In school my usual practice was to find a desk at the back of the room. The

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1 Proverbs 22:1-12 Proverbs for Fun and Profit In school my usual practice was to find a desk at the back of the room. The purpose being not to create a zone for misbehavior, but to gain an enlarged field of view- though I will admit there might have been occasions for wise-cracking and gossip, made easier by separation from the authority figure. At the back of the classroom, you may not receive the closest instruction, but you can see everything that goes on, while still learning enough to get by. I don t know if pew selection in church works the same way, but I do count on those in the far reaches of the sanctuary to comprehend the meanings of the sermon week by week- maybe even with greater understanding- for you hear the words of the minister, with the added benefit of observing their effect upon your fellow worshippers. Well, my schooldays of yore: imagine my delight to discover a piece of chalk in the tray at the base of the blackboard behind my chair on the back row of Miss Hopper s English class. A heavenly gift, it seemed. I began that very day to leave my mark upon that class, copying brief quotations for my classmates to read. I still remember a couple of them, If you re dog tired at night, maybe you ve been growling too much during the day, was, I think, the first one. Generally, they were good for a laugh, and it was great recreation to see Miss Hopper s response,

2 sometimes a good-natured sigh or frown, or a shake of the head, even a tiny smirk. But when I wrote, The rich get richer, and the poor get babies, I think she had had enough, and I was removed to a seat on the front row, between two of the best students, smart and good persons, but not that much fun. That second quote came from the pen of Ambrose Bierce, essayist, short story writer, and overall, a cynical observer of American life for almost five decades after the Civil War. He was also the author of a brilliant work of social and political satire entitled, The Devil s Dictionary, which contains his unique definitions of rare and common words, such as: cabbage, a vegetable of about the same size and wisdom as a man s head ; and hand, an instrument worn at the end of the human arm and commonly thrust into someone s pocket ; and patience, a minor form of despair, disguised as a virtue. The fact that these definitions are bitter and even demented does not dull the keen edge of their truth. And so we come to the Proverbs of the Hebrew Bible. Again, short sayings, these founded upon the observations and life experiences of King Solomon and perhaps the sages of his court, as well as the insights of other wise men probably from all around the Near East, both before and after Solomon. I say wise men because of the writings that display their unfortunate antipathy towards women.

3 Many wise sayings here, yes, but the question arises, do we read the Proverbs of scripture from a different perspective than we do the quips of Ambrose Bierce or the famous axioms of Benjamin Franklin in Poor Richard s Almanac, or the morals in the fables of Aesop? I believe it s obvious that we do. But the question may lead us to ask a second, should we? Should we consider the words of warning and advice from Proverbs as more valid than other writings? After all, what is the difference between, Fish and visitors smell after three days, and Set your foot seldom in your neighbor s house lest he become weary and hate you (10:5)? They are the same, aren t they? But our answer will reveal the way we understand scripture, and what we want scripture to be. Let me put it this way. For a long time I avoided the book of Proverbs. I thought there was knowledge on those pages, but no real theological insight. If I wanted to know God or to hear God s word, there were 65 other books of the Bible that could provide more information and inspiration. The beauty of old men is their gray hair, in 20:29, just wasn t that helpful to me. Besides, if we are honest, there are some proverbs that simply do not ring true for us. Is it really our experience that the reward for humility and the fear of God is wealth and honor

4 and long life, as verse 4 has it? Doesn t Jesus instead pronounce his blessing upon the poor, in comparison to Proverbs approval of the rich? So how to go about understanding these sayings? Perhaps by realizing that they are not perfect and complete renderings of God s truth for all people in all situations; that the proverbs are partial insights to truth and that we get closer to the truth in trying to understand them- with all their complexity and diversity and contradictions- as commentaries of themselves; Proverbs as the truth about our lives, our relationships, our obligations in the world in the sum total of its writings. Not as a collection of hundreds of individual, literal truths, but hundreds of sayings that point us to the great Truth. This may mean we should rethink our approach to scripture, that it may not be literally true in each instance. That scripture may require deep thought and prayer, and comparison with other passages of holy writ, or even with other writings. I say this not to dimish the teachings of the Bible, but to point out we should recognize that the things the Bible deals with are profound and sometimes almost unknowable. There are no easy answers here. Two or three lines composed by even the smartest person cannot contain the nature of God and the meaning of our lives; sound bites and bumper stickers cannot adequately define the

5 substance of our relationships, or solutions to the suffering and fear and loss that are our lot in this world. Proverbs for Fun and Profit: well, not really. Oh, we can read the proverbs in a self-centered way, as an attempt to justify one s grasping for personal success or ego satisfaction. Some people certainly interpret scripture that way. It s called the prosperity gospel. But we also can, and may I say should, read these words of wisdom, not just as self-betterment, but as insights to living with one another, helps to learning how to care for and love other people. Just read in our passage these verses about the blessings upon those who share their bread with the poor (verse 9), the importance of kind words and pure hearts (verse 11), the need for peace and concord (verse 10), and about the calamity that may befall those who are unjust (verse 8). To strive for peace and justice, to give help and comfort to others: this is true wisdom, deep knowledge, and as verse 12 tells us, The eyes of the Lord keep watch over knowledge. These traits, then, and the humble life in community with others give great glory to God. Well, we need to give the hosts and servers a few minutes before we head into the fellowship hall for lunch. So let me reiterate that I believe the Proverbs are for the

6 improving of our life together. Not living well in order to receive some reward, but living well as worship and gratitude to God, living well for the sake of one s neighbor. To me, verse 2 is particularly meaningful, the rich and the poor meet together. As though there is no separation between the two; understanding that one group is not superior to the other; for the verse ends, the Lord has made them all. So that we know we are equal, we are all God s children, and we owe one another friendship and neighborliness. I think no activity displays friendship and hospitality more than eating together. Let us now break bread, sharing and delighting in God s endless mercy. Let us eat together, and remember these words of Proverbs 13:2, They eat well who speak kind words.