Tag Archives: wisdom

Yes, Yes, No… Jesus Makes Us Marvel

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Mark 5 hosts the story of Jesus healing the demon-possessed man in the country of the Gerasenes. There is something rather odd in this narrative. Three different characters beg Jesus.

The demons beg Jesus to stay in the country (v. 10) and to enter the pigs (v. 12).

The people beg Jesus to leave the country (v. 17).

The man freed of demons begs Jesus to go with Him (v. 18).

The same word for beg (παρακαλεω) is used in vv. 10, 12, 17, 18. The repetition signifies some sort of significance. Odd is the point that Jesus grants permission to each plea except for the man who He just set free. Contrary to what he told the demons and the frightened people, Jesus told the liberated man, “No.”

The man is sent back to Decapolis to tell them how much the Lord has done for him. Jesus turned down his request and commanded him to testify of God’s mercy. This is glorious, but it is not like the man’s begging was vain to begin with. He just wanted to be with Jesus. He wanted to go with this man who had just healed him. 

I do not doubt that there is a textual strategy at work here. Decapolis comes up again in 7:31. This is in the context of the rebuke of Jewish tradition and the existence of Gentile faith (cf. v. 19). But for now, let us just be stumped by the content and marvel at a Savior who can do whatever He wants and who always knows best.

Here is a Savior who has the authority to cast out demons… who has the wisdom to grant permission to the demon’s ridiculous petition but at the same time shoot down a saved man’s noble petition. And we don’t get this we can’t get this! And it is quite okay to live in such a tension. Our God is One beyond our finding out. Even in the peak of His revelation He is doing things beyond us… let us marvel at Him! Let us sing to Him! Let us testify of His mercy!

Triune God, please give us grace to trust Your hand of goodness, even when we are most confounded by Your ways.

A Good Question to Ask Ourselves: Do We Pretend to Be Wiser Than God?

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Spurgeon here concerning preaching…

The glory of God being our chief object, we aim at it by seeking the edification of saints and the salvation of sinners. It is a noble work to instruct the people of God, and to build them up in their most holy faith; we may no means neglect this duty. To this end we must give clear statements of gospel doctrine, of vital experience, and of Christian duty, and never shrink from declaring the whole counsel of God. In too many cases sublime truths are held in abeyance under the pretence that they are not practical; whereas the very fact that they are revealed proves that the Lord thinks them to be of value, and woe unto us if we pretend to be wiser than he.

C. H. Spurgeon, Lectures to My Students, 412

Conclusion: Job, 16

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And Job died, an old man, and full of days (42:17).

And he died well. He had learned wisdom. He knew God.

The narrative intends the same for us. May we see Job and learn from his story. May we gain wisdom, that is, may we say amen to God. May the holiness of His person disintegrate our trust in everything other than Jesus Christ… and may the reality of the gospel supply us with galaxies of joy unknown to this world.

Where is it?…: Job, 8

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Wisdom is the them of the “wisdom literature”, Psalm 111:10, Proverbs 1:7. Job gets something of the theme and declares that wisdom belongs to the sovereign God. And yet how should we understand Job’s defense? He affirms his own righteousness and the incongruence it has to his present suffering. The open-ended conclusion in chapter 29, when the “word of Job are ended” (v. 40b), is that something is not right and the “unrighteousness” is not in Job. Hmm. To whom then does it belong?

Here is where Elihu steps in to speak. Read on…

Where is wisdom?… Job, 7

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In chapter 28 Job asks the thematic question:

But where shall wisdom be found? (v. 12, 20)

The search for wisdom is the admittance that it is outside of me. Job declares that “it is hidden from the eyes of all living” (v. 21). Where then is it?

God understands the way to it, and he knows its place. For he looks to the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens… 

And he said to man, “Behold, the fear of the LORD, that is wisdom…” (vv.23-24, 28a)

Wisdom is outside of us. Entirely derivative. We are invited in. That is, in Christ, in whom all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden.

An Invitation to Learn Wisdom: Job, 1

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The narrative is clear in the opening. Job is a blameless and upright man. Job fears the Lord. In verse 6 the readers are given a unique perspective. We see this conversation between the Lord and Satan. The dramatic irony that characterizes the rest of the narrative is inaugurated. We know more than Job or any other character in the story what is behind his suffering. We are to read this whole thing with 1:6-12 and 2:1-10 in mind.

There is a sweet purpose here as we are invited to observe this man and his story. The hope is that we learn wisdom by understanding the fear of the Lord. The canonical context has told us this (Ps. 111:10; Prov 1:7).

So let us consider this man named Job, and let us consider the sovereign God who ordains these events, and let us learn wisdom.