January 6 is Epiphany, the day on which we celebrate the arrival of the magi to visit the baby Jesus. We also refer to these visitors as wise men. In honor of these wise men, LinC talks about wisdom. Different people have different understandings of what is wise and what is foolish. In 1 Corinthians 1:20 Paul tells us that God has “made the wisdom of the world foolish.” We’ll learn how God’s wisdom differs from “the wisdom of the world.” Key Scriptures: 1 Kings 9:1-9; 11:1-13; Matthew 2:1-12; 1 Corinthians 1:18-31. Last summer a Texas teen stole some beer, got drunk, then drove his truck with a blood alcohol level that was well above the legal limit. He wrecked the truck, killing four pedestrians and paralyzing a friend in the passenger seat. Recently a judge sentenced the young man to ten years of probation but no jail time. The boy’s lawyers had argued that, because he grew up in a wealthy household with a sense of entitlement, the teen had no understanding of consequences and could not be held fully accountable for his actions. While critics have scoffed at the light sentence and mocked the defense team’s argument, this story raises some questions about grace and accountability. We believe that Jesus atoned for our sins and that salvation is a gift, not something we must earn. Yet, Scripture is clear that grace does not give us a free pass to do whatever we want. Next week we’ll look at the responsibility we have as people saved by grace.
