Hindsight, foresight, and insight
Commentary
A boy in first grade came home from school and told his mother that his class had had a
substitute teacher. "What was her name?" asked the mother, but the young lad couldn't
remember.
Since she knew most of the regular substitutes from her time of serving on the school board, the mother asked, "Was she a young woman or an older woman?"
The boy thought for a moment and then replied, "I don't know. She looked brand new to me."
We all have had experiences with teachers old or brand new. One of my best teachers was my father. Early in life he drilled into me his favorite proverb: "Hindsight is better than foresight, but never as good as insight." When I heard it as a child, I was more intrigued by the fascinating twist of words than I was captured by the wisdom it communicated. Time, however, has taught me its truth: We see further into the past than the future, of course, but those who have an awareness of how things fit into God's grand scheme are truly wise. Perhaps, my father was only making more clever what his own father, in a thick German accent, always declared: "We get too soon old and too late smart."
Insight is a matter of perspective. It involves getting the scenic overview, the satellite snapshot, the observation deck lay of the land. In each of the passages for today, insight is at center stage. The book of Proverbs is an obvious example. It is the heart of the Wisdom literature of the Old Testament, and self-consciously seeks to promote a transcendent perspective that will influence daily behaviors. Similarly, the treatise of James might well be called the Wisdom literature of the New Testament, for it speaks with the practical language of moral instruction. And Mark tells us of a day when Jesus, in a moment of rabbinical dialogue, sought to shape the perspective of his disciples in a very hard lesson.
Proverbs 1:20-33
It is probably not helpful for our congregations if we go into lengthy explanations of the nature, expressions, and use of "Wisdom literature" in the ancient Near East. Nor will comparisons with the Egyptian "Wisdom of Amenope" necessarily produce wisdom within our current communities. While there is much to learn in these investigations, biblical scholars can offer more insight to preaching from Proverbs than can comparative literary studies.
Even though the book of Proverbs does not lend itself to great outlines of theology, there is a rather clear organizing structure that helps us more fully understand this chapter. First, before the various collections of actual proverbs that begin in chapter 10, the introduction provided by chapters 1-9 is actually a cohesive and well-developed lecture. Although it is addressed to a "son," this is more of a literary device than a reference to any actual historical setting. Both "wisdom" and "folly" in the Hebrew language are feminine nouns, so they are used by the writer of this section of Proverbs to evoke possible marriage partners for the masculine addressee. Throughout Proverbs 1-9 both Wisdom and Folly take turns declaring their attractions in a series of personified mating overtures. The speeches are clearly biased in favor of Wisdom, of course, for this is a set- up that moves us into the rest of the book.
Second, the purpose of this introductory lecture is both didactic and hortatory. The values of Wisdom are put on display and the detriments of Folly paraded. Woven throughout is a call to choice. A sermon based upon any part of Proverbs 1-9 should involve at least these elements: what does Wisdom look like when it becomes part of daily life; how does Folly debilitate and destroy; and a clear call to choose.
Third, the goal of Proverbs 1-9 is marriage. By the end of this lecture we are supposed to not only choose Wisdom as a preferred partner, but also to enter a symbiotic relationship with Wisdom that is akin to matrimony. In fact, the proverbs of chapters 10-31 are essentially word pictures of the furnishings scattered throughout the House of Wisdom. When we marry Wisdom, we begin to live in her house and surround ourselves with these sayings and perspectives and tools and visual aids.
Fourth, this understanding of the book of Proverbs as a whole illumines the final acrostic poem in chapter 31. The "Noble Wife" teaching that brings the book to a conclusion ought not to be viewed as a list for evaluating women during courtship or the annual text for a Mother's Day sermon, but instead be seen as the culminating tribute to Wisdom when she is chosen as the more suitable spouse than Folly.
There is plenty of material to reflect on in these verses. Care should be taken, however, not to reduce the instruction to mere aphorisms or a calendar clipping of "Thoughts for Today." The real tension of Wisdom versus Folly needs to be explored, not only in outcomes but also in the misty lure of each day's enticements.
