What is Wisdom?

The 9th Sunday after Pentecost 2026 
Texts: 1 Kings 3:5-12; Romans 8:26-39 

By Reverend Marjorie Bevans

About a year ago one of our parishioners raised the issue of studying “The Wisdom Literature” in the Bible.  He thought we never seem to read much of these lessons in church on Sundays—and he was right, so it’s rarely preached. These would be lessons from Proverbs, Job, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Solomon from the Old Testament. But Wisdom Literature is also found in the Apocrypha in The Wisdom of Solomon, Sirach, and Baruch. So, in the past year, we’ve studied all the Psalms and most of Proverbs. It’s no small thing to say it has been enlightening. 

What is Wisdom? What makes the Wisdom Literature different from the Gospel, and Paul’s Letters, and all the other books of the Bible?

 Well, in the Bible it all seemed to start with Solomon, known for his wisdom, and the lesson from 1st Kings this morning. 

God appeared to Solomon in a dream and asked Solomon what he would like from God.  Solomon first expressed thankfulness for God’s love of his own father David.  Then he admitted his own powerlessness 
without God—saying, “I am only a little child.”  And then he asked God to give him an understanding mind to 
govern the people of Israel, to be able to discern between good and evil. 

This weighty responsibility for humans to discern between good and evil was brought upon us by what Adam and Eve did in the Garden of Eden.  The serpent enticed them saying, “You will not die; for God knows that when you eat of the apple your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”  So, Solomon knew that the source of this knowledge of good and evil was God, and he wanted to be connected to the source when he asked God for wisdom.

In the Old Testament wisdom is associated with God.  God is the source of all wisdom, so to be close to 
God is to be close to His wisdom.  We notice that before asking God for wisdom, Solomon first appeared to be a simple, holy man, as shown by his thankfulness, his humility, and his desire to serve God and His people. Solomon’s wisdom would grow out of his holiness, out of his relationship with God. 

It is important for us, in our time particularly—when we have so much knowledge, that wisdom not be 
confused with knowledge.  Wisdom is the use of knowledge toward a good end, toward a godly or holy end.  
Wisdom helps us discern good and evil, and to establish what is ultimately most important.

A few years ago, I was praying for a little boy in England named Charlie.  He was born with a serious genetic defect that made him not grow, I think they called it ‘failure to thrive.’  His parents wanted to do everything they could to help him, but the medical authorities argued it would not be in his best interest to travel to Italy or the U.S. to receive experimental treatment. It was offered free of charge and the travel too.  The case ended up in court, and the parents—impoverished from their efforts to save Charlie, had to drop their case. Charlie stopped receiving the medical care he needed, and he sadly passed away a few days later.

Charlie’s case reminded me of Solomon and the two women who both claimed to be the mothers of a baby.  Solomon suggested that the baby be cut in half so that each woman would receive a half, but the true mother of the baby pleaded with Solomon to give the baby to the other woman to save the baby’s life.  To whom did Charlie belong?

What was God’s will for Charlie?  Did anyone ask? In the end, did all the knowledge about his condition help him, or hurt him?  What is the value of the life of a little boy loved unconditionally by his parents?  Does 
God still perform miracles?  With all our knowledge, will we allow him?

When we rely on God to help us with these kinds of decisions we have access to His wisdom. But too often positions are taken, the wrong things considered, and no one consults God.  We tend to operate out of our head only or out of our heart only, not both in connection to God’s revealed will in favor of love and life. 

In C. S. Lewis’ book, The Screwtape Letters, he suggests that one of Satan’s primary tools is to keep us confused about knowledge and wisdom.  First, he plants in us the arrogance to believe that human knowledge can actually replace God.  This tool seems to be very effective.  One would think that with so much human knowledge there would be more peace and happiness in the world, that someone would have determined a way to end the fighting in the Middle East.  Perhaps this conundrum illustrates what happens when we humans try to play God ourselves.

