Knowledge and Wisdom

20th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Cycle B

Both knowledge and wisdom are gifts from the Holy Spirit. There is supposed to be a beautiful relationship between the two. Unfortunately, some choose to stay at the level of knowledge. Some gain wisdom only after having experienced so much in life. There will be a time when we think that we know all things, but only now do we realize we haven't learned a single thing.

In the readings, lady Wisdom invites the readers to enter its world. It prepares food that lasts forever. It invites the foolish to take wisdom's course. It is not plain knowledge that we should aim for; it should be wisdom.

Take the analogy of food. People have spent so much - their time, talent and treasure, just to ensure that there is food on the table. Some want to acquire more than just food - wealth, fame, reputation. But like physical food these are as good as our time here on earth. When will we realize that given all our investments of the 3 Ts, we haven't invested at all.

Invest in having food that lasts forever. The man filled with wisdom will acknowledge that it could be possible only if he invests most or in fact all of his time, talents, and treasure (and not just a portion of them) to knowing, loving and serving Jesus. Jesus will give him the power to give food to the hungry, to have the heart for them, to have the heart for building a community of persons loving and serving God through people, and to have the time and the energy to see to it that the whole community is becoming more "humane" and that we could see God in the midst of all our efforts. That is true wisdom.