Wisdom

O come, Thou Wisdom from on high

And order all things, far and nigh

To us the path of knowledge show

And cause us in her ways to go

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

Shall come to thee, O Israel!

Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you;

love her, and she will watch over you.

The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom.

Though it cost all you have, get understanding.

(Proverbs 4:6-7)

Wisdom is not knowing a bunch of facts. Wisdom is not "book smarts" or "technical knowledge." (Though I have a friend whose last name is Wisdom and he's pretty smart!) Wisdom, Biblically speaking, is knowing the right or proper or faithful thing to do. Wisdom is more about action than it is about knowledge. Far too often today we get those two confused. Not that there's anything wrong with knowledge. I believe in education! Often, having the right knowledge leads to wisdom. But you've also known people who had very little formal education but were wise. They knew how to live, what to do. Some say they were educated in "The School of Hard Knocks." While knowledge is valuable, you can be wise without formal training.

But you can't truly be wise without a connection to and relationship with God. That's the emphasis of the Scriptures. Over and over again, we are told that God is wisdom. Not that God is wise; he is wisdom itself. To know God is to know the right path. To trust God is to follow the only path that leads to real life.

The carol calls Jesus "Wisdom from on High." One of my favorite scenes in that regard is from Matthew 2, when the Wise Men, or Magi, come from afar, traveling perhaps as long as two years, and these learned men enter the humble home where Mary and Joseph are living. Matthew does not record a single word they say when in the presence of Jesus. He simply tells us that they kneel, give gifts and worship. These men are, in much of the world's eyes, the smartest and wisest of the wise. They have studied and accumulated knowledge all of their lives. They are wealthy and powerful and important. And yet, they recognize when wisdom they do not have and cannot understand is in front of them. So they bow before him.

Do we?