James 3:1-12
James, the brother of Jesus, became the leader of the early Christian church in Jerusalem. We meet him most prominently in Acts 15 when a gathering of apostles deliberated whether Gentiles needed to become Jews by conversion and lifestyle before they could be part of the Christian church. James presided over the gathering, and it is possible that this New Testament treatise now known by his name was actually sent along with the short letter found in Acts 15:23-29 which summarized the council's decisions. Certainly there is a close connection between James and Jesus, for the language and content of the book echo Jesus' own Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7), and encourage a lifestyle consistent with Jesus' teachings (cf. 2:1).
Proper communication is a major theme for James. It involves active listening (1:19), restraining angry outbursts (1:26), eschewing flattery (2:3-4), refusing slander (2:7; 4:11), expressing mercy (2:12), joining words to actions (2:15-17), teaching circumspectly (3:1- 2), repudiating gossip (3:5-12), articulating praise (3:9; 5:13), withholding boasts (3:14; 4:13-16), nurturing peace (3:17-18), muzzling envy and greed (4:1-3), empathetic mourning (4:7-10), holding back judgment (4:12), raising the cry of injustice (5:4), rejecting grumbling (5:9), witnessing boldly (5:10), speaking simply and honestly (5:12), and praying earnestly (5:13-18).
In this passage, James distills his perspectives into a lesson on how to convey life rather than death in our daily interactions. There are at least five dimensions of communication that we use on a regular basis: clichés to fill voids with meaningless continuity; facts that rehearse measurable data; ideas that are intended to express meaning; feelings that define energy levels in the communication process; and touch, which identifies the extent of intimacy. In each of these we can process either life or death, according to the dualism that shapes James' thinking. Those who are disciples of Jesus wish to bring life, of course. Therefore they must choose their words well, tame their tempers, and engage in dialogue that promotes righteousness rather than rifts.
While Benjamin Franklin may have had his "Poor Richard" declare that "Honesty is the best policy," James would say that honesty is a religious obligation. He opens with a warning against teachers (3:1-2). In our age, which looks to education as the miracle cure for social ills, James' caution seems overplayed. But it fits with the rest of his perspective. Teaching involves evaluation and instruction, both of which tend to close down the communication processes because they place the participants in unequal roles. Words that express support or understanding, or gestures which invite the opening of the other's heart have greater ability to bring heaven to earth.
James' illustrations of the destructive power of speech (3:3-12) are a reverse allusion to the creative energy of God which spoke worlds into being (Genesis 1) and restored Light to Darkness (John 1). Herman Otto Hoyer's painting of Adolf Hitler firing the passions of a late 1930s German beer hall crowd makes a powerful illustration of James' message here; in unfortunate idolatry Hoyer titled his work "Am Anfang war das Wort" -- "In the beginning was the Word." This is sadly true. But James and his kin are the antidote, bringing back the Word of truth to public discourse.
Mark 8:27-38
Two growing Christian colleges are located in modest-sized cities only forty miles apart. Most of the time the people at each are preoccupied with their own time-consuming work: class schedules, paper deadlines, exams, mowing the grounds, and keeping toner in the copy machines. Then comes basketball season. Suddenly, these two colleges become acutely aware of each other, and life on the court is the scene of World War III. Those who can pack the field house shout to deafen and distract, and those who can't journey to the frontlines huddle around their radios, knowing that history hangs on a single battle and these critical minutes will decide the balance of power in the universe. At least for the next week or so.
But, there is a problem in the bleachers. A professor at one college, avidly invested in the religion of basketball, actually went to the other college for his undergraduate degree. So his loyalties are somewhat compromised. To make matters worse, one of his sons became a star on the basketball team of the college where he currently teaches, lured by the incentive that children of faculty get a free tuition ride. A younger brother, however, didn't want to live in his sibling's shadow and took a scholarship to the other school.
