Proving the rightness of His wisdom!

Reflecting on Luke 7:24-35

"But wisdom is proved right by all her children." (Luke 7:35)

In the book of Proverbs, wisdom is described as a Voice calling in the streets.

“Out in the open wisdom calls aloud, she raises her voice in the public square; on top of the wall she cries out, at the city gate she makes her speech.” (Proverbs 1:20-21)

The children of wisdom are those who gather close to listen and learn.
What makes them wise is that they are listening and learning.
But more than this, they are taking steps to live it out.
They discern what is right and good, and they put it into practice.
They are wise because they build their lives on the rock of wisdom.
When they do, the result of their wise choices proves wisdom right.

Jesus is rebuking the religious leaders for their lack of wisdom.
They are being petty, critical, closed minded.
Their inability to sense the rightness of Jesus showed their folly.
As Luke puts it in this commentary on this story,

“(All the people, even the tax collectors, when they heard Jesus’ words, acknowledged that God’s way was right, because they had been baptized by John. But the Pharisees and the experts in the law rejected God’s purpose for themselves, because they had not been baptized by John.) (Luke 7:29-30)

The ordinary people were listening, the religious leaders were not.
Even the tax collectors sensed the rightness of God’s message in Jesus.
But those called by God to discern goodness refused to do it.
By His comment about wisdom and her children, Jesus is saying:
‘In time you will see how right they were, and how wrong you were.’

Wisdom produces good results, leading to love, joy, peace, etc.
Folly has the opposite result, it messes up our lives.
Too many people do not slow down to reflect on their lives.
They react habitually or emotionally, but not reflectively.
They do what feels good, and reject what feels bad.
This is why the religious leaders rejected Jesus; He made them feel bad.
But this is like rejecting a doctor because their news is hard or bad.
Imagine rejecting a doctor’s advice because it was too hard.
The voice of wisdom is calling, but the person refuses to listen.

I am comforted knowing that Jesus is speaking to me everywhere.
He is not judging me, but lovingly pointing me in a better direction.
I have found it helpful to journal my way through my experiences.
As I do, I sense the wisdom of Jesus helping me understand, and respond well.
I have made changes that served me well in response to Jesus’s Voice.
The wisdom of Jesus has been proved right by its results.

And yet I am convicted because recently I have been journaling less.
I sense Jesus saying, ‘why won’t you let Me help you through this?’
Jesus’s way is the better way, they way of humble, gracious love.
It is not easy, and it does not feel good, but it will prove itself right!
Why am I hesitant to love that person, or do that good thing?
Why am I not making certain changes in my life that I know should be made?

This compels me to renew my reflective journaling time.
It also compels me to act on what I sense Jesus saying, to make changes.
I want to listen to the Doctor’s advice, and do the right/wise thing.
His wisdom will prove itself right by its results.

PRAYER
Lord Jesus, what You say is challenging, but it is also right and good. Help me to act on Your wisdom, to build my house on the rock of Your wisdom. Only then will my life stand firm through the storms and challenges that come my way. Your wisdom will prove itself right by its results!