Lewis also suggests that a second favorite tool of Satan is to encourage the use of limited reason. “Let 
them think they are being logical and factual.”  One line of thought described is “Since human knowledge 
replaces God, then God is not real and neither is Satan.”  So, there is no need to discern between good and 
evil—that’s too simplistic, and everything is relative or situational.  There is no such thing as objective truth. 
Therefore, the ends justify the means, and the history of the 20th century and the current state of the world sadly reveal where this kind of thought leads.  Human reason is imperfect, and the use of even our best knowledge, is inhibited by our sinful fears and desires.

The educated and accomplished Paul was not just knowledgeable, but after his encounter with Jesus, he 
became holy and wise.  Previously he had known about God, but he had not known God personally.  After 
meeting Jesus on the road to Damascus, he understood the difference.  He also understood that without God we are prone to getting things really mixed up.  He wrote to the Romans that, “The Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words.” 

Without consulting the Holy Spirit planted within us at our baptism, we do not even know how to pray.  We 
would not have known how to pray for Charlie.

 
Paul wrote, “If God is for us, who is against us?  He did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us, will he not with him also give us everything else? Who will bring any charge against God’s elect?  It is God who justifies.  Who is to condemn?  It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right 
hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us.” 

God created us and gifted us with reason and memory, but if we neglect to seek his wisdom, terrible things can happen.  So, let us turn to God more often, and like Solomon, ask for an understanding mind. 

Amen. 

Am I the Rocky Soil?

The Seventh Sunday after Pentecost 2026 

By Reverend Marjorie Bevans

Texts: Isaiah 55:10-13; Romans 8:1-11; Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23 

The parable of the Sower reminds me of the summer of 1975.  My family decided to plan 60 acres of 
Silver Queen corn.  We had a contract to sell it to the local IGA’s.  So, my brother Tommy and I stayed home 
from school to plow.  It took about a week because we only had a 1948 Ford 8N tractor. Then on the weekend 
my stepfather used a corn hopper to plant the seed.  Weeks later the corn was up and growing well.  Then after 90 days it was ready to be picked.  But when we went out to pick it, we discovered that in many places thistle had taken over.  The thistle didn’t choke out the corn because the thistle grew later, but it made picking the corn just miserable.  It was hard to walk through. Every morning, while the dew was still heavy, we went out to pick corn, get soaking wet and all scratched up by the thistle. But the corn was delicious and we ate plenty of it that summer. 

The lesson?  Even with a lot of effort, good things are still sometimes difficult to obtain—or use herbicide.  

Jesus spoke to the people using parables because a good parable is understandable by most people no 
matter what their level of education or insight. For example, if I talked to you about taking care of your yard, 
many if not all would understand the importance of cutting the grass regularly, pulling weeds out of beds, and raking leaves in the fall. 

Jesus uses a common experience to attract the hearer.  He then invites them to the understanding of a 
deeper truth, one that many people would not hear if it were put to them in abstract terms only. 
Life is not abstract, so perhaps the truth of God should not be either.  With Jesus every earthly story has a heavenly meaning. 

Whether or not you are a gardener, many of us would understand the frustration of sowing seed where it 
did not take root, grow, and mature.  And most of us would understand the frustration of what we did not plant taking root and taking over.  The goal we have in mind is a beautiful ripe tomato or a sweet ear of corn. 
Tending a garden is a bit like tending our relationship with God. It takes consistent, sometimes hard, work—a little each day no matter how hot it is, but the results are worth it. 

 So let us consider the interpretation of the parable of the Sower.  Why did Jesus tell it and what does he want us to know? 

But first, most preachers probably hear this lesson differently than the congregation.  This is because we are called to be Sowers of the Word of God.  The congregation is the soil. 

We preach the Word of God to a congregation of people with different personalities, experiences, and perspectives.  And the people in the congregation are usually in different places with what they most need to hear from God on a given day.  What may be a good sermon for one, is totally useless for another, depending on what kind of day each person might be having.  So, what I would most like us to consider this morning is 
“What kind of soil am I for the Word of God?” 

Am I the path? A hard place to sow the Word of God? Am I a person so beaten down that there is no place to even take in the Word of God? Am I impervious to it?  Do I not want to listen to it?

