A Needy Group of Fools
Read: Proverbs 30:1-6
The words of Agur son of Jakeh. The oracle. The man declares, I am weary, O God; I am weary, O God, and worn out. 2 Surely I am too stupid to be a man. I have not the understanding of a man. 3 I have not learned wisdom, nor have I knowledge of the Holy One. 4 Who has ascended to heaven and come down? Who has gathered the wind in his fists? Who has wrapped up the waters in a garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is his son’s name? Surely you know! 5 Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. 6 Do not add to his words, lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar.
I recently read a quote in Church Dogmatics, written by theologian Karl Barth, which said: “It is not a bad sign for the Church, but an indication of the genuineness of its calling, that not many wise after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are in it.”
This reference to 1 Corinthians 1:26 is a good reminder for us this week. When we come together on Sunday, we are not gathered as the wise and strong. The church is not a group of people who have figured out life, the future, or God. Instead, we are in the same boat as Agur who begins his meditation in Proverbs 30 with an acknowledgement of his weakness, his foolishness, and his limitations.
Yes, this is humbling, but it is good for us. We gather on Sundays because we are in need. Our knowledge, our skills, our psychological techniques of managing our lives and families only go so far. What we really need, again and again, is a word from God. What we really need is divine wisdom. Agur says: “Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him” (verse 5). So, let us come as fools, as people who need refuge, a word, and instruction. May our experience on Sunday be one where God meets us in our need through the preaching of His Word and the communion of the saints. For even though the church is a needy group of fools, God loves his church so much that he gave us “Christ Jesus, who has become to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, ‘Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord’” (1 Corinthians 1:30–31).
