Luke Part 26: How do you receive the Word?

Text: Luke 7:31-35

This passage begins with Jesus comparing the people of that time to squabbling children.  One group of children would want to play a happy tune; the other group would reject that.  Others would want to play a funeral tune, and that would be rejected, too.  Jesus is basically saying, “There’s no pleasing you people!”  They were inconsistent.

When John the Baptist came, very austere and with a message of repentance, they said he had a devil.  Then Christ came on the scene with a message of joy, and they said He was a drunkard and associated with drunks.

We should consider how we receive the messenger of the Word.  Are we complaining about the minister?  Have we been too critical?

At the end of the passage, in verse 35, is a cryptic proverb that doesn’t seem to quite fit with the rest: “Yet wisdom is vindicated by all her children.”  What does this mean?

Wisdom, in the Bible, is defined as knowledge of God.  Wisdom is to know God, to fear Him and reverence Him.  (1 Cor 1:23,24).  Christ is speaking of Himself – the wisdom of God revealed.  Loving Christ is the beginning of wisdom.  We can partake of the wisdom of God, becoming wise as we partake in Christ.

Wisdom is vindicated (proven to be right) by its children (us).  How do God’s children prove that Christ is the wisdom of God?  Through holy living (James 3:13).  God has revealed to us that He intends for His children to be wise.  The good news is, what He intends to do, He does!

The Greek word for “knowledge” describes someone who is an expert in a particular field, someone who have given himself to study of a particular topic.  In this passage, knowledge is referring to someone who has given himself to study and observe God.  We have a great opportunity to do this – we have more good books available to us than ever in the history of mankind!  But, on the other hand, we have more distractions around us that ever before as well.  Study is the means that God has given for us to obtain knowledge.

Wisdom is applied knowledge.  How will I put this knowledge to work?  Wisdom comes through prayer and meditation and through trial and error.  We have to slow down and take tame with the Lord, putting away distractions.

We read in the Bible of the “meekness of wisdom.”  A Christian is humble.  He knows something about God – His greatness – and he knows something about himself – that he only has what he has received.  True wisdom is never arrogant.

Finally, let us be encouraged to seek God, knowing that if we lack wisdom, if we ask Him it shall be given.  (James 1:5)