Sermon: WHO'S FOOLING WHO

First preached: January 27, 1991

I continue my sermon series on wisdom based on the Old Testament book of Proverbs. In this sermon I look at the theme of “foolishness” which is very prominent in Proverbs as a contrast to wisdom. But first a story. It is rather long, so buckle in. If you want to skip it and head for the sermon that’s fine. I’m doing this primarily for me in order to finally get it written down.

I mentioned last week I was going to share one of the weirdest introductions of a pastor to their congregation within the United Methodist system. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the UM system I will try to make it clear as possible.

United Methodists do not have a call system in which the local congregation searches for a pastor, invites them for a vetting process and then votes on whether or not they will accept the pastor. We have an appointment system. The bishop of an area, along with district superintendents (called a Cabinet) work to match the needs of a congregation with the strengths and needs of a pastor. When what they feel is the best match, the district superintendent takes the potential new pastor to be introduced to the Staff Parish Relations Committee (at that time the committee was generally made up of 9 persons who served as a sort of personnel committee). Although things have changed somewhat in the last 20+ years since I was a district superintendent, this was an introduction, not an interview with voting. Unless there was an obvious problem during the introduction it was assumed this was to be the new pastor. At the time of my eventual appointment to Grand Forks Zion our bishop resided in Fargo and oversaw the area of North and South Dakota, at the time two separate conferences.

The other thing you need to know is the district superintendent who called me had been a previous pastor of Grand Forks Zion. He was about to leave the Cabinet and be replaced by the present pastor of Zion … in other words two pastors in a row went from being Zion’s pastors to becoming district superintendents. (I would actually become the third in a row 7 years later when I became part of the Cabinet.)

I will name the present district superintendent at the time as DS1 and the present Zion pastor who was going to become a district superintendent as DS2. Got it?

As I shared earlier I received a phone call from DS1 on the Wednesday of Holy Week of 1991. That call would eventually led to the new appointment. However, this actually started when I met in California with my former seminary professor, Dr. Donald Joy. I mentioned previously that I felt it was time to make a transition in my life. He helped me think through several options - one of those options being moving to a new church. My mentor asked me to describe what kind of church might entice me to continue being a pastor. When DS1 called, he started by describing my possible new parish without revealing its identity. I was astounded. It was as if he was reading the description of my ideal church that I had shared in January with Dr. Joy. Could this be a sign? DS1 finally revealed the church he had been describing as Zion United Methodist Church in Grand Forks, ND.

After discussing the possibility with my family I called DS1 back and said we would be interested in being introduced as the new pastor. DS1 then informed me that there was a problem. The day after the upcoming Easter Sunday was to be the start of what was known at the time as Pastor’s School. It was the tradition at the time when the United Methodist pastors of North and South Dakota gathered together for a time of rest, refreshment and continuing education. Anyway, DS1 wanted to get my appointment settled and announced right away so the pastors attending Pastor’s School and desiring a move to Grand Forks wouldn’t be bugging the Cabinet. So, he said in order for this to happen my family and I would have to make a trip to Grand Forks on the evening of Easter Sunday for the introduction. We agreed.

DS2 was concerned that because the introduction was taking place on the evening of Easter Sunday very few of the Staff Parish Relations Committee would be able to attend. So he announced to the congregation Easter Sunday morning that anyone who wanted was invited to the introduction. Little did DS2 know, as well as DS1 and me and my family that 40+ people (as I remember) would show up to a meeting that was supposed to be only attended by the DS, me, and the 9 members of the Staff Parish Relations Committee. To make a long story short, sitting in front of and questioned by a group of 40+ people was not very comfortable. To make it even more uncomfortable DS1 invited DS2 to sit in on the meeting to give him some experience. This meant the two Zion pastors preceding me were also part of the meeting. (In reality, the present pastor wasn’t supposed to be part of the introductory meeting. They weren’t even to know who was being introduced.) Then to make an uncomfortable meeting even more uncomfortable, after introductory remarks, an older gentleman, with arms crossed, asked DS1, “If we don’t like him can we look at someone else?” In spite of it all, the meeting went well, the deal was sealed, and three months later I began 7 years of good ministry in Grand Forks.

Now, on to the sermon.

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Scripture Readings:

Proverbs 14:1-12 (NRSVue)

The wise woman builds her house, but the foolish tears it down with her own hands. Those who walk uprightly fear the LORD, but one who is devious in conduct despises him. The talk of fools is a rod for their backs, but the lips of the wise preserve them. Where there are no oxen, there is no grain; abundant crops come by the strength of the ox. A faithful witness does not lie, but a false witness breathes out lies. A scoffer seeks wisdom in vain, but knowledge is easy for one who understands. Leave the presence of a fool, for there you do not find words of knowledge. It is the wisdom of the clever to understand where they go, but the folly of fools misleads. Fools mock at the guilt offering, but the upright enjoy God’s favor. The heart knows its own bitterness, and no stranger shares its joy. The house of the wicked is destroyed, but the tent of the upright flourishes. There is a way that seems right to a person, but its end is the way to death.

Proverbs 26:1-12 (NRSVue)

Like snow in summer or rain in harvest, so honor is not fitting for a fool. Like a sparrow in its flitting, like a swallow in its flying, an undeserved curse goes nowhere. A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, and a rod for the back of fools. Do not answer fools according to their folly, lest you be a fool yourself. Answer fools according to their folly, lest they be wise in their own eyes. It is like cutting off one’s foot and drinking down violence, to send a message by a fool. The legs of a lame person hang limp so does a proverb in the mouth of a fool. It is like binding a stone in a sling to give honor to a fool. Like a thornbush brandished by the hand of a drunkard is a proverb in the mouth of a fool. Like an archer who wounds everybody is one who hires a passing fool or drunkard. Like a dog that returns to its vomit is a fool who reverts to his folly. Do you see people wise in their own eyes? There is more hope for fools than for them.

