The Isaiah Gifts: Wisdom

If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. (James 1:5-6)

God once told Solomon to ask for whatever he wanted and in response the king asked for wisdom. “Give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong,” he said. It so pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked for this, and not wealth, that He gave him not only “a wise and discerning heart,” but also riches and honor (cf. 1 Kings 3:4-15). There was no king as wise as Solomon in all of Israel’s history (although that didn't stop him from doing some rather foolish things).

Let's return to the parable of the Hidden Treasure (see previous posts). The farmer digs out the chest and finds treasure in it that is valuable beyond belief. He is, undoubtedly, overjoyed. But he does something strange. He doesn't take it away, but puts it back into the ground! Why? It was his for the taking. In the days before Jesus, invasions by marauding armies were frequent and they would often loot and pillage entire towns and villages. So what the occupants of these towns and villages would do was bury their valuables under the ground. Unfortunately, what often happened was that the owners of the treasure would die, without letting anybody know where it had been buried. The land would pass on to somebody else, and nobody would know there was treasure hidden in it, until somebody stumbled across it. Now because the treasure did not actually belong to the owners, the law stated that it would become the property of whoever found it. Therefore, this farmer could just have easily taken the treasure home and not feel guilty about it, but he wants to make sure that he owns the treasure legitimately. Besides, he wants to do something else. He wants the entire field that contains the treasure because he suspects there is a lot more of it lying around. He realizes, even as he shovels the earth back over the chest that this is going to come at a price. The price is everything he owns. But he is a wise man who decides it is worth it.

I think all of you who have been traveling with me on this little journey are beginning to realize where we are headed with all this. The treasure which the man found is representational of the kingdom of heaven, which is Jesus himself. What do we do when we discover this kingdom? Say, "That's great news!" (or good news, if you prefer), and then get on with our lives? Or do we understand the value of what we have found and, therefore, get rid of all the excess baggage we have been carrying (which is everything we have, really), so that we can possess the kingdom in its entirety?

The conversion of St. Paul by Carvaggio

Paul discovered this treasure on the way to Damascus and he did what the farmer in the field did, which is sell everything he had. As he would say later in his letter to the Philippians, "But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ." (Philippians 3:8)

Have you discovered the treasure that is Christ? And having discovered it, have you realized its value? And having realized that, have you gotten rid of everything else you have as rubbish?

If yes, you've got the gift of wisdom.