Now the professor and his wife, using his faculty pass, enter the war zone, but where do they sit? And for whom do they cheer? And how can they enjoy the game that will pit brother against brother in a contest where God is an honorary president for both teams?
We are intrigued by that professor's conundrum, for most days our loyalties are hardly challenged. We choose this newspaper over that one, listen to our favorite radio stations, stick with the same car company for new leases, regularly patronize certain restaurants and grocery stores, go to the usual office at work time and drive home to our regular spouses and children. We are pretty loyal to the "same old same old."
Now and again our loyalties are tested. Soldiers will tell you that, if you stick around for the really tough stories. A wizened, aging friend, always quick with a joke or an evaluation of the weather, took nine years before he told me just a smidgen of what he was forced to do on the beaches of Normandy. He never really recovered. He never got married. He never talked of his faith and always sat in the back bench at worship. He had been forced to choose in life-or-death situations for 84 hours straight, and he lost part of his soul that day.
Jesus puts his disciples on another battlefield where every choice is life-or-death. First he demands from the twelve a clear understanding of his messianic character (8:27-29). Then he enforces the "no premature revelation" rule (8:30) to prevent small skirmishes of kingdom encounters from derailing the whole movement. Finally, Jesus brings everyone out to the theater of war and impresses upon them that no prisoners will be taken (8:31- 38). This is the big one, the final conflict, the war of the worlds, the test of all times, the sifting of humanity and the engagement of the soul. There are no spectators here, choosing their timid seats among the couch potato crowds trying to pick up lunch money in the office pool; everyone in this contest is on the court, and decisions have to be made.
Application
In order to capture the educational qualities of Proverbs, the rabbinic teaching method of Jesus, and the instructive exhortation of James it might be beneficial to weave the message with scholastic insights of the best kind.
Teaching is not an easy profession. Maurine Mugleston remembers the time she stood at rink side watching a hockey game. One of the players rammed into the board and was immediately crushed by two burley men from the other team, each lashing out for the puck. When they bounced off him, the first player wobbled on his skates and then slid to the ice, knocking his head. Pushing himself up, his nose dripping blood, he saw Maurine standing there. "There must be an easier way to make a living," he roared to her.
"I'll trade jobs!" she shouted back.
"What do you do?"
"I teach sixth grade," she replied.
"Forget it!" he said, and was gone.
From earliest recorded history, teachers have been killed (Socrates), banished (Damien), burned at the stake (Hus), vilified (Scopes), and even assaulted (Sullivan). An elementary school teacher, realizing the weight of her profession, once said her job was to take hold of a bunch of "live wires and see that they are well-grounded." Those with queasy stomachs need not apply!
If the penalty against teachers is increased, so also is the reward for faithfulness. When Dr. Chandrasekhar was a professor at the University of Chicago in 1947, he was scheduled to teach an advanced seminar in astrophysics. At the time, he was living in Wisconsin, doing research at the Yerkes astronomical observatory. When only two students registered for his class, the administration advised him to cancel the seminar.
He, however, felt an obligation to respond to the call of the two. So he made the more than 100-mile round trip every day, all winter long. Ten years later, those two students, Chen Ning Yang and Tsung-Dao Lee, both won the Nobel Prize for physics. And in 1983, so did Dr. Chandrasekhar.
Robert Schmidgall said, "We teach what we know; we reproduce what we are." Only when the students are honorable may the teacher be honored. The New Testament calls that discipleship, and the Master is graded by others on the quality of our reflection of him.
Alternative Application
James 3:1-12. The passage in James' treatise needs to be preached often. It contains so much practical wisdom for daily living, and establishes a benchmark for authentic biblical behavior and wisdom.
Someone has said that there are only five basic responses we can make to others when they direct conversation, good or ill, toward us. These rejoinders are evaluate, instruct, support, probe, and understand. When we evaluate the other person's speech or actions, we set ourselves up as judge over her. When we instruct, we lift our position to that of teacher. When we express support, we approach the other person as friend. When we probe we seek further engagement, and bring the person into our hearts. And when we summarize and repeat what she's said, we show her that we understand.
