Jan. 24, 2010
Background Scripture: Mathew 11:25-30
Devotional Reading: John 11;38-44

I was a sophomore long before I knew what the word means. It was only later that I discovered that being a “sophomore” wasn’t as far down the ladder as it had seemed.

Derived from two Greek words – sophos, meaning “wise,” and moros – as in moron – a sophomore is a “wise fool,” one wise enough to know that he/she does not know it all.

Actually, we should remain sophomores, or “wise fools,” and if we are really wise, acknowledge our foolishness for the rest of our lives. In this sense Jesus prayed, “I thank thee, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou has hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to babes.”  (Mt. 11:25,26).
Wisdom was both highly prized and disdained. Psalms and Proverbs elevate it: “Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom” (Prov. 4:7); “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom” (Ps. 90:12).

On the other hand, Ecclesiastes warns against wisdom: “In much wisdom is much grief” (Ecc. 1:18). Later, Paul wrote: “The wisdom of this world is foolishness with God.” (1 Cor. 3:19).

Getting wisdom

Which of these is the correct verdict? The answer is, both. The keys are the source and effect of the wisdom we acquire.

Jesus speaks of his source: “All things have been delivered to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and any one to whom the Son chooses to reveal him” (11:26,27).

The Stoic philosophers and some of the Jewish teachers held that only the wise man could be pious. The latter regarded wisdom as knowledge of the law. Formal and academic education could deliver knowledge, but not necessarily wisdom, which pertains to how we use what we learn.

The key to the worth of wisdom is the Sophomore Principle. If a person’s learning results in self-satisfied pride, there can be no wisdom, for true wisdom under God convinces us that we are humbled by how little we really know. Jesus condemned not intellectual power, but intellectual pride.

Of the scribes and Pharisees, Jesus said: “They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on the shoulders of others” (23:4). Those who gloried in knowing the law of Israel shouldered that belief as a heavy burden.

Sophomoric

Jesus, however, offers us: “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (11:28-30). Learning without humility is a burden that only becomes heavier.

For all their knowledge, the rabbis and scholars rejected Jesus, whose learning came from the ultimate source. Mostly, it was the humble people who welcomed him and flocked after him. And in receiving and embracing his cause, they proved themselves wiser than those who only thought themselves wise.

Wisest of all, however, are not those who only learn about him, but those who come to know him as Lord and Savior.

The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of Farm World. Readers with questions or comments for Rev. Althouse may write to him in care of this publication.