The text this morning is from the Book of Proverbs, the ninth chapter:
Wisdom has built her house; she has hewn her seven pillars. She has slaughtered her beasts; she has mixed her wine; she has also set her table. She has sent out her young women to call from the highest places in the town, “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!” To him who lacks sense she says, “Come, eat of my bread and drink of the wine I have mixed. Leave your simple ways, and live, and walk in the way of insight.” Whoever corrects a scoffer gets himself abuse, and he who reproves a wicked man incurs injury. Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you; reprove a wise man, and he will love you. Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.
Thus far the text.
My dear friends in Christ,
Frequently throughout the Book of Proverbs, Wisdom and Folly go together. Now, it doesn’t mean that they’re friends; in fact, quite the opposite. Wisdom is seen as a gift from the Lord, and Folly is seen as anything that goes against the Lord’s commands, His wishes, His righteousness. Wisdom leads to life; Folly always leads to great death.
And so, when Solomon wrote this proverb, he did so to teach those who would read it exactly what is the character of God’s wisdom and His invitation to such righteousness. In fact, it’s made clear through this proverb that there will be some, in fact, many, who will avoid Wisdom and seek after their own ways, which always lead to Folly.
But because Wisdom always leads to life, we may know that Solomon is talking about only one thing, the One who is the way, the truth, and the life: Jesus Christ. Solomon speaks of Wisdom as if she were a person. Don’t let the fact that Wisdom is a woman through the Proverbs be a problem; certain languages use words that are feminine or masculine, and wisdom in Hebrew is a feminine word. But, the way Wisdom works, the way she does the righteousness of God, reminds us of only one person, Jesus the Christ, who is the Word of God, who fulfilled all the Law, who kept all things perfectly for your sake. This is true Wisdom, and we see it in Jesus.
In fact, we see Jesus even better in this proverb when we realize that the call Wisdom sets out into the world from the high places is the call to come and eat, to come and drink, which we know is the most wonderful way the Gospel comes to us as often as we need it. Wisdom prepares her food, prepares her drink, doing the work of the sacrifice, and she calls to the simple, “Eat, drink, and have insight and understanding!”
This is our Lord’s call to us, yes? He has called us from His high place, the place of the cross, where He was high and lifted up for the sacrifice to God on account of our sins, and the sins of the whole world. And Christ cries out from the cross, “Come to me, all you who labor; come, all you who are weary, and I shall give you rest. Rest in me, eat and drink my true flesh and true blood for the forgiveness of your sins, and there you shall find the fear of the Lord and beginning of wisdom.”
In fact, this is true, for in the Supper we find true wisdom. It is there that we sinners may find welcome from the Lord and support from one another. And there, in that moment, is the righteousness of God most clearly given to you in that time that you partake of His invitation. You see, there, we find that we who are sinners are forgiven. For, if we are not struck down at His Altar, as we should expect for how we have grieved our Lord, we find that He is showing us mercy, forgiving our sins, strengthening our faith, and joining us together into the one body of Christ, the Bride of Christ, the house of God, the Church.
And in that Church, wisdom comes alive. For it is through the Word and the Sacraments that we are changed, that we are given strength to live, strength to forgive, strength to love, and strength to reach out and spread the Good News that our Lord has died for the sins of the world. There is an ancient saying, that outside the Church, there is no salvation. This is true. For where Jesus is, there is His Church, proclaiming His Word and giving His Sacraments. These are the ways Jesus has chosen to show His world His grace. These are the ways that Jesus saves His people: through the Church by His means of grace.
There is no way to fully comprehend this love Christ has for you here in this place. If you tried, you would never get to the depths of all that Christ has done for you in saving you from your sins, washing you in His Baptism, giving to you His flesh and blood. These things are not simple, and they are meant to be a springboard into all that Christ would do for and in you. In fact, if one were to begin the process of looking at these things, it would inspire a fearsome response to all which the Lord has done. He has borne the wrath of His Father for your sake, that you might be saved. He has done great and mighty deeds for His people and continues to do them. And we see these things as they are delivered to us through His means of grace.
And by these means, Christ strengthens you to go out and love and serve your neighbor. He strengthens you to tell others the Good News. He strengthens you to do good works and good deeds to all those whom you encounter. And He does this through His work, that which He has done for us and that which He continues to give to us.
Christ is our Wisdom, our Strength, our Might. And through Him, we find all that we need for this body and life, and for the bodies and lives of our neighbors. Yet, this is a hard saying. Even as Christ told the Jews these things they despised His words and took offense at Him. “How dare He tell us to eat His flesh?” But Christ is clear, He is the only true food that has ever existed. The best meal, the finest wine, are sewage compared to what we have in the Supper. We need this true food always, and He is always willing to give it.
Yet many turned away. And Proverbs tells us the same. Scoffers and wicked men turn away from the Lord, rejecting His gifts. Yet wise men and righteous men, they themselves grow wiser and more learned. For as they come, even as Peter confesses, they will continue to fear the Lord in His Wisdom. Indeed, Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Alleluia!
And these words, these words of eternal life, are here for you, “Take, eat, take, drink, this is my body, this is my blood, for the forgiveness of your sins.” These words tell us of our great and marvelous Lord who has given Himself up upon the tree for sinners that they would be forgiven. And where forgiveness is found, there also is always life and salvation. Forgiveness brings life, and life is found in the salvation of God. And these then come through Christ’s promised means.
So come, eat and drink of Wisdom’s food. You are invited from the cross itself. Chase not after the ways of Folly, but find here the Holy One of Israel, the Holy One of God. And here you will find His insight, His learning, His knowledge, His fear, His love, His forgiveness, His strength. And these shall see you through to the day that our Lord has promised us, the day when He shall return and raise all who believe in Him unto everlasting life. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Now may the peace of God which passes all human understanding guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord! Amen.
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