On the surface this may seem like a conversational word game, and for some people it turns out to be merely that. For most of us, unfortunately, it is a game we need to begin playing with earnestness if we would hope to improve our communication and get that tongue off the hurtful trigger.
The reason is this: Evaluative and instructional responses in conversation tend to shut down communication and throw barbs into the other person's soul. While none of us believes we ever use those rejoinders unless truly called for, the fact of research is that typical North American conversation includes around eighty percent of evaluative and instructional statements! In other words, we are almost constantly blowing spurs right back at the people we spend most of our time with. More tragically, too often we don't even know it.
That appears to be what society encourages as normal and proper behavior. It certainly seems to play best in political campaigns, and thrives on the battlegrounds of racial tension that breed unchecked in a dozen hot spots around the globe.
Often in our homes it is the same thing. A husband shakes an angry fist of paper at his wife and shouts, "Look at these bills! Where do you think the money's going to come from?" But he's not asking a question. He's really saying, "Oh, you stupid woman!" A moody teen yells at her parents, "Why are you always riding my case?" and the air is supercharged for a fight. Church members quibble about practices and raise their doctrinal swords to kill those who look most like themselves.
Maybe someday the raging fires of hell will be quenched by the refreshing fluids of heaven. James hopes that it will begin in the church. Indeed, sometimes it does. Palmer Ofuoku, a Nigerian pastor, remembers when the first missionaries came to his village. Some few became Christians, but not many, because these pale ones spoke many words of judgment (evaluation) and demand (instruction). It wasn't until another missionary came that Ofuoku began to listen and respond with faith and care. Why? Because, said pastor Ofuoku, this man stayed next to me when I was sick (support). He asked me about my family (probing), and let me know that he genuinely cared about me (understanding). Said Palmer Ofuoku, "He built a bridge of friendship to me, and Jesus walked across."
Preaching The Psalm
Psalm 19
What a potent poem is rendered in this psalm. The image of God's glory being shouted in a voiceless language sends the mind to spinning. The whole of creation stretches out to declare the wonders of God. Creation gets it right. From a blazing sunrise in the East, to the Maxfield Parrish blue skies at sunset, creation is indeed articulate. Take the view through a microscope, or through a telescope, and from the tiniest to the largest it is abundantly clear. "Our God," as the praise song goes, "is an awesome God."
This psalm, however, nudges us past creation's wonder and speaks to God's Law. A law, which the psalmist tells us, is "perfect." With Pauline exhortations about law notwithstanding, there is something to attend to in this. Consider for a moment the notion of a law which can "revive the soul" (v. 7). What kind of law could do this? The contemporary mind rushes to television courtrooms and outlandish lawyers. The immature mind chafes at the notion of rules that would constrict or limit. But the mind that is attuned to the holy might imagine a soul revived by God's perfect Law.
Think for a moment about the Ten Commandments. Imagine a nation that actually paid attention to these laws. Picture a place where no one stole anything. That includes burglars and CEOs. This, in itself, would be world-changing, but let's not stop there. What if everyone decided that killing other people simply wasn't going to happen anymore? What if everyone, soldiers, terrorists, gang members, cops and robbers; everyone laid down their arms and refused to hurt another human being?
"Yes, yes," the accusation can already be heard. "That's so naive."
But the question needs to be asked. "Is it? Is it truly naive, or have we been so encrusted with cynicism that we can no longer envision a community where God's vision -- or God's Law -- is truly lived?" You see, if only these two commandments were actually followed, souls would indeed be revived. There's no question about it. With no stealing or murder (whether by governments or by individuals), fear would evaporate like a puddle in the noonday sun. Without rampant theft, people would stop worrying about their possessions. Fear would vanish. Creativity would flourish. Generosity would blossom. Revived souls? You bet.
More precious than gold? Sweeter than honey? If a people of faith could but imagine these laws fulfilled, a huge step would be taken. And if that same people, having imagined it, would dare to step into the adventure of living in obedience to these laws, the world could literally be healed.