Consider whether you thoughtfully heard the lessons from Isaiah and Romans this morning. Do you remember what they were?  Did those words just bounce off you? How many times have you heard a particular lesson read in church over the years and still it seems strange? 

Am I the rocky soil? Soil superficial in nature, hearing only what will make me feel good now? Do I only hear what I want to hear? 

For example, if you listened to Paul’s Letter to the Romans, was there something in it you wanted to reject? The parable from Matthew ‘easy listening’ compared to that. 

It is tempting to get into the pattern of rejecting that which personally challenges us the most, the one 
thing we most need to hear from God to make us more Christ-like. Sometimes we even use the tool of ‘biblical criticism’ to avoid the truth that we do not want to hear.  We reason it away or put limits on it. For example, thinking I get to determine the weight of the cross I am willing to bear to follow Jesus. I don’t think that was what Jesus meant.  

If we do not let God’s Word take deep root in us, when our faith is challenged it cannot sustain us in love and hope. Faith withers away. 

Am I the soil choked by thorns? Letting my earthly concerns overtake my heavenly calling?  Do I 
allow pressing needs and interests—work, security, friends, even family—to choke out my need for God?  Am I so divided in my attention that I allow the weeds to choke out even my desire to worship, to hear from God, to pray and give thanks to God for his graciousness to me? 

Am I the good soil? Hungry to hear the Word of God, to have it sown in my heart to strengthen my  faith, to give me wisdom and understanding, to help me love unconditionally, to bring me into the presence of God and Christ my Savior? 

If we could choose how to always hear, perhaps this would be it.  And maybe sometimes, we truly are the good soil—hard ground broken open by our deep need for God.  Confused and disoriented, helplessly empty, sometimes there awakens in us spontaneously the need to know and experience Divine love, to be forgiven our sin and our neglect of God. 

Life’s circumstances can make us good or bad soil, but being made in the image of God, gifted with reason and free will, we do have a choice how to be, how to prepare ourselves. 

Will we allow ourselves to be broken open and cultivated, ready to receive the Word, then to be nourished and watered by the Holy Spirit?  This can be life changing. 

There have been times in the past when the people of God actually lost the Word of God.  Yes, they lost the Bible, the Old Testament particularly, several times, when Israel was defeated, the temple and Jerusalem destroyed and the people taken into exile or enslaved. 

There is the story of the rediscovery of the Law of Moses in the Temple when Josiah was king.  He had never heard of the Law of Moses before, and when he heard it read for the first time, he was incredibly moved by it.  He called all the people to come and hear it, and they were hungry to hear it.  It led to a spiritual awakening and renewal, and a reformation of the people who had been corrupt. 

At another time the law was rediscovered and read to the people by the priest Ezra.  It had been generations since the people had heard the Law.  So, they were hungry to receive it, and when it was read to them the people wept and they repented of their sins. 

When have you ever been so hungry for the Word of God that you wept when you heard it?

For now, the Sower must sow, even if some seed falls on stone or in thorns.  We leave the issue in God’s 
hands, and still labor, for his seed is the very bread of the soul.  And we are forever challenged to make  ourselves a fit dwelling place for the Lord.  

Amen. 

Why Do So Many Non-Christians Perceive Christians to Be Such Hypocrites?

Reverend Marjorie Bevans

The Second Sunday after Pentecost 2026

Texts: Hosea 5:15-6:6, Matthew 9:9-13

In the Gospel lesson today, the Pharisees took the position that anyone who ate with tax collectors and sinners must be or would become a sinner themselves. Jesus who was living under the Law of Moses was openly violating it. The Pharisees seem to assume that they are not sinners, because at least they are not eating with tax collectors and sinners.

So, who were these Pharisees who so often clashed with Jesus? They were educated in the Law of Moses (like lawyers) and considered to be protectors of the Law (like judges). They taught the people (like teachers) and sometimes were consulted when people had disagreements (like counselors). It is believed that the word ‘Pharisee’ is derived from an ancient Hebrew word meaning ‘set apart’, which is similar to the meaning of ‘holy’, to be set apart for God. They were supposed to be holy men.

