April 17, 2025 The Way of the Wise
My Uncle William Howard could easily have passed for white if he had chosen to avoid some of the blatant cruel, disrespectful treatment that was our lot in the 1950s and ’60s for no other reason than the color of our skin. Police officers weren’t quite sure of how to address Uncle William. But he was never confused about his identity. Though his skin tone and hair resembled those of the dominant race, he was an African American and a fiery preacher of the gospel. He had two large round concave metal plates, cymbals, which he brought to church and struck together at just the right time to get our attention during the musical part of the service. One of his favorite songs was, “Ain’t That Good News!” And that is just what the gospel is, good news! Uncle William was one of the wise men I looked up to in my youth.
Minnesota Orchestra Photo
“Then being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way” (Mt. 2:12 NKJV).
The Way of the Wise
I know the wise men in the Gospel of St. Matthew, Chapter 2, are associated with the Christmas season. So why am I writing about those wise men during Passion Week, the time of the crucifixion? Wisdom is for all seasons, especially the wisdom that is packed into Matthew 2:12. After stopping in Jerusalem and inquiring about where they could find Jesus, King Herod instructed them to come back after finding the baby and tell him where he was so he could go and worship him. Herod’s message to them was a devious message from the devil. But they got another message from God, a divine warning that they were not to return to Herod. The wise men did four things. They sought Jesus, heeded God’s warning, rejected the devil’s instructions, and went another way. That is the way of the wise.
Some people who are in inappropriate relationships get a divine warning, but rather than getting out of the relationship and going another way, they keep listening to the devil. Others who love to frequent the clubs may hear the gospel in church on Sunday morning, a divine warning, but keep on going the same way. That is the way of the unwise. Sometimes we just get stuck in a rut. It feels like we cannot break free and move forward. We have reasoned it out and cannot see any way forward. But God has already shown us another way. He told us through His word to “Lean on, trust in, be confident in the LORD, and do not rely upon your insights” (Proverbs 3:5 AMPC). And yes, He will direct your paths.
Uncle William could have chosen to “pass” rather than be true to who he was, and it might have worked for him for a while. But he was too wise to choose an imitation of life. I can only imagine that whenever he heard the voice of the enemy, he clashed his cymbals together and drowned out that voice, choosing rather to listen to the voice of God which is always the way of the wise.
Focus Quote: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.” –Proverbs 1:7 (ESV)
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