Since she knew most of the regular substitutes from her time of serving on the school board, the mother asked, "Was she a young woman or an older woman?"
The boy thought for a moment and then replied, "I don't know. She looked brand new to me."
We all have had experiences with teachers old or brand new. One of my best teachers was my father. Early in life he drilled into me his favorite proverb: "Hindsight is better than foresight, but never as good as insight." When I heard it as a child, I was more intrigued by the fascinating twist of words than I was captured by the wisdom it communicated. Time, however, has taught me its truth: We see further into the past than the future, of course, but those who have an awareness of how things fit into God's grand scheme are truly wise. Perhaps, my father was only making more clever what his own father, in a thick German accent, always declared: "We get too soon old and too late smart."
Insight is a matter of perspective. It involves getting the scenic overview, the satellite snapshot, the observation deck lay of the land. In each of the passages for today, insight is at center stage. The book of Proverbs is an obvious example. It is the heart of the Wisdom literature of the Old Testament, and self-consciously seeks to promote a transcendent perspective that will influence daily behaviors. Similarly, the treatise of James might well be called the Wisdom literature of the New Testament, for it speaks with the practical language of moral instruction. And Mark tells us of a day when Jesus, in a moment of rabbinical dialogue, sought to shape the perspective of his disciples in a very hard lesson.
Proverbs 1:20-33
It is probably not helpful for our congregations if we go into lengthy explanations of the nature, expressions, and use of "Wisdom literature" in the ancient Near East. Nor will comparisons with the Egyptian "Wisdom of Amenope" necessarily produce wisdom within our current communities. While there is much to learn in these investigations, biblical scholars can offer more insight to preaching from Proverbs than can comparative literary studies.
Even though the book of Proverbs does not lend itself to great outlines of theology, there is a rather clear organizing structure that helps us more fully understand this chapter. First, before the various collections of actual proverbs that begin in chapter 10, the introduction provided by chapters 1-9 is actually a cohesive and well-developed lecture. Although it is addressed to a "son," this is more of a literary device than a reference to any actual historical setting. Both "wisdom" and "folly" in the Hebrew language are feminine nouns, so they are used by the writer of this section of Proverbs to evoke possible marriage partners for the masculine addressee. Throughout Proverbs 1-9 both Wisdom and Folly take turns declaring their attractions in a series of personified mating overtures. The speeches are clearly biased in favor of Wisdom, of course, for this is a set- up that moves us into the rest of the book.
Second, the purpose of this introductory lecture is both didactic and hortatory. The values of Wisdom are put on display and the detriments of Folly paraded. Woven throughout is a call to choice. A sermon based upon any part of Proverbs 1-9 should involve at least these elements: what does Wisdom look like when it becomes part of daily life; how does Folly debilitate and destroy; and a clear call to choose.
Third, the goal of Proverbs 1-9 is marriage. By the end of this lecture we are supposed to not only choose Wisdom as a preferred partner, but also to enter a symbiotic relationship with Wisdom that is akin to matrimony. In fact, the proverbs of chapters 10-31 are essentially word pictures of the furnishings scattered throughout the House of Wisdom. When we marry Wisdom, we begin to live in her house and surround ourselves with these sayings and perspectives and tools and visual aids.
Fourth, this understanding of the book of Proverbs as a whole illumines the final acrostic poem in chapter 31. The "Noble Wife" teaching that brings the book to a conclusion ought not to be viewed as a list for evaluating women during courtship or the annual text for a Mother's Day sermon, but instead be seen as the culminating tribute to Wisdom when she is chosen as the more suitable spouse than Folly.
There is plenty of material to reflect on in these verses. Care should be taken, however, not to reduce the instruction to mere aphorisms or a calendar clipping of "Thoughts for Today." The real tension of Wisdom versus Folly needs to be explored, not only in outcomes but also in the misty lure of each day's enticements.
