(Audio)
"Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name,
and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow us."
Are we concerned about people following us? Should we not rather be more concerned that people take the name of Jesus seriously? Within the legitimate scope of discipleship there are many paths. Some appeal to us and seem right. Some are so disagreeable that we wonder how anyone could choose them. Some are more traditional, some more charismatic, some get more from group activities, others get more from solo prayer, just to cite some possible divergences. And yet, there are a variety of gifts but one LORD who gives them all. There are perversions possible that can invalidate any of them. But anyone to whom the name of the LORD is of central importance is really and fundamentally for us and not against us. Without the LORD's primacy we also lack love's primacy. We, no matter our expression, become resounding gongs or clashing cymbals.
To follow the LORD we need wisdom. Wisdom allows us to put first things first. She is the glue that allows different people with different interests to come together in one body in peace and in love.
He who holds her fast inherits glory;
wherever he dwells, the LORD bestows blessings.
Those who serve her serve the Holy One;
those who love her the LORD loves.
Jesus calls us to be one even as he and the Father are one. This is a level of peace amongst ourselves that is beyond mere human comprehension. It is not simply getting along. It is a mutual vulnerability one to the other. It is a shared heart for that which truly matters. When we break away from it so far as to divide into factions we realize more obviously what it is not. But it is only wisdom from on high that can lead us to the depths of what it is.
I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called,with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (see Ephesians 4:1-3).
Wisdom tests us. An aspect of that is when she tests us to see if we rely on our own understanding or turn to her for guidance.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding (proverbs 3:5)
Turning to her might bring fear and dread while we wait in discipline. But when she returns "she comes back to bring him happiness and reveal her secrets to them". We see now how important wisdom is. We may often feel more foolish than wise. How do we put God's wisdom ahead of our own understanding.
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him (see James 1:5).
Ask, seek, knock, and it will surely be given to us.
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