in whom (Christ) are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge

One of my favourite Socrates stories (not that I know a lot of them) is the one where he discovered that he was the wisest man in the world. He denied it at first, and they took him to talk to those who were said to be wise. The point is that each one of them thought of themselves as wise. Socrates, on the other hand knew he was not. But, he told himself, “I am clearly wiser than these who think themselves wise when they are not!”

In the academic community I see, over and over, that the wisdom of the ancient scriptures is dismissed. But if it is true (and it is) that in Christ and in His Word (for He is the Word - John 1:1) are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Colossians 2:3), then like those of Socrates’ day they “professing themselves to be wise, they become fools” (Romans 1:22).

There is much to say about wisdom, but the main thing I want to emphasize this morning, is that it seems to me that wisdom, character and behaviour are very closely related. Perhaps the most obvious example is that drugs mess up the mind, but so does bitterness and strife, or envy and self seeking. True wisdom on the other hand, is seen in those who are “first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy” (James 3:17).

Father, in the very same chapter just quoted from James, we are told that in many things we all fail (verse 2). I am not Lord as wise as I would like to be, I know I have certainly not arrived. But thank You Lord, that I am not as foolish as I used to be. Continue to draw me to Yourself, and help me to continue to seek You and all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge that are hidden in You (Colossians 2:3). In Jesus Name Amen