Wise Up! - A Reflection on Luke 12:1-7



Meanwhile, when the crowd gathered by the thousands, so that they trampled on one another, he began to speak first to his disciples, “Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees, that is, their hypocrisy. Nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing secret that will not become known. Therefore whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered behind closed doors will be proclaimed from the housetops.

“I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that can do nothing more. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him! Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten in God’s sight. But even the hairs of your head are all counted. Do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.

 

When I was young, I often heard my grandfather say that “the fear of the Lord was the beginning of wisdom”. He was a wise man. I, however, was a foolish boy who didn’t realize the truth of this statement until many years later. If I had discovered it earlier, I might have spared myself years of grief. But grief is the price of folly. The gift of wisdom, however, are blessings, and since I am sure all of us would like to be blessed, the lesson is very simple. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. This is, of course, from Proverbs 9:10.

 

What is the fear of the Lord? It isn’t being scared of him. It is more a matter of being in awe of him. And considering that he truly is an awesome God, this should be a natural reaction for all of us. He is greater than the universe, and we are in awe of the universe, are we not? How much more, then should we be in awe of the creator of the universe? The awe leads to reverence and respect, which in turn leads to obedience. And obedience ensures we are blessed. 

 

This is not so much because God rewards us for our obedience, but because obedience brings its own rewards. Let me explain through an example. God tells us not to watch pornography. Yes, I know there is no specific reference to porn in the Bible, but there is enough spoken about sexual immorality and impurity to know that this is one of those things we shouldn’t do. We justify watching porn by saying it doesn’t harm anybody, but in truth it does.

 

First, it harms us. All sins prevent our spiritual growth; but secret sins hamper it even more because they are concealed from public view. This often leads to addictive behavior, which means a loss of freedom. Second, it harms our relationship with God. Watching porn, and the acts that ensue, result in a sense of shame, which makes one want to hide from God. Isn’t this true? Third, it harms our relationships with others, especially our spouses, as anyone who watches porn can attest. 

 

Now, just consider what would have happened if we were obedient to God and abstained from watching porn. We wouldn’t have these things to worry about, would we? This is why I said obedience brings its own rewards. Very often we feel that the things God tells us to do takes away our freedom, but on the contrary they secure our freedom. Freedom is not DOING whatever we want to do; freedom is BEING what God created us to be: wonderful people. 

 

But we need wisdom to understand this. It begins with the fear of the Lord.

 

Watch a video of this reflection by Aneel Aranha here:  https://youtu.be/TeWUjQoTWXc

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