Show Notes
In this eighteenth week of “Ordinary” (or “Normal”) time, Case reflects on the importance of cultivating wisdom, particularly within the context of academia. Case invites educators to reflect on the importance of their work for promoting the common good as they help students grow in both academic knowledge and moral reasoning.
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Episode Transcript
We remain in the extended stretch of the Christian calendar known as ordinary time. This season is marked by a sense of routine, steady rhythms, and a chance for profound growth in our relationship with Jesus, encompassing every aspect of life.
And reading from Proverbs chapter one, beginning in verse 20:
Out in the open, wisdom calls aloud. She raises her voice in the public square on top of the wall. She cries out at the city gate. She makes her speech. How long will you who are simple, love your simple ways? How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge? Repent at my rebuke! Then I will pour out my thoughts to you. I will make known to you my teachings. But since you refuse to listen when I call and no one pays attention when I stretch out my hand, since you disregard all of my advice and do not accept my rebuke, I in turn will laugh when disaster strikes you. I will mock when calamity overtakes you, when calamity overtakes you like a storm, when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind, when distress and trouble overwhelm you. Then they will call to me, but I will not answer. They will look for me, but will not find me. Since they hated knowledge and did not choose to fear the Lord. Since they would not accept my advice and spurned by rebuke, they will eat the fruit of their ways and be filled with the fruit of their schemes, for the waywardness of the simple will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them. But whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease without fear of harm.
Professors and educators of all sorts stand at the crossroads of knowledge and influence, shaping the minds and hearts of future generations. The Proverbs present wisdom as a voice calling out in the public square, urging all to listen and embrace her teachings. In the context of the educator’s work, this passage is a powerful reminder of the responsibility they carry.
Not just to impart information, but to guide students toward wisdom. A wisdom that transcends the classroom. Oh, how I long for more wisdom in culture, and wisdom, not just knowledge or talking points from educators, politicians, marketplace leaders, and more, but true wisdom.
The call of wisdom in this passage is urgent and public, much like a professor’s role in the university. Not just educators, teachers are mentors who model the pursuit of truth, integrity, and thoughtful reflection.
The passage also warns of the dangers of ignoring wisdom. Calamity and distress await those who reject it. In an academic environment, this can translate into the importance of fostering not just intellectual growth, but also moral and ethical development in students. Teachers, encourage your students to seek wisdom in all its forms, to value knowledge not just as a means to an end, but as a pathway to understanding, discernment, and a life lived well. By doing so, you will not only prepare them for careers, but also equip them to navigate life’s complexities with a foundation rooted in wisdom and integrity.
Isaiah chapter 50, verses four to nine:
The sovereign Lord has given me a well-instructed tongue to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being instructed. The sovereign Lord has opened my ears. I have not been rebellious. I have not turned away. I offered my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard. I did not hide my face from mocking and spitting. Because the sovereign Lord helps me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore have I set my face like flint, and I know I will not be put to shame. He who vindicates me is near. Who then will bring charges against me? Let us face each other! Who is my accuser? Let him confront me! It is the sovereign Lord who helps me. Who will condemn me? They will all wear out like a garment. The moths will eat them up.
A prayer by Dietrich Bonhoeffer:
O God, I thank you for guiding me to this day. I thank you for giving me the opportunity to see and experience your creation once more. I pray that you will help me to go through this day with a pure heart and a humble spirit. Help me to face every challenge and to fulfill every duty with faithfulness. Grant me the strength to serve others, to do your will and to live in a way that is pleasing to you. May my life today be a reflection of your love and a witness to your grace. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
And finally, a reading from the Gospel of Mark, chapter 8, beginning in verse 27:
Jesus and his disciples went to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, who do people say I am? They replied, some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others one of the prophets. But what about you? He asked. Who do you say that I am? Peter answered, You are the Messiah. Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about Him. Then He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, the teachers of the law, and that He must be killed after three days and rise again. He spoke plainly about this. And Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him.
But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. Get behind me, Satan, he said. You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns. Then Jesus called the crowd to him, along with his disciples, and said, Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.
Whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world yet forfeit their soul or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the son of man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.
