Wisdom Worth Praising

We conclude this week, about the forever truth of wisdom from above, by giving praise and glory to our Lord for His wisdom. We bless His Holy Name for making it accessible, visible, reachable and attainable to all who will seek it, even to you and me. Let's look once more at the show of wisdom with the disciples of the Pharisees and the Herodians who were sent to try and trap Rabbi Jesus.  These men are being driven by earthly wisdom, which is altogether sensual and demonic. With widely open arms, we receive from Jesus just how His wisdom, the wisdom from above, is superior in every way.

But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why do you test Me, you hypocrites? Show Me the tax money. So they brought Him a denarius. Matthew 22: 18 – 19. 

We begin by giving praise and glory to God, when we observe how easily, without fanfare and fuss, Jesus speaks to them with wisdom that cannot be harnessed. The wisdom of Jesus is never to be taken for granted or underestimated. Jesus, allows them to set their snares, then He turns them all around upon them. The wisdom of Jesus is never blinded, deceived or taken in by any kind of wisdom from anyone.

The first thing for us to note is that wisdom from above never fails, and its perceptions never fail, because it is all Spiritual. Having perceived their wickedness, wisdom never ever covers it up or is afraid to expose what His wisdom has unearthed. Wisdom openly points out the covered-up wickedness, as Jesus sees their demonically vile intentions and is not in the least bit timid to call them all hypocrites. We praise and glorify God for His bold frankness.

The second thing to note is that wisdom which comes from above, is never afraid to call a spade a spade. It is not tongue-tied or tongue-bound and will speak the harshest words when wisdom demands them. After publicly exposing them and calling them by their true, demonic name, Jesus keeps them with Him, as He assumes full lead.

Our third fact to note is how Jesus smoothly and calmly takes over. He’s asking the questions and they are doing His bidding. O the power of the wisdom of God! We must praise and glorify God for such heavenly wisdom. They are held bound by Jesus and whatever He requires, they do. Do you think Jesus doesn’t know what the tax money is? Nevertheless, He wants them to have a denarius on show, to teach a simple, but most mind-blowing lesson about His wisdom, the wisdom that comes from above.  And He said to them, Whose image and inscription is this? They said to Him, Caesar’s. And He said to them, Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s. When they had heard these words, they marveled, and left Him and went their way. Matthew 22: 20 - 22

There are many things to be praising and glorifying God for in this display of the power of true, God-rendered wisdom.  However, this is what is held before us. The exact things that these wise and learned disciples were sent to do to Jesus, were done to them instead, in a way that made them retreat in shameful awe.

They came to trap Jesus, believing that their wisdom was worth something, only to come into contact with wisdom that was beyond their wildest dreams, and by extension, that of their  teachers. They had no choice but to bend low, before the Wisdom of Jesus.

They came with the thought that they were being wise in speaking all those lovely ear-bending and mouth-honouring words to Jesus, to get Him, as it were, to see them as genuine. But they were totally capsized, for Jesus used tough, harsh truth to make their ears sting, as with His mouth, He wielded the Spirit’s Sword, cutting their wisdom to shreds. They had no choice but to bow down to the ground, before the Wisdom of Jesus.

They came to make Jesus look like a fool before the public and alas, they were the ones who were the fools. They had not a rebuttal, not a single word of wisdom from their worldly store, to utter another word to Jesus. They were totally silenced and defeated, big time. They had no choice but to hang their pompous heads in shame, before the Wisdom of Jesus.

Believer, we all carry the wisdom of the world in some measure and form, but this is not the will and way of our Lord and Master. He has given us His wisdom, the wisdom that is from above, which, if we truly possess, we will never be caught dead with even the smallest bit of worldly wisdom. The wisdom of God never fails, for it carries no falseness, hypocrisy, partiality and fear. 

If you do not possess the wisdom that comes from above, and you earnestly want this wisdom, why not ask in faith, believing? God will liberally give His wisdom to you, without reproach.  The wisdom of the world is constantly being thrown at the people of God. Sadly, many a fainting, fronting life begins to slowly suck up the world’s wisdom like a sponge. This is deadly, for the wisdom of the world leads to destruction. The Word of God has declared it!

I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 1 Corinthians 1: 19b – 20.