Wisdom and the Tree of Life

Teaching and Learning

One thing I’m sure you’ve learned about me since I’ve become your pastor is that I love learning. And, when I was looking for someone to share my life with, seeking out a woman who also was interested in learning and education was very important to me. Together, between Angela and I we have five degrees. Now I don’t say that to impress you or to wield any authority over you but just to indicate that in our household we take our learning pretty seriously.

But today is Christian Education Sunday and we need to talk about just what that means. What does it mean for us to learn as Christians? What are we to learn? What are our textbooks and to whom do we go to learn? And most importantly, how do we learn?

Well, this last question reminds me of a story I once heard. A group of high school students were required to take a mandatory health class. Around the room were posters of the human body and its various systems. One particularly detailed blackboard contained the names of the major bones and muscle systems of the body. The students often took notice of it but the teacher never made mention of it in his lessons, which were usually about healthy habits and things like that. One day toward the end of the school year, the students came in to find that blackboard erased. And then too, all the posters had been removed. The teacher handed out a blank diagram of the human body and told them that their exam for the day was to fill in the information in the blanks: the names of the major bones and muscle systems of the human body. The students protested that the teacher had never taught them specifically about any of this material. But the teacher stood firm and told them they had to complete the test and that it was a major portion of their grade. Most of the students did not do well and didn’t have most of the blanks filled in by the time the period ended. The teacher then promptly collected the papers, took them to the front of the room, ripped them up and deposited them into the trash can. He then turned to his students and remarked, “Always remember that education is more than just learning what you are told!”

That is a profound lesson that we all need to learn. In my experience as a student and later as a teacher, I have noticed that there are two types of students who come in to classrooms. On the one hand are students who are very laser focused on one particular path or career track. They want to acquire the skills they need to do one job and do it well. Then on the other hand there are the students who enjoy the process of learning itself. The first group are those that tell the teacher, “I am going to be a lawyer, why do I have to bother learning chemistry, or English literature?” They can’t imagine how it will be relevant to their career. But the other group know a secret and they don’t complain about having to learn something that is outside their area of speciality. And they know that it is the process of learning itself that opens the horizons of the mind. They know that the purpose of education is not just to impart knowledge into your head; it’s not just to cram your head full of facts that you can pull out to impress others or to merely do a job. No, education teaches you how to learn—and learn anything it is you need to learn.

Knowledge and Wisdom

And the difference between these two types of learners, the laser-focused career specialist and the open and adventurous type exemplifies another difference we need to grapple with as Christians. And that is the distinction between knowledge and wisdom.

Knowledge is the acquisition of information. It is the storing up of facts in our heads. It involves a lot of memorization. Things like names, dates, processes, the steps of doing something. Many people have this kind of skill. Even the jobs that require the least amount of minimum education require areas of specialized knowledge.

But wisdom on the other hand is more than just knowing mere facts. Wisdom is knowing how and when to use that knowledge; when to apply that information. Wisdom shows us how to live, how to interact with people, how to navigate the ups and downs of life. Knowledge can tell you how to escape a burning building by looking for the exit sign, but wisdom tells you to go to the exit sign that isn’t under a raging fire.

Our Passages

And as we turn to our Scripture this morning, I want you to notice that in very few instances does the Bible ask us to be learners of facts—to be acquirers of information for information’s sake. Now don’t get me wrong here, having biblical literacy is a very good thing and it is also taken for granted in Scripture. The authors of Scripture and God expect that we would take an interest in the Bible, read it, study it, consult it, even memorize portions of it.

But that’s not enough. After all, as the Bible says, even the demons and the devil have that kind of knowledge. Why as Satan demonstrated when he tempted Jesus, the devil knows his Bible better than just about anyone. So, Bible knowledge is great, but it’s only a first step.

No, what the Bible again and again says to us is to acquire wisdom. What the Bible says is to take the information we have learned and put it to practical use in our lives. Wisdom is knowledge applied to our lives.

And the thing about biblical wisdom as opposed to wisdom in general is this: biblical wisdom always leads to love in a threefold path. Biblical wisdom leads us to love and take care of ourselves. Wisdom leads us next to love God and then finally wisdom leads us to love our neighbors as ourselves.

Do you see the correlation to Jesus’ own teaching there? When asked about the greatest commandment in the Bible, Jesus took his Bible knowledge and summed it up by two passages. Deuteronomy 6:4 and Leviticus 19:18. On these two, love God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength and love your neighbor as yourself depends all the law and the prophets. It really is that simple.

But that was just the knowledge part, wasn’t it. Many Christians can tell you that these are the two greatest commandments. But how many truly live it? I know right? It’s not all of them. Because gaining wisdom is hard. It takes intentional effort.

Gaining Wisdom

The first way to gain biblical wisdom is to study the Bible for yourself prayerfully and regularly. There is no substitute for regular immersion into the Bible.

The second way to gain biblical wisdom is to come to church and hear the word of God faithfully preached. I try to do that to the best of my ability. It is good to gather around with other Christians and to regularly be fed like that spiritually.

But those two things really aren’t enough, because all of those things are individual really. Reading the Bible for ourselves is good and hearing and listening to sermons is good. They are ways to acquire a good deal of biblical knowledge.

But to learn wisdom requires something else. It requires joining a small group of people dedicated to sharing their knowledge, challenging and questioning each other, and learning together. Christianity is not an individual sport and gaining wisdom is not either. They both require that we learn together.

And the best place this can occur is in Bible Study and Sunday school. These are the places that this kind of learning happens. This is where, as Proverbs tells us, that iron sharpens iron and both the teacher and student and the student and the other students gain that wisdom that helps them get through the week.

If you are currently in a small group study, I encourage you to continue in that, to learn from it, and to be a regular contributor to it. But if you are not, I’d ask you to consider why you aren’t? And I’d ask you to consider at least trying it out. I think you’ll find that if you do, you’ll gain an additional dimension on your life that grows not only your faith but your witness into the world. Amen.