My life as a Sage

An upcoming sermon at Asbury is from Proverbs 2. The text begins, “My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you…” Right away I was struck by that opening.  What words is the author talking about? This is the advice of a father to a son. The advice of the experienced to the inexperienced. The advice of the wise to the not yet wise.

I am left thinking about those who have imparted wisdom to me, the sages of my life. I think of the authors I love to read because of the way their words shake my soul. I think of the musicians whose lyrics have profoundly taught me about life. However, for the most part my sages have been those men and women of an unremarkable past. They haven’t written books, or recorded songs, or been on tv. They are pastors, professors, church members, family members who have all taught me about the way of wisdom.

I am also left with the thought what if my calling was to be a sage? What if my calling is to be both a practitioner and teacher of wisdom, who is Christ.  The New Testament teaches us that the wisdom of God is Christ Jesus. Paul’s first letter to the church in Corinth says that “Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.” The thing about the wisdom of God that we learn in Proverbs is that although it is from God it is often hard to find. We are told to search for it, to call out for it, even to cry out for wisdom. Wisdom is hard to come by. Wisdom is hard to comprehend. Wisdom is found by few. Jesus said of his own teachings, which are the epitome of the wise life, that they are like a narrow road that few find. Wisdom is the best way to live, and yet so incredibly hard to find. This is why we need sages.

I love thinking of the role of pastor as sage because a sage teaches someone about the whole of their life. Wisdom is not compartmentalized into their spiritual part of their life, which is set against their family life or work life. I don’t think I feel ready yet to walk in a role of a sage, but perhaps this is what God is calling me. A sage leads others in the ways of Wisdom, Christ. He teaches and models Wisdom, Christ. He speaks into the whole of life in order to more clearly see Wisdom, Christ.