We confuse knowledge with wisdom. Much of the devastation our world has endured over the centuries has been caused by the world’s smartest and most learned elite making decisions that were unwise.
Supreme Court Chief Justice Roger Taney’s decision in Scott v. Sanford in 1857 declared that slaves were property, and that Americans of African descent, whether free or still enslaved, were not American citizens and could not sue in federal court. Taney thought he had solved America’s slavery problem. As chief justice, Taney was a very knowledgeable man; but the Dred Scott decision is considered by most legal scholars as the worst Supreme Court decision in our nation’s history and helped lead to our Civil War just four years later. Taney showed a distinct lack of wisdom in his decision.
Stephen Hawking knew more about physics and other scientific concepts than nearly anyone else in the world. Yet he died not believing in the God who created him, which the Bible tells us is not wise at all.
Knowledge and wisdom are distinct. Wisdom is the proper application of our knowledge. It’s been said that knowledge is understanding that a tomato is a fruit; wisdom is not including it in a fruit salad.
Knowledge mixed with pride causes us to make foolish decisions. Wisdom requires humility. In our passage from James’ letter this week, he tells us about wisdom.
Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by his good behavior his works, with the humility of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and tell lies against the truth. 15 This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there is disorder and every evil practice. 17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceful, gentle, obedient, full of mercy and good fruits, nonjudgmental, without hypocrisy, 18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace among those who make peace. — James 3:13–18 (LEB)
Through this we see that true wisdom is a spiritual gift. It comes from God and shares God’s characteristics: purity, peace, tenderness, mercy, justice, benevolence. Earthly wisdom (such as Taney’s decision) stems from selfish desires and evil aspirations. Human wisdom is based in our pride and leads to conflict; the more power and authority we have, the greater the conflict that can emerge. Many wars have happened because knowledgeable people made unwise decisions.
From where are conflicts and from where are quarrels among you? Is it not from this, from your pleasures that wage war among your members? 2 You desire and do not have; you murder and are filled with envy, and are not able to obtain; you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, in order that you may spend it on your pleasures. — James 4:1–3
Jesus tells us to pray, and that whatever we ask for will be given to us. So why is James telling us something different?
Actually, he’s not. When Jesus made that promise, he had established the prerequisite of our being aligned with God’s will. The promise in Matthew 7 follows the description of prayer to our Father in Heaven in Chapter 6, declaring that we want to see his kingdom come and his will be done here on earth just as it is in Heaven.
The Apostle John sums it up in his First Letter to the Church
And this is the confidence that we have before him: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked from him. — 1 John 5:14–15
The prayer, “Dear God, give me a million dollars … in Jesus’ name. Amen.” usually does not meet that requirement. James describes humility as a key aspect of our wisdom and wants, and that our idolatry often gets in the way of our humility.
Adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore, whoever wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 5 Or do you think that in vain the scripture says, “The spirit which he caused to dwell in us desires jealously”? 6 But he gives greater grace. Therefore, it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” — James 4:4–6
Idolatry is theological adultery. God tells us that nothing in our lives should be more important to us than him. We are often sharing our focus between doing God’s will and doing our own. God tells us that following him won’t be popular and we will suffer repercussions for doing it, but as social beings, we want to be liked and we don’t want others to say or do bad things to us.
God, however, calls us to choose him over all the other distractions.
Therefore, subject yourselves to God. But resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded! — James 4:7–8
Whenever a passage begins with “therefore” we need to know what it’s “there for.” We can’t really do that if we leave out the preceding sentences. Realizing that idolatrous people who are trying to be both godly and worldly can’t have it both ways shows us that “Therefore, subject yourselves to God” has a powerful importance beyond just a mere request. Being double-minded means trying to hold on to both things and losing everything. Seek God, and all the other stuff he knows we need will come along. The stuff we want may or may not be included.
Knowing the difference between our needs and our wants requires knowledge of God. And that’s the beginning of wisdom.
Your Brother in Christ,
Fr. Austin