1 The wicked flee when no one pursues,
Proverbs 28:1-12
but the righteous are as bold as a lion.
2 When a land rebels
it has many rulers;
but with an intelligent person, honesty endures.
3 A poor person who oppresses the poor
is a beating rain that leaves no food.
4 Those who forsake the law praise the wicked,
but those who keep the law struggle against them.
5 The evil do not understand justice,
but those who seek the Lord understand it completely.
6 Better to be poor and walk in integrity
than to be crooked in one’s ways even though rich.
7 Those who keep the law are wise children,
but companions of gluttons shame their parents.
8 One who augments wealth by exorbitant interest
gathers it for another who is kind to the poor.
9 When one will not listen to the [torah],
even one’s prayers are an abomination.
10 Those who mislead the upright into evil ways
will fall into pits of their own making,
but the blameless will have a goodly inheritance.
11 The rich is wise in self-esteem,
but an intelligent poor person sees through the pose.
12 When the righteous rejoice, there is great glory,
but when the wicked prevail, people go into hiding.
My sermon from the 15th Sunday after Pentecost/Holy Cross Sunday (September 21, 2025) on Proverbs 28:1-12.
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So last week, I invited you to share your thoughts about success. And I’ll admit it was neat seeing how similar – and varied – your responses were. Success is, I think, very personal and what it looks like to you might not be success for the person sitting next to you. Our ideas about success have been shaped by the culture we grew up in and it often changes depending on the experiences we have. It would be too simple to merely treat success as the fulfillment of the various goals we’ve set for ourselves. And the words you shared with me show how success is more about the life we live rather than checking off accomplishments on some kind of cultural checklist. Success, you wrote, is “financial security, living comfortably, and building a life [we’re] proud of.” It’s a way of being in the world defined by “the freedom and creativity” allowing us to make a “positive [impact]” on everyone God sends our way. Success is enfleshed in the very personal, and sometimes difficult work, of crafting “a large friend group and a loving family” that we aren’t necessarily born into. It’s the kind of life that feels “happy” but is really grounded in a joy that carries us through all the grief and hardships that come our way. Success is never easy and requires the kind of sacrifices that transform who we are. And while we often imagine success as being something we do on our own, success is truly lived out within a community that always chooses to be for one another.
Now success, as an idea and way of being in the world, showed up in the book of Proverbs since its initial audience were the sons of wealthy families training to be the administrators, officers, and generals for the royal family. What they needed – and desired – was a kind of guide rooted in the God who had been with them from the Exodus, into the kingdom of David, through the Exile, and beyond. The law – which is really just another word for torah and the teachings, commandments, and stories of God that give us life – wasn’t meant to stay on the page or only in our mind. The steadfast love of God can also be lived out by those who don’t know what God is calling them to do. Today’s reading, which comes near the end of the book, poked and prodded at how our view of success doesn’t match God’s. And so we’re encouraged to lean towards God even when our sense of security, power, pride, and comfort comes undone. Honesty, integrity, and God’s vision of justice – rather than our own – is a gift that doesn’t merely benefit only ourselves. This wisdom, instead, builds everyone up so that our success can be defined by something other than the amount of money in our bank account. This way of living, though, doesn’t assume that our story and our experiences is the only way life is supposed to live. Instead, we’re invited to keep our soul open to the possibility that we’re not an expert on everything. We need correction; we need to listen; and we need to know it’s faithful and holy to ask each other and our God for help. And while this wisdom can feel like it’s hard to translate into the lives we actually live, God knows it’s through the little things we do that reveal the wisdom that is truly guiding our hearts.
So that’s why I asked you last week to think about the rules your parents, guardians, and loved ones gave you. “Being on time,” “doing your homework before you play,” and “be kind to your siblings” might feel a little arbitrary or one of those things “good kids are supposed to do.” But I wonder if we could recognize how “work[ing] hard in school, go[ing] to church, [knowing] dinner is at 6:00 sharp, and [how] Sundays will always include lunch with grandma” might have been all about the kind of future we can live. That does not mean every rule we were given was good or that what we were taught was always holy and true. But when God’s wisdom is passed through the ones who came before us, we get a glimpse of the One who was willing to be born, grow up, and face the Cross for us and for all. In the eyes of a God who chose to do the hard work of reconciling humanity to God, there is nothing we can do to be more successful at being loved by God. But we can cling to a wisdom that is all about how we live, give, and share. It’s the wisdom which knows life is hard and yet has the courage to say “I was wrong” when we fail to care for ourselves and those around us. It’s the wisdom willing to go with people in the lives they live rather than assume only one kind of life matters to God. And it’s the kind of wisdom that builds a future for all where love, grace, and mercy shines. So when we pass our wisdom down, inviting those who come after us to “show up,” “consider all others feelings,” “and ask for help if you’re in over your head,” we’re not merely trying to create a life that is easier for us. We’re taking our experiences with our God and showing them how tomorrow can be so much more. It’s a future that knows “money can make life easier, but [that it can’t buy the] happiness [and joy we long for in our soul.]” It’s a future where it’s “okay not to know” and trusts we can “make the best choices, [our most loving and reverent guess] with the information” we actually have. And while it would be awesome if we could live a life without regrets, what we have – right now – is a God who is with us and who promises to never let us go.
So I’d like us to take the next few moments to keep reflecting on the wisdom we’ve received and the wisdom we share. As you ponder the two paths Proverb’s describes, what behaviors should be rewarded and which ones should be punished? We carry with us, I imagine, a picture of what good or successful people do – as well as the bad – and so let’s sketch that out in words. And if we had the chance to give some wisdom to our past self based on the life we’ve really lived – what wisdom would we share? Please take a few minutes to write those down on the back of the bulletin or as comments on facebook and youtube.
[pause while people write down their answers.]
Last Sunday night, one of the surprise winners at the Emmy awards was Jeff Hiller who won “best supporting actor in a comedy series” for his work in “Somebody Somewhere.” Practically everyone assumed someone else would win. His surprise – and joy – was evident during his acceptance speech as well as his various interviews backstage. And one of the questions he was asked was “what he would share with his younger self.” He said he would tell them “ “you’re going to wait tables at the Olive Garden tonight. Grit and bear your teeth through it. Steal some breadsticks. And know that in the future you’ll get a nice piece of objet (ob-jay) that will make it all worth it.” Sometimes the best wisdom we can give ourselves is to simply endure and not let our own opinion of ourselves or the opinion of others limit who we can be. But there are times when the awards don’t come; when we’ve recognized all the ways we’ve failed; when we’ve done everything right and yet the world still feels incredibly bleak and gray. It’s at those moments when wisdom as described by the book of Proverbs isn’t enough. What we need is another word that will hold us through. And so next week, we’ll explore what that kind of wisdom looks like as we take our initial steps in the book of Job.