Lectionary for Sept. 22, 2024
18th Sunday after Pentecost
Proverbs 31:10-31; Psalm 1;
James 3:13–4:3, 7-8a; Mark 9:30-37
Recently I helped host a doctoral seminar for emerging scholars who want to incorporate studying faith or religion into their otherwise secular programs. This seminar took a lot of time and energy to prepare. We had to recruit the presenters, invite the students, find a meeting space, prepare our own presentations, and book travel and lodging. We didn’t dare leave that preparation to the last minute. When planning an event like this, I’ve found that it is wise to start a year or more out so that everyone who will participate has plenty of information and lead time to join in seamlessly. This week’s lectionary readings are all about the wisdom of preparation.
Proverbs 31 is a picture of the ideal noble wife. Just as Proverbs wasn’t written for the ordinary man but for a young ruler (Proverbs 1:1, 10:1, 25:1-3), this description of the ideal royal or noble partner is not an everywoman. The choice between a life of idleness or of virtuous economic engagement needs to be an actual choice for Proverbs 31 to make sense. These passages weren’t written for people just struggling to get by but for a ruling couple (23). The woman in question buys land for herself and reinvests her profits to make it more productive (16) because she senses that her profit is good (18). With her growing wealth, she imports her exotic food (14).
Her wisdom is displayed most fully in how she prepares not just her family but all her subjects and those in her orbit for the future. She makes warm clothes for her family, including herself (19, 21-22). But she also prepares resources for the poor (20), her servants (15) and even the dispossessed former inhabitants of the land (24). The wisdom of this woman of virtue is that she will prepare to be a blessing to everyone around her, such that when hard times come—and they always do—everyone will be as prepared as possible.
We are to wisely prepare, as best as we can, for what lies ahead.
James also celebrates the wisdom of preparation. Not all “wisdom” is equal, James advises. Some would advise ambition and trying to keep up with influencers through leaders and trendsetters. James goes in the other direction, saying any wisdom that doesn’t bring first peace—not in the sense of absence of conflict but in the presence of wholeness and contentment—is not really wisdom at all.
Far too many “wise” leaders are proven to be led astray because they weren’t prepared to deny themselves and deal with their lusts. James takes aim directly at David and Solomon here. “You want something and do not have it, so you commit murder” (James 4:2) recalls David’s treatment of Uriah and Bathsheba. “Those conflicts and disputes among you, where do they come from? Do they not come from your cravings that are at war within you?” (1) certainly refers to Solomon filling up Jerusalem with idolatrous worship of many foreign gods to please his hundreds of wives and secondary-wives (1 Kings 11:1-9). Those kings didn’t prepare to govern themselves with wisdom. Their failure to prepare themselves for the temptations of power led to wars and violence.
Finally, Jesus attempted to share the wisdom of preparation with his disciples. Although he didn’t want everyone to know what would happen to him, he began to tell his disciples that he would be captured, killed, buried and then rise again three days later (Mark 9:31). The disciples could have used this time to ask Jesus questions about what this prediction meant, how they should prepare or what they should do in the moment when he was arrested. But they were too afraid to ask Jesus what he meant (32). So instead of asking wise questions that would help them prepare for Jesus’ crucifixion, they asked dumb questions born of the jealousy that James would warn about.
“Who is the greatest?” they asked. As a response, Jesus said the greatest must be the servant of all. And what does a servant do but prepare to meet the needs of the master? (35). To further the point, Jesus brought a young child into their midst and scooped the child into his arms. Whoever carries a child receives Jesus (36-37). This is the wisest preparation of all! Nurturing and loving kids who can’t yet take care of themselves wisely builds into their lives and futures but also trains us to be the wise, unselfish servants whom Jesus calls us to be.
Jesus tells a parable about counting the cost before the beginning of an endeavor (Luke 14:28). Similarly, we are to wisely prepare, as best as we can, for what lies ahead. We do so by investing in peace and that which will make for peaceful relations (James 3:17-18).
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