1 Jn 3.2).

We ask for the spirit of wisdom and revelation that we may know you better (Eph 1.17) and for courage to live worthy of the calling we have received (Eph 4.1).  We ask for perseverance to forget what is behind and press on toward that for which Christ Jesus took hold of us (Phil 3.12-14). 

We yearn to live up to what we have already attained (Phil 3.16) and, in the power of Holy Spirit, demonstrate and teach all that Jesus modelled (Mt 28.18-20), carrying on his ministry of reconciliation (2 Cor 5.18) so that the manifold wisdom of God would be displayed through the Church (Eph 3.10) and the Body of Christ would be built up into maturity, attaining the whole measure of the fullness of God (Eph 4.13).

Although the world may not be as it should be…. we see Jesus.  For that reason, I will set my heart and my mind on things above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God (Col 3.1) and fix my eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith (Hb 12.2). Amen

Sean Copeland, January 2021

Wisdom of the Righteous

I was busily getting things out of the car so we could get down to the beach.  It was a gloriously warm afternoon.  We were on holidays in Spain and had been in the car all day.  We were all ready for the water.   As I was pulling bags from the car one of the kids gasped while another said, “I can’t believe he just did that!”.  I turned around to see what was causing the commotion and saw a very old-looking man walking away from a car.  My wife said, “He’s just taken the keys out of that car”.

I hadn’t seen what happened but the rest of my family did.  The owner of the car had left the windows were open.  The man was walking away from the car in a hurried manner.  He was old and used a walking stick – so even though it was clear he was trying to walk quickly he wasn’t making speedy progress.   My wife repeated what she’d seen and, with an authority that only wives can muster, resolved that something must be done.  Her brave conclusion was that I had to stop him and get the keys back.

It was all a bit surreal.  This was a small car park beside a beach.  It was in the middle of the afternoon.  I hadn’t seen the man take anything.  I just wanted to go swimming.

With my wife’s increasing determination, and my children watching to see how I would handle the situation, I knew I had to do something.  I searched my memories to see if I could remember confronting a thief who was caught in the act.  I wasn’t sure what I would say to him.  I know enough Spanish to get by on a family holiday.  Uno momento…. La quinta por favour…. Gracias….  But I hadn’t learned anything like: “Excuse me sir, but did you just take something from that car?”   It simply never occurred to me that I’d need to use such a sentence on my holiday.

Still unsure of what I would say, I made my way toward the man.  I intercepted his haltingly rapid exit and, pointing at the car, asked him (in English) if he had taken something from the car.   Muttering something in Spanish he looked from me, to the car and back to me.   I hesitated because I didn’t know what he was saying, but he just stood there looking at me.  It was clear to me he didn’t speak English but I pressed on.  Once again I pointed at the car and then to him and then back to the car while asking him if he took something from the car.  Whatever was going through his mind he seemed to know what I was saying because he took a set of keys from his pocket and handed them to me.  He continued mumbling untranslated Spanish as he turned away and resumed his hasty retreat.

My wife & I found the car’s owner and explained what had happened as we returned the keys.  On the walk to the beach we reminded our kids of how it didn’t matter that we didn’t speak the same the language because the man knew he had done something wrong.  I told them that knowledge of right and wrong is not restricted to English or Spanish – it is understood within the language of the heart.

As we spoke to them I was reminded of a recent time of prayer.  I’d been reading Luke 1.17 which speaks of the “disobedient being drawn to the wisdom of the righteous”.  I had asked God to teach me about a wisdom that would cause the disobedient to seek out the righteous.  What level of wisdom would it take for those who are disobedient to be drawn to, attracted to the righteous?  As is typical for me, I presumed I would need to tap into some higher level of wisdom or some yet unexplored level of divine creativity that would cause the disobedient to experience an “Ah-Ha” moment.

But this experience with the Spanish man and the car keys was not some mystical feat of divine engineering.  It was a simple matter of right and wrong.  God used it to teach my children.  He used it to teach me.  I hope the old man has learned a lesson too!  The bonus for me is that this was not only an answer to my prayer – but it is an illustration of how God intends for His people to display His wisdom (Eph 3.10) in such a way that those who don’t yet know him would be drawn to him (Lk 1.17).

 

 

Belong: Families for the Lonely

Family.  That word means something different to all of us.  Think about your own family system for a moment.  What happens in your house on a daily basis?  How are evening meals spent?  How does your family spend major holidays?

I remember some of my early experiences with a different family system.  I had moved away from home to attend college.  Living on campus in a dorm full of young men was a fantastic experience – and some of those guys remain good friends.  On several occasions I’d go to one of their homes for a weekend.  I recall being fascinated by their families.  Whether it was how they did meal-times, listening to their interactions or noticing the subtle ways they treated each other, I couldn’t help but be aware of the differences from my family.  But apart from any observable differences, the best part was that these families included me as one of their own.  With each new college friend, I gained a ‘home away from home’.  Sort of like a new family.

