Proverbs 9:1-6
Prober 15 / Year B
As a boy, one of my
monthly highlights was receiving a copy of the children’s magazine Highlighters in the mail. Each issue contained stories, puzzles,
experiments, jokes, crafts, and more.
Perhaps my favorite feature, and certainly the most memorable, was a
cartoon about two boys – Goofus and Gallant.
As their names suggest, one boy’s actions were virtuous and respectful
while the other’s were rude and selfish.
“Goofus turns on the TV when there are guests in the house. Gallant turns off the television at once.” And while the results of each’s behavior is
never depicted, the message was clear: this is how good children behave and
this is what a bad one does in the same situation.
Goofus and Gallant
is a modern example of an ancient tradition known as wisdom literature. It crosses cultural, national, and religious
boundaries to do at least three important things:
· Provide essential instruction
necessary for success in life for parents to pass on to their children.
· Set forth the
wisdom and counsel of learned men and women known for sound judgment.
· Articulate in memorable
form basic ideas and concepts to a generally illiterate society.
Hebrew wisdom
literature operated at three levels.
· The first was basic
intelligence, often referred to as shrewdness.
Thinks about how many of Jesus’ parables revolve around shrew
behavior.
· The next level is
good sense, sound judgment, and moral understanding.
· The third level
delves into the more profound questions of human life and destiny.
It functions at
these levels in one of two ways. Either
it is conservative, practical, and worldly wise, as we find in the Book of
Proverbs. Or, it is critical of
conventional beliefs and offers radical alternatives, as we find in the Book of
Job.
Hebrew writing regularly
personifies wisdom, often as a woman as we see in today’s first reading. Foolishness is also personified later in this
same passage (verses 13-18) and the two should be read together. Both wisdom and foolishness reach out to the
simple. Wisdom builds a lavish house,
prepares a sumptuous meal, and goes to great lengths to invite people in. Foolishness merely sits by the door of her
house and calls out to whoever might be passing by, offering to them food she
has stolen. Ultimately, the meal offered
by the foolish woman kills her guests while the meal offered by the wise woman
leads to life – hence, its connection to the gospel reading and Jesus’ teaching
whoever partakes of his body will have eternal life.
The Book of
Proverbs makes a strong connection between wisdom and life:
· For whoever finds
me finds life. (8:35)
· Long life is in (wisdom’s)
right hand. (3:16)
· She is a tree of
life to those who lay hold of her. (3:18)
Wisdom literature,
then, is focused on personal well-being, which is intrinsically linked with
being a part of one’s community in all the right ways.
In 2017, Rabbi Evan
Moffic published a book called The
Happiness Prayer. Written over 2000
years ago, the prayer is known in Hebrew at Eilu Devarim, which means
“These are the words.” It is a beautiful
example of Hebrew wisdom literature:
How will you find happiness in this world and peace in
the world to come? By learning these
wisdom practices from your ancestors:
Honor those who
gave you life
Be kind
Keep learning
Invite others into
your life
Be there when
others need you
Celebrate good
times
Support yourself
and others during times of loss
Pray with intention
Forgive
Look inside and
commit
Rabbi Moffic says
this prayer daily. It has taught him happiness
is not a destination, but found on the path itself. It teaches happiness is a choice available to
each of us. It tells us prayer is not
just something to get us through hard times.
It gives us lessons that are the
essence of life itself.
Wisdom says,
“Come, eat of my
bread
and drink of the wine I have mixed.
Lay aside immaturity, and live,
and walk in the way of insight.”