James 3:1-12
James, the brother of Jesus, became the leader of the early Christian church in Jerusalem. We meet him most prominently in Acts 15 when a gathering of apostles deliberated whether Gentiles needed to become Jews by conversion and lifestyle before they could be part of the Christian church. James presided over the gathering, and it is possible that this New Testament treatise now known by his name was actually sent along with the short letter found in Acts 15:23-29 which summarized the council's decisions. Certainly there is a close connection between James and Jesus, for the language and content of the book echo Jesus' own Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7), and encourage a lifestyle consistent with Jesus' teachings (cf. 2:1).
Proper communication is a major theme for James. It involves active listening (1:19), restraining angry outbursts (1:26), eschewing flattery (2:3-4), refusing slander (2:7; 4:11), expressing mercy (2:12), joining words to actions (2:15-17), teaching circumspectly (3:1- 2), repudiating gossip (3:5-12), articulating praise (3:9; 5:13), withholding boasts (3:14; 4:13-16), nurturing peace (3:17-18), muzzling envy and greed (4:1-3), empathetic mourning (4:7-10), holding back judgment (4:12), raising the cry of injustice (5:4), rejecting grumbling (5:9), witnessing boldly (5:10), speaking simply and honestly (5:12), and praying earnestly (5:13-18).
In this passage, James distills his perspectives into a lesson on how to convey life rather than death in our daily interactions. There are at least five dimensions of communication that we use on a regular basis: clichés to fill voids with meaningless continuity; facts that rehearse measurable data; ideas that are intended to express meaning; feelings that define energy levels in the communication process; and touch, which identifies the extent of intimacy. In each of these we can process either life or death, according to the dualism that shapes James' thinking. Those who are disciples of Jesus wish to bring life, of course. Therefore they must choose their words well, tame their tempers, and engage in dialogue that promotes righteousness rather than rifts.
While Benjamin Franklin may have had his "Poor Richard" declare that "Honesty is the best policy," James would say that honesty is a religious obligation. He opens with a warning against teachers (3:1-2). In our age, which looks to education as the miracle cure for social ills, James' caution seems overplayed. But it fits with the rest of his perspective. Teaching involves evaluation and instruction, both of which tend to close down the communication processes because they place the participants in unequal roles. Words that express support or understanding, or gestures which invite the opening of the other's heart have greater ability to bring heaven to earth.
James' illustrations of the destructive power of speech (3:3-12) are a reverse allusion to the creative energy of God which spoke worlds into being (Genesis 1) and restored Light to Darkness (John 1). Herman Otto Hoyer's painting of Adolf Hitler firing the passions of a late 1930s German beer hall crowd makes a powerful illustration of James' message here; in unfortunate idolatry Hoyer titled his work "Am Anfang war das Wort" -- "In the beginning was the Word." This is sadly true. But James and his kin are the antidote, bringing back the Word of truth to public discourse.
Mark 8:27-38
Two growing Christian colleges are located in modest-sized cities only forty miles apart. Most of the time the people at each are preoccupied with their own time-consuming work: class schedules, paper deadlines, exams, mowing the grounds, and keeping toner in the copy machines. Then comes basketball season. Suddenly, these two colleges become acutely aware of each other, and life on the court is the scene of World War III. Those who can pack the field house shout to deafen and distract, and those who can't journey to the frontlines huddle around their radios, knowing that history hangs on a single battle and these critical minutes will decide the balance of power in the universe. At least for the next week or so.
But, there is a problem in the bleachers. A professor at one college, avidly invested in the religion of basketball, actually went to the other college for his undergraduate degree. So his loyalties are somewhat compromised. To make matters worse, one of his sons became a star on the basketball team of the college where he currently teaches, lured by the incentive that children of faculty get a free tuition ride. A younger brother, however, didn't want to live in his sibling's shadow and took a scholarship to the other school.
Now the professor and his wife, using his faculty pass, enter the war zone, but where do they sit? And for whom do they cheer? And how can they enjoy the game that will pit brother against brother in a contest where God is an honorary president for both teams?