The Bible tells us that God makes a point of putting the lonely into families (see Ps 68.6).  While I would not have described myself as a ‘lonely’ young college student, being welcomed as one of the family by these friends triggered something inside me.  I became aware of a longing I didn’t know existed.  I had a desire for family, for belonging; where I felt safe, valued and free to be myself.

If we think about it, aren’t these things what most people want?  To feel welcomed (wanted); to feel safe (protected); to feel valued (respected) and free to be themselves (identity).  These are some of the basic attributes in the Father’s family system.  He is a good, loving Father who makes provision for us all.  His manner and way of establishing the family system creates an environment within which we can all learn and grow together.

Becoming a part of a spiritual family, though it may be quite different than what we’ve been used to, will help us feel welcomed, safe, valued and encouraged to grow into our true identity.

 

Jesus Gave the Words

Another aspect of this story is the way Jesus, when talking with the Father, described his interaction with the disciples.  He said, “I Gave them the words you gave me…”.

The phrase intrigues me.  Why did Jesus say it this way?  Why didn’t he say ‘I told them what you told me to say’…?  Or, ‘I taught them as you instructed’…?  Even if he had said, ‘I passed on what you told me to say’, it would have sounded …. well, it would have sounded like the way we talk today.  As it is, Jesus’ way of describing it, sounds very literal; very transactional.  Father, you gave me the words to say and I gave them to the guys.

We know from other places in Scripture that Jesus only spoke what he heard from the Father (Jn 5.19).  He repeatedly told people that what he taught was not his teaching, but was that of the Father (Jn 7.16).  So, I’m not surprised that in this story Jesus would confirm the words he spoke were words he heard from the Father.  I’m just a little surprised at the way he phrased how this speaking took place.

“I gave them the words you gave me and they received them…”.

The Greek for ‘words’ used here is rhema, which means that which is spoken, by a living voice; a declaration of one’s mind put into words. *  In the context, then, God manifested his mind through his words spoken to Jesus who, in turn, gave them to the disciples.  But, I am extremely curious about the way Jesus speaks about the words.  To say it the way he did implies that the words from God are substance, material or tangible.

As we have seen in previous sessions, the words spoken by God contain, in their very essence, Life and Spirit (see post).  So, when the disciples heard the words spoken by Jesus, which were originally given by the Father, the disciples received not only the content of the words, but a portion of God himself – a portion of his Life and Spirit.

But the disciples did not merely hear the words spoken by Jesus.  The Bible says they received; they accepted; they took possession of the words given to them.  The words weren’t merely spoken concepts that passed into their consciousness through their physical ears; the words were a substance which the disciples actively grasped.  In doing so they received the life and spirit the words contained.  To put it in the way we’ve been discussing: they recognised something tangible within their spirit and responded by receiving the message and combining faith to what they heard.

Consider carefully what you hear…. Consider carefully how you listen…

Additionally, this passage says that they received the words and knew with certainty.  On this point, I would ask you to consider your own process of hearing and knowing.  Think back to a time when you heard/felt/sensed God speak.  In these moments we usually experience a deep confidence, an inner peace, an assurance that we just encountered the Living God.  Even if this experience is momentary, if we allow ourselves to embrace what we heard from Him, it enhances our understanding of WHO he is.  If we were to analyse that moment, we would likely speak with confidence of who God is and how this newly realised truth is crucial to life.

This is, I think, what happened with the disciples that evening.  They heard an eternal truth from Jesus, recognised the Life and Spirit within that truth and responded, in faith, by receiving this truth.  Through taking possession of the truth, it was as though a seed was implanted into their spirit and Jesus knew this was all that was needed at this point.  The soil of their heart was ready and the seed carried a life of its own.

  • The Father gave the words to Jesus.
  • Jesus gave the words to the disciples.
  • The disciples received the words (belief)
  • Receiving the words led them to know with certainty.

Later would come the lessons of learning how integrate this truth into their circumstances and allowing it to alter their way of perceiving themselves and the world around them.

 

* TDNT Vol 4: 69,505

 

 

Hearts that Hear

How do I listen?  In what ways do I enable my heart to listen?  Or, possibly more important, how does my spirit listen?  How aware am I of the connection between my heart and my spirit so I can be more attentive to the promptings of my spirit?

We previously looked at the verse in Hebrews which said, the people did not consider the message of value because they did not combine it with faith (Hb 4.2).  This verse has several implications, but one implication is that the message we hear can actually lead us into a faith response – if we can understand how we listen.

The people did not combine faith to what they heard because they didn’t recognise the faith which came through the message they heard.  The message of God’s goodness and provision of redemption fell on deaf ears (so-to-speak) because the hearts of the people were hard (Hb 3.15).  Even though God’s words are Spirit and Life the people did not ‘hear’ because their hearts had been hardened through unbelief (Hb 3.19).

This raises a question for me.  Had their hearts not been hard, could they have responded differently?  If they had an element of unbelief, but had not yet gone fully into a hard heart, would they have responded differently?  It may be difficult to answer for that specific group of people.  But, I don’t think their descent has to be assumed as a general rule for all people.  Those people were unaware of ‘how to listen’ but I think the scenario could be different if someone had the smallest element of belief – even if it is mustard seed small.

