Sermon 18th Sunday After Pentecost Year B September 22 2024
Today’s readings are on the theme of the Wisdom of God and how it is made manifest at the personal level in our first reading, how it is at conflict within us in the Letter of James and how it is utterly misunderstood in the mission of Jesus by Jesus’ followers and his statement about his death… which was not at all what was expected from the Messiah.
There is so much material here that I have chosen to focus on our first reading which I have always loved on a personal level. The first reading from Proverbs is called Ode to a Capable Woman. It is a proverb and doesn’t even have the mention of God at all, but it is a wisdom passage speaking about a woman who was wise and dedicated to all God gave her and her response to it. I loved it so much it was read at my mother’s funeral. While I resonate with it, I never dug into the background behind it. Seeing it in our Lectionary today I thought this is a good time to explore it further.
First of all, who wrote it. King Lemuel is mentioned as the author least of the first nine verses Chapter 31 begin: “The sayings of King Lemuel—an inspired utterance his mother taught him.” So, as Lemuel was growing up, his mother gave him sage advice, which he later arranged in poetic form and recorded for the ages. The whole process was supervised by the Holy Spirit, and the result was “an inspired utterance” Although King Lemuel is not mentioned anywhere else in the Bible, we know that he loved God and longed to honor Him through his fatherly actions. Lemuel here also means “devoted to God.”
However, several scholars believe King Lemuel was a pen name and that, in fact, the author was King Solomon, the biblical embodiment of biblical wisdom. Since the words are inspired by “the king’s” mother, it is possible that the one dispensing the wisdom would be no other than the breathtaking beauty of Bathsheba.
Honestly, that would be fitting since she is a woman that is both intriguing and bewildering. She suffered great loss yet also knew a little something about redemption. God also choose her to be the mother of Solomon, who was included in the genealogy of Jesus. She probably would have some words to contribute to her son. Her story would also be a true testament to how to live (and not live) according to God’s Law. Either way, the writer makes a point to share counsel and offer insight on how to live a purpose-filled life that glorifies our God.
Next… one might ask who was it written for. The king’s writings were meant for his son. His mother gave sage advice that he wished to share and pass down to her son and henceforth pass along to the next generation. The portion of the chapter we read today denotes “the wife of noble character.” This long list of qualities has been touching the hearts of women, especially those that are wives or soon-to-be blushing brides, but it was not written for them.
The target audience for this Proverb was men, noble men of rank. As already mentioned, this was written for King Lemuel’s son, hoping to guide him to live a life that was prosperous, creating within him the ability to lead well while also pleasing to God.
This Proverb was also used to enlighten the king’s son in choosing a woman of high regard for his wife. Therefore, rejoicing over her and encouraging her to be the woman God is calling her to be. So, while both men and women can learn valuable nuggets of truth from the poetic words offered in this lovely passage, it was originally intended for men, kings, to be precise.
As I was reflecting on this passage, I was reminded of a story I heard on television this week, it was a bout a book called “Remember you are a Wiley.” The book was written by Maya Wiley an MSNBC legal analyst, a professor, civil rights attorney, and former New York City Mayoral candidate. It is a moving, politically charged memoir of surviving trauma and of the power of activism. The title comes from her grandmother would say. She would tell her children as they left home every single day, “Remember you are a Wiley.” I do not know about you, but my own mother had that sense of reminding me who I am. When you are in public people should see you in the best light. Even if things are tough, even if you’re being bullied or misunderstood you are to always hold yourself with dignity, show respect, turn the other cheek, speak up for others who does not have a voice.
My hunch is most of us here had that kind of female role model in our lives. Maybe it was our mother, maybe a grandmother, an aunt, a mentor, or teacher. We all have a woman whose wisdom inhabits us.
I know women in this congregation whose wisdom shaped and feeds us all. I could literally go pew by pew and name you. I have done funerals for women like this. Women who have taught you to be your best, to love your neighbor, give your all in service of God.