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D. L. Moody was one of the great evangelists of the 19th century. Many times during evangelistic meetings, he encountered hecklers who were in violent disagreement with him. In the final service of one series of meetings, an usher handed him a note as he entered the auditorium. It was actually from an atheist who had been giving Mr. Moody a great deal of trouble. The evangelist, however, supposed that it was an announcement, so he quieted the large audience and prepared to read it. He was surprised to find as he opened the folded piece of paper the scrawling of only one word in large print: "Fool!"

It didn't take long for Moody to respond. He said, "I have just been handed a memo which contains the single word - ‘Fool'. This is most unusual. I've often heard of those who have written letters and forgotten to sign their names, but this is the first time I've ever heard of anyone who signed his name and then forgot to write the letter!"

A couple of weeks ago we talked about the attributes of wisdom and knowledge according to the book of Proverbs. Today we are looking at the flip side, also from Proverb's perspective. The opposite of wisdom is foolishness. The opposite of a wise person is a fool.

If we take these two sides as found in Proverbs - wisdom and foolishness - and put them together we can come up with a pretty all-compassing guide for evaluating our present and future behavior. Have we been -- will we be -- wise or foolish?

Proverbs takes foolishness seriously, telling us that a fool is dangerous and damaging. We talked about this a little bit last week when we discussed the damage that foolish words can bring to one's life, family, and community. The writer also says:

A fool can bring much grief to his mother and father, even ruin (10:1, 15:20, 17:21, 17:25).

The writer says he would rather face a mother bear robbed of her cubs than a fool in the middle of his foolishness (17:12).

He also writes, "a stone is heavy and sand is a burden, but putting up with a fool that is angry is a heavier burden than either." (27:3)

Our question for the day is this: How does one get into the "Fool's Hall of Fame?" Survey says: Be UNDISCIPLINED.

Discipline comes from the word disciple. A disciple is a follower. A disciple is one who looks beyond themselves for guidance, direction and help. They realize that someone else may know more than they do or may have a better perspective than they do. When we are undisciplined we are unable or unwilling to see ourselves from the outside, we are unable to see or we don't care to see what is good and what is bad for us.

Some examples: (1) All we know is that we want to sleep in. We are unable to see the benefits of getting up and doing what has to be done. (2) All we know is that we have a craving for another drink. We are unable to see what that next drink will do to ourselves or others.

Proverbs tells us that a fool despises wisdom and discipline (1:7), hates knowledge (1:22), will not listen to outside advise (12:15). A fool spurns his father's discipline (15:5), will not listen to correction (17:10), and finds no pleasure in understanding (18:2).

Proverbs gives this caution and makes this promise (28:26), "He who trusts in himself is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom is kept safe."

The ultimate foolishness is to live in a way that ignores the reality of God and his supremacy on this earth and in our lives. (Psalm 14:1) "The fool hath said in his heart, 'There is no God!'" We mentioned several weeks ago that "the fear of God" is the beginning of wisdom and understanding. To be wise is to respect God and to have our ears and eyes open to what God has to say to us and show us. It is being a disciple -- it is being disciplined. Putting God first gives us a starting point from which to guide or lives and gives us the direction and parameters within which we are guarded from calamity and directed to safe places.

Ed and Fred were beginning fishermen. Because of that phenomena called "beginner's luck" they caught more fish on their first time out than they probably would during the rest of their lifetime. Before heading back where they had rented their boat, they talked about trying to mark their lucky spot. They assumed that if they could find this "hot spot" again they would be able to relive their success. So as Fred pulled up the anchor, Ed pulled out a jackknife and carved a notch in the boat at the exact place they had been casting their lines. When Fred looked over and saw Ed marking the spot, he couldn't believe his eyes. "Don't be a fool, Ed!" he growled. "That won't do any good. What if we get a different boat next time?"

If we are foolish and ignore God's presence we have no starting point, except what we think or feel is right at the moment. Where that will lead us, who knows? At the least it can cause us to miss out on what is best and most important in life.

Orville and Wilbur Wright had tried repeatedly to fly a heavier-than-air craft. Finally one December day, off the sand dunes of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina they did what man had never done before. They actually flew. They were elated. They wired their sister Katherine, "We have actually flown 120 feet. Will be home for Christmas."

Hastily she ran down the street, shoved the telegram - the news scoop of the century - at the city editor of the local paper. He read it carefully and smiled. "Well, well! How nice the boys will be home for Christmas." (Maxwell Droke)

At the worst we may miss out on what is most important concerning our eternity.

We are very tempted in this day and age to water down our religion or invent our own new religions in order to hear what we want to hear and so we can live the way we want to live.

In 2 Timothy 4:3 we read, "For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths." In Proverbs 16:25, we read, "There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death."

The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. Anything short of that threatens to result in foolishness.

Today our nation and allies are involved in a war begun and sustained by foolishness. While Saddam Hussein claims to be fighting in the name of God, he shows a lack of discipline as he puts the lives of innocent people and our environment at risk in order to fulfill his narrow, short-sighted goals. He will have to answer for that.

What about us? Are our actions those of wisdom or foolishness? We must pray for those who make the decisions concerning this war, that they might be disciplined and controlled by the true wisdom that begins and ends in God. We must pray often the prayer that is found in America the Beautiful -- "America! America! God mend thine every flaw, confirm thy soul in self-control, thy liberty in law."

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.