Vignette 1, for Mark Chapter 6:1-13; 30-32

4/10/11

“What is this wisdom?” Mark 6:2

Throughout history, the quest for knowledge/wisdom has dominated most every
other pursuit of humanity. By the time that Jesus Christ walked the earth, centuries of
wisdom had been collected in books, transmitted from one generation to the next for the
sake of perpetuating the cultures of the world.
Reverence for ancient knowledge, written and oral, is evident in every culture.
The culture that transmits its values, and embraces the teaching of its predecessors
thrives. Though we have new technology for telling our stories, the quest for meaningful
connections with the past and practical paths to the future rules the heart of every
thinking man and woman.
The Code of Hammurabi, the Mahabharata, the Gilgamesh Epic, all written
centuries before the time of Christ, are examples of literatures purveying worldviews
through stories and laws that teach in order to extend the cultures from which they are
derived. These from the east have the same goal as literature from the west, such as the
works of Greek philosophers Plato and Aristotle.
Religious literature, however, distinguishes itself from secular writings in that it
brings a God-centered moral framework to bear upon humanity. The Lord Jesus Christ
had a moral framework that was both clear and understandable. His knowledge was
derived from the teaching of the Law as well the writings of the Prophets and the
Wisdom Literature of the Old Testament.
What Jews call Torah, Tenach and Talmud, the Christian understands as
foundational to the life and teaching of the Lord Jesus. It is upon these
writings/scriptures, as well as the writings of the Apostles that the foundations of the
church were laid. They form a firm foundation still.
As he addressed a gathering in his own synagogue in Nazareth, there were those
in attendance who’d known him from the time of his birth. They were those about whom
we’d say, “Familiarity breeds contempt.” They asked the contemptuous, but not
unreasonable questions, “What gives?” “We’ve known him so long. How’d He get to be
such a know-it-all?”
The answer to these questions is simple, though we tend to hyper-spiritualize and
make a mystery of things that are not intended to be mysterious. The Lord Jesus was
instructed in the clear teachings of the Law of Moses, as well as the writings of the
Prophets and the wisdom literature of Israel from the time of his birth. The answer to
their question, “What wisdom is this?” is simple, it’s the wisdom of the Book.
The Hebrew people, among the greatest to ever populate planet earth, have
painstakingly transmitted their own history, culture, religion and wisdom from one
generation to the next. The Lord Jesus received what every other Hebrew child received,
a solid synagogue education. In addition to the vocational training he received at home,
he received an education in the synagogue at Nazareth that included extensive reading
and study of the Torah.
 Today, both bar and bat mitzvah candidates recite at the bema a passage learned
from the Torah, which includes the first five books of the Christian Bible. The Lord
Jesus also studied the other writings of the Hebrew people. He was introduced to the
history of His people through the stories contained in the Historical writings, became
familiar with the office of the prophet as he read Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Daniel.
He stood in the midst of the synagogue in his hometown and read the great prophetic
passage of the glorious days of Messiah, and said “in your hearing this day is this
scripture fulfilled.” The wisdom about which he was questioned was that which was
equally available to each of his contemporaries.
Looking at the nature of such wisdom, it’s clear that it was not “hidden wisdom”
of the type found in Dan Brown’s religious/political conspiracy thrillers. While the
Apostle Paul says that there are hidden things that the ministry of the Lord Jesus
revealed, into which the apostles were initiated, it was hidden only to be revealed; not to
be kept hidden. We live in the time when that which was to be revealed has been
revealed. The only thing left to be revealed in our time is that of the second coming of
Christ.
So, the wisdom of the Bible and of Christ is not the wisdom of the mystery cults
popular in the collective psyche of Americans. Rather, the wisdom of the scriptures was,
is and always will be pragmatic. That is to say, having received it, there is something to
be done with it.
This is true of the Hebrew religion in general. It’s practical. At its core is the
means by which sins are atoned, blood sacrifice. More to the point, the Hebrew
Scriptures reveal the means by which sins can be avoided, obedience to their clear and
practical instruction.
Three passages serve as a quick reference point for the wisdom with which the
Lord was equipped; one from each of the main divisions of the Old Testament.
First, the Law. “"You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all
your soul and with all your might. "These words, which I am commanding you today,
shall be on your heart.” (De 6:5-6 NAS95)
The one big downside of the technological revolution is the fact that we are losing
our connection with the faculty of memory. In the recent past, memory was endemic to
the human experience. How many phone numbers do you still have memorized? Few
probably. Because the need to memorize them has been removed. They are there at the
touch of a button. But scripture has always been and must remain a focus of the mind
through the faculty of memory. Hebrew scripture was on the Lord’s heart. He
committed it to memory.
If the Law requires it, the Psalmist affirms it. From a second division of the
Hebrew Bible we read, “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against
thee.” (Ps 119:11 AV) The light of scripture keeps the obedient child of God from sin.
To commit it to memory brings light (read wisdom) to the soul, the innermost being.
This is Jewish pragmatism through and through.
One more example is found as we look to the prophets, a third kind of writing
found in our Old Testaments. The Lord Jesus quoted from the book of Isaiah one day in
his synagogue in Nazareth. Among the many passages with which he was familiar is this
one, "…this people draws near with their words and honors Me with their lip service, But
they remove their hearts far from Me, And their reverence for Me consists of tradition
learned by rote,” (Isa 29:13 NAS95)
This prophetic word from Isaiah is the cornerstone of the New Covenant, that
which the Lord Jesus was revealing. The renewal of the inner man results only after the
heart has been saturated with scripture. Religious custom is too easily learned by rote;
too ineffective at dealing with the core issues of life. Spirituality is a matter of the inner
being. That being is impervious to external religious stimuli. It is penetrated only as the
Spirit uses the implanted word of God to impact an individual’s life.
“Where did this man get this wisdom?” they asked. He got it from the Law, the
Prophets and the Writings. It’s there for believers today as well.