A few years ago I read the results of a longitudinal survey of non-Christians. 128,000 people were asked what kept them from seriously considering Christianity. The answer was ‘Christians’. The number one reason by far, receiving 47% compared to the next highest reason with 23%, was the perceived hypocrisy of Christians. Ouch. People who are perceived to be telling other people how to live without living up to those same standards appear to be hypocrites. ‘Rules for thee, but not for me’—an old aphorism my mom used to say. Jesus often confronted this in his conversations with the Pharisees. Our words don’t mean anything to someone else if they are not consistent with our behavior. We Christians must always strive to be people of integrity. Otherwise, the Lord we proclaim to love and follow will not be taken seriously.

Why do so many non-Christians perceive Christians to be such hypocrites?

When I was a young adult, I would have responded “Because Christians are at least trying to live by a higher standard, even if they sometimes stumble.” But I’m not so sure a lack of Christ-like perfection is what non-Christians are seeing. I wish the survey had a follow-up question or two about what makes so many non-Christians think Christians are such hypocrites. A large part of it might be that non-Christians don’t understand Christianity at all. Fewer and fewer people in each generation have any real exposure to it. People may believe it’s more like a philosophy than a relationship with the living God.

What can we do? If a Christian occasionally stumbles while trying to follow Christ, it must be accompanied with a sense of guilt or contrition, repentance, confession, and improvement. What if we were known by someone to be a Christian, but we never seem to admit we are sometimes wrong and we should apologize? In psychology we would say such a person is not very self-aware. In spiritual terms we would say such a person is being impenitent, but to a person who is not a practicing Christian, it looks like hypocrisy. For our Christian witness to have integrity, we don’t need to be perfect. We need to be honest and humble. We don’t want to be Pharisees, pointing out the splinter in someone’s eye, while ignoring the log in our own. In addition to being honest and humble, we need to better understand what God is asking from us. The prophet Hosea tells us that the Lord desires true communion, not superficial sacrifice. “I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.” The Pharisees were good at keeping the Letter of the Law, but they did not understand the Spirit of the Law—why God gave it. They gave God burnt offerings rather than their hearts.

How do we better understand what God is asking from us? We must be engaged in the study of Scripture. We learn there why God created us, how he loves us, and the purpose for our lives. We also study particularly the New Testament, the teaching of Jesus and the Letters of Paul. And when we pray, we come into the presence of God so we can be changed by it, to be made more Christ-like. Many of us regularly practice certain types of prayers—intercession for others, petition for ourselves, but the kind of prayer that forms us is simply listening to God. God speaks to our hearts and minds when we stop talking and just put ourselves in his presence. It is also in these times that God corrects us, and we can acknowledge to him our shortcomings. Prayers of adoration, oblation—offering our whole selves to God, and contemplation are most helpful. If we engage in this simple discipline of study and prayer, we might be better prepared to respond to the challenges of the world—to evil, suffering, and confusion. We might be better witnesses for Christ.

The Pharisees may have had confidence in their knowledge of the Law, but because they did understand why the Law was given—to show us how to love God and love others, too often their confidence became arrogance. There is a difference between the two. Arrogance comes from trusting in oneself. Yet, we can be confident in God while being humble, because trusting God causes us to be humble. We come to realize that God is God, and we are not. We accept our proper relationship with God. We are less likely to be arrogant, more likely to be humble.

So, I believe the best way to avoid being seen as a hypocrite and a better witness for Christ, is not to be a more perfect Christian—although that wouldn’t hurt, but rather, to be a more humble Christian. Then, as Peter writes in his First Letter, ‘In your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord. Always be ready to make your defense to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and reverence.” We must be able to explain what we believe in our hearts, out of genuine affection for the other person.

Amen.

St. Michael and All Angels 2025

St. Michael and All Angels 2025

By: The Reverend Marjorie Bevans

Texts:  Genesis 28:10-17; Revelation 12:7-12; John 1:47-51

         Tomorrow is the Feast Day of St. Michael and All Angels, our patron saint.  I’m not sure why our church was named St. Michael’s, but it is a good thing for us to know about St. Michael and all his Angels.