We are intrigued by that professor's conundrum, for most days our loyalties are hardly challenged. We choose this newspaper over that one, listen to our favorite radio stations, stick with the same car company for new leases, regularly patronize certain restaurants and grocery stores, go to the usual office at work time and drive home to our regular spouses and children. We are pretty loyal to the "same old same old."
Now and again our loyalties are tested. Soldiers will tell you that, if you stick around for the really tough stories. A wizened, aging friend, always quick with a joke or an evaluation of the weather, took nine years before he told me just a smidgen of what he was forced to do on the beaches of Normandy. He never really recovered. He never got married. He never talked of his faith and always sat in the back bench at worship. He had been forced to choose in life-or-death situations for 84 hours straight, and he lost part of his soul that day.
Jesus puts his disciples on another battlefield where every choice is life-or-death. First he demands from the twelve a clear understanding of his messianic character (8:27-29). Then he enforces the "no premature revelation" rule (8:30) to prevent small skirmishes of kingdom encounters from derailing the whole movement. Finally, Jesus brings everyone out to the theater of war and impresses upon them that no prisoners will be taken (8:31- 38). This is the big one, the final conflict, the war of the worlds, the test of all times, the sifting of humanity and the engagement of the soul. There are no spectators here, choosing their timid seats among the couch potato crowds trying to pick up lunch money in the office pool; everyone in this contest is on the court, and decisions have to be made.
Application
In order to capture the educational qualities of Proverbs, the rabbinic teaching method of Jesus, and the instructive exhortation of James it might be beneficial to weave the message with scholastic insights of the best kind.
Teaching is not an easy profession. Maurine Mugleston remembers the time she stood at rink side watching a hockey game. One of the players rammed into the board and was immediately crushed by two burley men from the other team, each lashing out for the puck. When they bounced off him, the first player wobbled on his skates and then slid to the ice, knocking his head. Pushing himself up, his nose dripping blood, he saw Maurine standing there. "There must be an easier way to make a living," he roared to her.
"I'll trade jobs!" she shouted back.
"What do you do?"
"I teach sixth grade," she replied.
"Forget it!" he said, and was gone.
From earliest recorded history, teachers have been killed (Socrates), banished (Damien), burned at the stake (Hus), vilified (Scopes), and even assaulted (Sullivan). An elementary school teacher, realizing the weight of her profession, once said her job was to take hold of a bunch of "live wires and see that they are well-grounded." Those with queasy stomachs need not apply!
If the penalty against teachers is increased, so also is the reward for faithfulness. When Dr. Chandrasekhar was a professor at the University of Chicago in 1947, he was scheduled to teach an advanced seminar in astrophysics. At the time, he was living in Wisconsin, doing research at the Yerkes astronomical observatory. When only two students registered for his class, the administration advised him to cancel the seminar.
He, however, felt an obligation to respond to the call of the two. So he made the more than 100-mile round trip every day, all winter long. Ten years later, those two students, Chen Ning Yang and Tsung-Dao Lee, both won the Nobel Prize for physics. And in 1983, so did Dr. Chandrasekhar.
Robert Schmidgall said, "We teach what we know; we reproduce what we are." Only when the students are honorable may the teacher be honored. The New Testament calls that discipleship, and the Master is graded by others on the quality of our reflection of him.
Alternative Application
James 3:1-12. The passage in James' treatise needs to be preached often. It contains so much practical wisdom for daily living, and establishes a benchmark for authentic biblical behavior and wisdom.
Someone has said that there are only five basic responses we can make to others when they direct conversation, good or ill, toward us. These rejoinders are evaluate, instruct, support, probe, and understand. When we evaluate the other person's speech or actions, we set ourselves up as judge over her. When we instruct, we lift our position to that of teacher. When we express support, we approach the other person as friend. When we probe we seek further engagement, and bring the person into our hearts. And when we summarize and repeat what she's said, we show her that we understand.
