Wisdom = Being In Christ

11th Sunday after Pentecost

Proper 15

John 6: 51-58

Proverbs 9:1-6

Wisdom = Being In Christ

John 6:51-58

51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any one eats of this bread, he will live for ever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh."

52 The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?"

53 So Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you;

54 he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.

55 For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.

56 He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him.

57 As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats me will live because of me.

58 This is the bread which came down from heaven, not such as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live for ever."

Proverbs 9:1-6

9:1 ¶ Wisdom has built her house, she has set up her seven pillars.

2 She has slaughtered her beasts, she has mixed her wine, she has also set her table.

3 She has sent out her maids to call from the highest places in the town,

4 "Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!" To him who is without sense she says,

5 "Come, eat of my bread and drink of the wine I have mixed.

6 Leave simpleness, and live, and walk in the way of insight."RSV

Grace and Peace to you from our Lord and Saviour, Jesus who is the Christ. Amen

There is a verse from the first lesson and a verse from the gospel lesson which will be the focus of our attention this morning, from the first lesson: "Leave simpleness and live, and in the way of insight "

And from the gospel "Jesus said "I am the living bread which come down from heaven if any one eats of this bread he will live for ever, and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh.

Putting these two verses together then means walking in wisdom or insight is being in Christ partaking of the living bread from heaven. That word insight in the first lesson means wisdom or the power of forming a sound judgment in any matter, or understanding. Being in Christ is the wisest way to walk in the world.

But how can one be in Christ? The first lesson says partake from his table, eat and drink from Christ the feast he has prepared for us.

Jesus says in the gospel lesson "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you; so being in Christ means partaking of the Lord’s supper.

From the book Girded with Truth, comes the following:

"One day a minister was walking along the ocean with his small son. The bay had been questioning his father about recent sermon about Christ dwelling in his people. The boy said , "Dad, I cannot understand how Christ can live in us and we live in him at the same time." As they walked further down the beach, the father noticed an empty bottle with a cork in it, Taking the bottle, he half filled it with water, re corked it and flung it far into the ocean.

Then he said, "Son the sea is in the bottle and the bottle is in the sea. As it bobs up and down in the sea, it is a picture of life and motion. life in Christ."

We are in Christ and Christ is in us and around us all at the same time. A wise person recognizes that reality of life and lives with and in it. But sadly, our culture sees wisdom as something else, as fame, as wealth, as glory as someone to look up to. Who are our heroes today? Rock stars, baseball players, football players, basketball players, movie stars, people with fame, with fortune, with wealth. The wise today are not seen for their insight, their intuition, their discerning knowledge of life. No the wise, the heroes, the ones the world looks up to are the wealthy, the famous in the sport world , not the peace advocate, not the Nobel prize winners, not the researcher looking for the cure to cancer.

The following shows how our culture so interested fame, wealth and has lost the truly meaningful way one should live life.