There are two woman who come to mind however and I feel compelled to share a few thoughts about them today whose funerals I did several years back. They happen to be mothers of two of our parishioners. This reading was read at both of their funerals. I am talking about Barbara Potterton the mother of Marica Eaton and Elsie Yakumchuk mother of Cathie Litwin.
The word greatness often seems to be tossed about casually and has lost some of the power of its meaning particularly in our current culture where people espouse to be great or seek greatness. However, in the case of these two women, I can say without reservation they were great and wise women in the truest sense.
Barbara Potterton was born while the shadows of war were gathering in Europe for World War I. A woman born in a time when they harvested ice from lakes in the winter to keep in the ice house for use in the creamery on her farm. A woman born into a time when the first inside bathroom wasn’t installed until she was a teenager. A woman who knew the meaning of hard work…whether bringing in the wood daily to fire up the wood-burning stove to prepare food, rising early to milk the cows or gathering the eggs from the chickens that provided year-round income to the family. A woman whose primary mode of transportation as a child was a horse-drawn carriage or sleigh before her family got a car.
I met Barbara only once and she slept through my entire visit to her at St Joseph’s Living Center in Willimantic. I simply sat by her bed and prayed, and being a nosey person, I got up and examined the cards on the wall and other items around her bed.
It was not hard to see that this was a woman deeply loved who had a tremendous influence on the world during her 103 years of living. When Marcia and Chuck came to tell me of Barbara’s death, we sat and I said, the short time I spent at her bedside told me a great deal without her ever opening her eyes or mouth to respond.
Elsie Joyce Fielding Yakimchuk was a woman who lived a determined and faith-filled life. I knew Elsie for only a few short years out of her long and wonderful life, but I learned much about her spirit and her deep faith quickly. More than anything what I noticed about Elsie was expressed in the words of Cathie at her death bed…. not a day went by that Elsie didn’t use every opportunity at her disposal to witness to her faith in Jesus Christ her Lord. She sought every day and, in every way, to live out the gospel message of service…of love…and compassion. She was given the heart of Jesus. Her faith was deeply grounded in her Salvationists roots. As a lifelong member of the Salvation Army, she followed the evangelical gospel imperative to love her neighbor as herself. The last time I visited Elsie she put the kettle on. It was in late February and so warm and sunny we sat outside on Elsie’s deck with a cup of tea and ginger cookies. It was a special visit as she recalled in detail her life, particularly her childhood growing up as a Salvationist.
When she moved to Apple Rehab in Colchester for her final journey, she thought the room across the hall from hers was a Baptist Church. Elsie immediately made a connection that made sense to her. After all, the Salvationists and the Baptists share a common theology.
So, this woman who was born into the Salvation Army, married a Roman Catholic, whose funeral is at an Episcopal Church ended her days across the hall from a Baptist Church… all of which made sense to her.
The wisdom of God’s Holy Spirit invites each of us to live lives remembering the price paid for us by our Lord. In the context of our passage today we are invited by God to not only remember who we are and the powerful wise women who taught us, but more importantly we are reminded today whose we are. As members baptized into the Body of Christ we have been claimed at a high price. We heard in our gospel today, “The Son of Man is to be betrayed into human hands, and they will kill him, and three days after being killed, he will rise again.” But they did not understand what he was saying and were afraid to ask him.”
May you and I embodied the wisdom of God instilled in us by those who taught us, came before us, and expect us to Remember we are. Since this is a day to celebrate wisdom particularly of Capable Women, I invite us into a moment of silence to recall those wise women in our lives to taught us to remember who we are and to give thanks….
Pause
Let us pray.
Dear Heavenly Father, we come before You with gratitude for the strength and resilience of wise women in our lives. We pray that women everywhere may be empowered to fulfill their potential and achieve their dreams and that your wisdom rules our hearts and guides our lives. Amen