I am convinced there is a link between belief and the response of the heart.  A heart that is sensitive to the different ways God speaks is able to listen, able to hear and able to choose to combine faith to what it hears.

What’s even more encouraging about this is that God has told us faith (belief) is not solely our responsibility.  The words of God are Spirit and Life, and when the soft heart hears the words of God, our spirit awakens to the essence and substance of God contained in the message and responds with belief.  This is, I believe, part of what happens when Paul says that faith comes by hearing (Rom 10.17).

 

Consider Carefully & Train the Senses

Giving careful consideration to how I listen is a challenge.  It’s a little bit like trying to identify how I think, or the way I choose one option over another.

In my lighter moments I think of the old Kung-Fu films I watched as a boy.  No matter what else was happening in any given film, there was always a scene in which the young apprentice was left dazed and confused by the wisdom of the Master Teacher.  Characteristically, the Master rarely explained himself to the apprentice, he merely waited until the apprentice was ready to hear the deeper pearls of wisdom.

I realise this analogy falls short on a lot of levels but there are similarities in what we’re discussing.  How we listen, how we understand the many ways we hear and perceive God, is a tool that will enable us to mature in relationship with God.

The author of Hebrews made a statement that is a little unsettling.  He told his readers that what he had to say was hard to explain because they (his readers) had become dull in their understanding (Hb 5.11).  He told them they were still in need of someone to teach them the basic elements of the word of God and went on to say they were unacquainted with the word of righteousness (Hb 5.13).

Imagine hearing that!  “Young Grasshopper, you are unfamiliar with the Word of God!  Because of your dullness, the things you must learn will be hard for you to understand.”

His statement in verse 14 is the one that has captured my attention.  “But solid food is for the mature, for those whose faculties have been trained by practice…” (NRSV).   The Greek could be literally translated ‘faculties of perception’.  Another English version (NAS) translates this by saying, ‘having their senses trained’.

Whichever translation we choose to read, the significance of this phrase reinforces that practice and training are necessary if we are to grow into maturity.  If training and practice are required, there is an implication that we may not always discern correctly when it comes to hearing the Word of righteousness.  That means there is an element of trying to identify what we sense in our heart and being willing to learn from our mistakes when we don’t get it correct.  (A further implication is that those who lead have a responsibility to support, encourage and provide safe structures for people to grow in this.)

But regardless of what anyone else does, it is my obligation to engage in this training of my senses (faculties of perception).  I do so, not because I want to be the next Master of the Christian dojo.  I do so because I want to grow into maturity and deepen my relationship with the One whom I believe.  I do so because I want to be open to any and all the ways he may choose to speak to me.

 

Words: Dad & Daughter’s Declarations

Recently I’ve been thinking a lot about the power of words.   I don’t mean the ‘mind-over-matter’ way of self-talk.  I’ve been thinking about how the words spoken by Jesus and revealed by Holy Spirit are filled with life (see posts).  When we align ourselves with the truths of God and verbalise what he has already declared, the life-giving substance within the idea is released through the spoken word.

The below video has been trending lately and I really like it.  The benefit of this routine is, I think, more than just an inspirational habit.  The Dad is teaching his daughter how to stand in Truth, which will create foundations upon which she can stand when she’ll have to battle against lies as she gets older.  If she continues in these truths, she can provide a source of strength for others to learn how to stand in the life-giving promises of who God has created them to be.

 

Words of Jesus

Jesus is the ultimate example of the power of words.  He is the living word – he is the WORD made flesh (Jn 1.1-3).  Jesus was with the Father during the creation process, and through him all things were created.  Is it a coincidence, then, that creation was brought into existence through the spoken word (Gen 1.3; Col 1.16).

Jesus told us that his words will never pass away (Mt 24.35).  How could they?  His words are Spirit and they are Life (Jn 16.13).  His words were not just sounds emanating from his mouth.     The very essence of his words was life.  Their very substance was spirit.  His words do not merely communicate life; they do not just contain life – they are life.  Because of this Jesus’ words do not, cannot, fade away or disintegrate.

His words are living and active.  From the moment Jesus spoke, his words have lingered in the realms of the Spirit; pregnant with creative power.  When we become exposed to those words, our spirit is quickened because the words are just as powerful today as when Jesus first spoke them.  They retain the fullness of his nature and carry the goodness of his promises.

Many have attempted to relegate the statements of Jesus to the mere sayings of a prophet, a philosopher or a wise teacher.  The only way one can relegate his words to this human level is through the hardness of our heart.  But no matter how hard it may have become, the heart that hungers can be made soft again.  Once alerted to the life-giving sustenance of his words, the heart quickly acknowledges that bread alone will no longer satisfy (Dt 8.3; Mt 4.4).

And that seems to be one of the main purposes for the words spoken by Jesus.  His intent was to help people hear, see and understand the Father (Jn 14.9).  One way he did this was by speaking only that which he heard the Father say (Jn 5.19).  And, because Jesus revealed and declared the purposes of God, His words that continue to linger will not return to him empty but will accomplish the purposes for which he sent them (Is 55.11).