If you take your eyes off it, it’s gone

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If you take your eyes off it, it’s gone

(Proverbs 3:21-35)

Andy Nagahara

21 My son, preserve sound judgment and discernment, do not let them out of your sight;
22 they will be life for you, an ornament to grace your neck.
23 Then you will go on your way in safety, and your foot will not stumble;
24 when you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.
25 Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked,
26 for the LORD will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being snared.

Couldyou recall what your most recent anxiety was? Are you so scared that you can’t let go of the thought that it keeps you from sleeping at night? We all want to live in peace, but perhaps there are times when fear and anxiety can make us feel unbearable.

Sometimes this is because we are facing concrete difficulties, but sometimes our minds are filled with anxiety for no rational reason.

Here it teaches that “using good judgment” and “acting prudently” are necessary to live a peaceful life, and the blessings that these bring are specifically described beginning in verse 23.

23 Then you will go on your way in safety, and your foot will not stumble;
24 when you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.
25 Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked,

Our reality is that we can’t very well say that we keep ourselves that way. It is us who make the wrong decisions, rush into things in a hurry and end up making mistakes, or, conversely, hesitate to make a decision until it is too late. It is natural to think that this father’s teachings are nothing more than idealism.

However, the last verse of the section we just read teaches us that Proverbs are indeed words from God that can guide us in our daily lives.

The truth that “the LORD will be your confidence and will keep your feet from being snared” (26) brings us peace.

So it is not up to our ability to “use good judgment” or “act prudently.” Rather, walking with Jesus enables us to make good decisions and act with caution.

And that is true for those who believe in Jesus as Lord. Many people say, “I understand that, but it doesn’t feel that way to me. There is no way to improve that other than by getting closer to Jesus.

I’m sure you all know exactly what to do to get closer to someone. Spend more quality time with Jesus. There is no other way.

In the following passage, the “father” teaches the son about what to value in the two relationships. One is how we should treat our close friends (27-29), and the other is how we should treat those who do evil. Let us read on with the understanding that these things, as well as the things we have just learned, are made possible by walking with Jesus. First, let’s read up to verse 29.

2. Attitude toward friends (27-29)

27 Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power to act.
28 Do not say to your neighbor, “Come back later; I’ll give it tomorrow”– when you now have it with you.
29 Do not plot harm against your neighbor, who lives trustfully near you.

In human relationships, it happens that we hurt others’ feelings or that we are hurt in return. And the closer the relationship, the deeper the pain when you are hurt. This cannot happen with people you do not have a deep connection with. Nobody wants to hurt the feelings of someone close to them. And yet, this happens because we are unable to relate to others the way Jesus did.

Our selfishness and dependency can become like a sharp blade that cuts the hearts of those close to us. That is why, as I mentioned at the beginning, “good judgment” and “careful action” in Jesus are required.

The NIV simply translates it as “Do not plot harm to your neighbor,” but the Interconfessional Translation takes a more figurative approach and translates it as “Do not cultivate malice,” probably based on the nuance of the original language. This doesn’t mean accidentally hurting someone, but intentionally and premeditatedly hurting them. Let us ask Jesus to help us to be generous in our love for one another and not sacrifice those close to us to our own ego, and let us walk with him.

3. Attitude toward evil (30-35)

30 Do not accuse a man for no reason– when he has done you no harm.
31 Do not envy a violent man or choose any of his ways,
32 for the LORD detests a perverse man but takes the upright into his confidence.
33 The LORD’s curse is on the house of the wicked, but he blesses the home of the righteous.
34 He mocks proud mockers but gives grace to the humble.
35 The wise inherit honor, but fools he holds up to shame.

However, if you had asked each and every one of the people who continued to cry out for Jesus to be crucified, they would have answered just like you. It is not so easy to choose to live a life that pleases God rather than one that He dislikes.

This is related to the nature of our sin, but differences in skin color, language, culture, sexuality, and all kinds of prejudices ferment in our hearts and become hatred and anger that manifest in our actions. Dictators incite people’s prejudices and amplify discrimination, and then use the resulting energy of hatred to further their own rule.

4. If you take your eyes off it, you’ll lose it

Here we see a contrast between how God views our attitude toward evil. You probably think that you would never fight with others without any reason. You also probably think that you cannot envy a violent person.
However, if you had asked each and every one of the people who continued to cry out for Jesus to be crucified, they would have answered just like you. It is not so easy to choose to live a life that pleases God rather than one that He dislikes.

I think many people around the world today feel that there is a growing tendency to seek “strong” leaders and governments that will protect their interests, even if it means using violent means, rather than valuing democratic principles. As more people become dissatisfied with society, some will want to entrust their future to someone who promises to solve the problem by force. Hitler was not a dictator from the beginning. After being elected by the people in a legitimate election, he used every means possible to concentrate power in himself and become a dictator.
This is related to the nature of our sin, but differences in skin color, language, culture, sexuality, and all kinds of prejudices ferment in our hearts and become hatred and anger that manifest in our actions. Dictators incite people’s prejudices and amplify discrimination, and then use the resulting energy of hatred to further their own rule.
　
That is why, as we learned in the first section, we must continue to have the will to choose the right path through “good judgment” and “prudent action,” which is possible by walking with Jesus.

（I Corinthians 1:26-31)Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things–and the things that are not–to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God–that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.”

(Prayer) God, thank you for the blessing of being able to hear your call through Proverbs again this morning.
Please always encourage us so that we can continue to walk with you, the source of wisdom.
Teach us that the eyes of our souls may always look up to you, and never take our eyes off you.
May we be the first to cry out to you when we are afraid, frightened, or sad.
For you have become to us wisdom from God, and righteousness, and holiness, and redemption; we are proud of you.
We pray in the name of Jesus Christ.

Summary

Proverbs is a book of wisdom, but wisdom is not something that is within us. We may have wisdom that seeks immediate benefits or avoids responsibilities, but it is not the true wisdom that brings joy and satisfaction to life. True wisdom is the Lord Jesus Christ, who became God’s wisdom for us, righteousness, holiness, and redemption. If we want to gain true wisdom, we can achieve it by walking through life with Jesus.

For Discussion

1. Why do we fail to make good decisions and proceed with caution?
2. Why is Jesus the wisdom of God to us?