Like a lame man’s legs, which hang useless,
is a proverb in the mouth of fools. Proverbs 26.7
Wisdom isn’t synonymous with orthodoxy, but everything that isn’t orthodox is foolish, which means the theologically sound preacher can mistake himself for a wise man who wonders why his sermons have no legs. It’s the same error the world makes with the rich. To the simple, success looks like wisdom. That’s demonstrably false, but ministers have our own version of that folly. The more sound our sermons are, the more we expect them to accomplish.
Wisdom always works for the wise because they want it to rule them, not serve them. So, it is with the preacher.
Sadly, being right about ultimate things can be surprisingly ineffective. So, what if we work on becoming wise instead of just smart? If proverbs were promises that would be a great ministry hack. That’s not how this works, but wisdom is still worth finding. The fool’s problem isn’t the parable. Wisdom always works for the wise because they want it to rule them, not serve them. So, it is with the preacher. Add wisdom to your orthodoxy and whether or not your people walk with the Lord as they should, you’ll be able to stand with them.