On the surface this may seem like a conversational word game, and for some people it turns out to be merely that. For most of us, unfortunately, it is a game we need to begin playing with earnestness if we would hope to improve our communication and get that tongue off the hurtful trigger.
The reason is this: Evaluative and instructional responses in conversation tend to shut down communication and throw barbs into the other person's soul. While none of us believes we ever use those rejoinders unless truly called for, the fact of research is that typical North American conversation includes around eighty percent of evaluative and instructional statements! In other words, we are almost constantly blowing spurs right back at the people we spend most of our time with. More tragically, too often we don't even know it.
That appears to be what society encourages as normal and proper behavior. It certainly seems to play best in political campaigns, and thrives on the battlegrounds of racial tension that breed unchecked in a dozen hot spots around the globe.
Often in our homes it is the same thing. A husband shakes an angry fist of paper at his wife and shouts, "Look at these bills! Where do you think the money's going to come from?" But he's not asking a question. He's really saying, "Oh, you stupid woman!" A moody teen yells at her parents, "Why are you always riding my case?" and the air is supercharged for a fight. Church members quibble about practices and raise their doctrinal swords to kill those who look most like themselves.
Maybe someday the raging fires of hell will be quenched by the refreshing fluids of heaven. James hopes that it will begin in the church. Indeed, sometimes it does. Palmer Ofuoku, a Nigerian pastor, remembers when the first missionaries came to his village. Some few became Christians, but not many, because these pale ones spoke many words of judgment (evaluation) and demand (instruction). It wasn't until another missionary came that Ofuoku began to listen and respond with faith and care. Why? Because, said pastor Ofuoku, this man stayed next to me when I was sick (support). He asked me about my family (probing), and let me know that he genuinely cared about me (understanding). Said Palmer Ofuoku, "He built a bridge of friendship to me, and Jesus walked across."
Preaching The Psalm
Psalm 19
What a potent poem is rendered in this psalm. The image of God's glory being shouted in a voiceless language sends the mind to spinning. The whole of creation stretches out to declare the wonders of God. Creation gets it right. From a blazing sunrise in the East, to the Maxfield Parrish blue skies at sunset, creation is indeed articulate. Take the view through a microscope, or through a telescope, and from the tiniest to the largest it is abundantly clear. "Our God," as the praise song goes, "is an awesome God."
This psalm, however, nudges us past creation's wonder and speaks to God's Law. A law, which the psalmist tells us, is "perfect." With Pauline exhortations about law notwithstanding, there is something to attend to in this. Consider for a moment the notion of a law which can "revive the soul" (v. 7). What kind of law could do this? The contemporary mind rushes to television courtrooms and outlandish lawyers. The immature mind chafes at the notion of rules that would constrict or limit. But the mind that is attuned to the holy might imagine a soul revived by God's perfect Law.
Think for a moment about the Ten Commandments. Imagine a nation that actually paid attention to these laws. Picture a place where no one stole anything. That includes burglars and CEOs. This, in itself, would be world-changing, but let's not stop there. What if everyone decided that killing other people simply wasn't going to happen anymore? What if everyone, soldiers, terrorists, gang members, cops and robbers; everyone laid down their arms and refused to hurt another human being?
"Yes, yes," the accusation can already be heard. "That's so naive."
But the question needs to be asked. "Is it? Is it truly naive, or have we been so encrusted with cynicism that we can no longer envision a community where God's vision -- or God's Law -- is truly lived?" You see, if only these two commandments were actually followed, souls would indeed be revived. There's no question about it. With no stealing or murder (whether by governments or by individuals), fear would evaporate like a puddle in the noonday sun. Without rampant theft, people would stop worrying about their possessions. Fear would vanish. Creativity would flourish. Generosity would blossom. Revived souls? You bet.
More precious than gold? Sweeter than honey? If a people of faith could but imagine these laws fulfilled, a huge step would be taken. And if that same people, having imagined it, would dare to step into the adventure of living in obedience to these laws, the world could literally be healed.
