We need wise Christians

When we think of wise people we tend to identify people whose life experience and personality makes them especially trustworthy.  Mature people who help us see perspective and gain balance when we are perplexed. As children it's Owl in 100 acre wood to whom |Winnie the Pooh and his friends can go, though Owl isn't always wise! Gandalf in Lord of the Rings, Obi Ben Kenobi in Star Wars. Exceptional characters.

But when the New Testament views wisdom it's dramatically different.  It's not about the few exceptional people, Gandalf, Obi Ben Kenobi etc. It's a gift of UNDERSTANDING shared by the Spirit when believers in Jesus experience a totally new way of seeing life. The apostle Paul in 1 Cor 2. contrasts spiritual wisdom with earthly wisdom. And spiritual wisdom is not about a few special individuals but ever since Pentecost a possibility for everyone who believes in Jesus.  It's a completely different kind of wisdom which 'gets' the story of the cross and is open to the wonder of God's love in Jesus.  In contrast earthly wisdom of unspiritual people seeing the cross as utter foolishness. To such people the whole bundle of God talk is deemed irrelevant to living properly in our world. Who needs Jesus and the crossto get on in the world? Secular conventional wisdom reigns supreme.

In the church this spiritual wisdom is one of the wonders of being together.  Paul actually claims that Christians together have the mind of Christ (1 Cor 2.16). It is possible to see things, understand things like Jesus. I have always marvelled at those saints I have met along the way who so clearly have this depth of understanding. As a 16 year old I was so inspired by this older man, a farm labourer with outdoor weathered features, who rode his bicycle to church. A self-taught pianist he used to accompany enthusiastically and loudly our mid-week prayer times. But when he spoke there was a quality of spiritual wisdom that was deep.  Since then I have met many more like him.  Ordinary people with undeniable spiritual wisdom. 

But how in this passage, James 3:13-17 does James view wisdom?  Typically, absolutely typically, his definition isn't about UNDERSTANDING.  He assumes that.  Rather he defines it by BEHAVIOUR. It's an intensely practical definition.  Actually, this forms the first part of this passage, preluding James' application in 4:1-6, to which we come to shortly.  Chapter divisions were added later to help us but on this occasion they are in danger of interrupting the flow.  First his practical definition.