            The second lesson is from the Revelation to John, and it’s the primary New Testament lesson about St. Michael the Archangel.  Michael and his angels fought against Satan and his angels, and Satan and his angels were expelled from heaven to earth. 

            One thing that makes Revelation difficult to understand is it is a vision given to the Apostle John.  While it’s mostly about the future, about the ultimate triumph of the Lamb of God at the end of time, it’s also a look at what is ongoing behind the scenes, and has been ongoing since The Fall of Adam and Eve.

            In the Old Testament, Michael is mentioned in the Book of Enoch and Daniel as one of seven archangels who work for God.  Michael is the chief of the seven, and he’s engaged in fighting the ‘prince of Persia,’ which is present day Iran. Michael is the defender of the people of God, meaning the defender of Israel.  And that role has extended into our time where Michael is now also the patron saint of police officers, those who protect the innocent.

            From what do the people of God need protection?

            Whether or not most of the people in this world would acknowledge it, we have been engaged in a spiritual battle between good and evil since the the Fall.  We need protection from evil.

            Much of human history is about war. What seems to drive it is a quest for power, or security, or land.  There are significant ideological clashes—Marxism, atheism, progressivism, socialism, and communism against Christianity, natural human rights, and all forms of self-determination.  There are differences in cultural values and practices, and jealousy, fear, and hatred come into play.

            However, the root of all suffering in this world is evil and it is spiritual—meaning it has to do with God and, consequently, with Satan, and the condition of our souls.  No one wants to believe they are evil, but Satan is the great deceiver.  He uses lies and deception, and half-truths to turn people to the 'dark side’.

            While Satan and his angels may have lost the war in heaven, and they were kicked out of heaven, Satan’s home now is the world, this earth upon which we live.  Satan and his angels no longer have access to God, but we Christians do.  The best defense against being deceived is to continually seek the truth.  Ultimate truth is found in God, which is why the Word of God is central to understanding what is good and what is evil.

            While groups of people fight one another over ancient disputes, and more recent ideological ones, the conflict with evil is most importantly a battle within the heart and soul of each person.  This is not just seen in worldly events or even in interactions between individuals.  These worldly events are the outward manifestation of what is going on inside us.  For this reason, the great Christian thinkers warn us to ‘guard what is in our hearts.’  Does it come from God, or from Satan’s influence?  It is a lot easier to be influenced by Satan.

            When we were growing up we used to think ground zero for the final battle between good and evil was Washington, D.C. or Moscow.  We lived in the nighttime glow of Washington, so we paid attention.  The place of the final battle has shifted from time to time, in ancient times—Israel and Babylon, in the first century—Rome and Jerusalem, during World War II—London and Berlin, in our time—Gotham and small town America.

            Meanwhile, the fight between good and evil is also here at St. Michael’s, not outwardly, but inwardly.  It is being fought in our souls, to whom do we belong, and what does that mean?

            Satan’s true focus is on the people of God, which would be the church, all Christians.  His primary goal is to draw people away from God.  C.S. Lewis’ “Screwtape Letters” provides an insightful description of the tools Satan uses to do this.  If you’ve not read it, or not ready it recently, please do.  It’s definitely worth reading or re-reading.

            God has blessed St. Michael’s for over 70 years.  Through the years we have grown as Christians in our relationship with God in good times and bad, developed life-long cherished relationships—even across the political divide, and have been married and also buried here.  Generations of saints who built this church are now out there in the cemetery.  We have such good memories upon which to build the future for coming generations, which brings me to Sophie.

            We welcomed Sophie into our extended family in February, and now we are all together welcoming her into the family of God.  Jesus Christ will know her and reach out to her so that she can feel his love and protection.  Brandon and Mary, and Sophie’s grandparents and godparents will all have a role in helping her with this.  And we do too. 

            We are called to teach by word and example the Good News of Jesus Christ, that there is a stream of fathomless love coming from God, that will sustain all of us through good times and bad.  We want Sophie to have what was given to us too, so long ago, what has brought us to be here this morning.  May the Archangel Michael and All his angels, guard our hearts and protect us all.  Amen.