Today we begin reading from the Book of Sirach also called Ecclesiasticus. The Jewish author, Jesus ben Sira, was a scribe living in Jerusalem around 117 B.C. His grandson wrote a forward to his work when he translated it from Hebrew into Greek and explained the purpose of the work:
“So, my grandfather Jesus, who had long devoted himself to the study of the law, the prophets, and the rest of the books of our ancestors, and had acquired great familiarity with them, was moved to write something himself regarding instruction and wisdom. He did this so that those who love learning might, by accepting what he had written, make even greater progress in living according to the Law.”
As his grandson explains his grandfather was a scribe who devoted himself to the study of the Scripture (“the law, the prophets, and the rest of the books”) and wrote his work to help others to advance in knowledge of the Law or Torah.
In today’s reading as in much of this book, the author reflects on wisdom and the true meaning and source of wisdom: “All wisdom comes from the Lord…” God’s wisdom is unsurpassable and would be unknowable except God chose to reveal his wisdom and sent it forth into creation:
“It is the LORD; he created her through the Holy Spirit, has seen her and taken note of her. He has poured her forth upon all his works, upon every living thing according to his bounty; he has lavished her upon his friends.”
This book and particularly its reflection on wisdom became a great source of inspiration for the early church’s understanding of Jesus Christ and his divinity. Sirach asks the question: “The word of God on high is the fountain of wisdom and her ways are everlasting. To whom has wisdom’s root been revealed?” The answer is given in the prologue to John’s Gospel:
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as of the Father’s only Son, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:1, 14).
Jesus shows us true wisdom, that is God’s wisdom, God’s will and God’s way. Jesus’ incarnation of God’s wisdom is even greater than the wisdom of God that is revealed in the Torah. “From his fullness we have all received, grace in place of grace, because while the law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” (John 1:16-17). Jesus ben Sira shows us that grace of God given in the Torah and Jesus Christ shows us the fullness of God’s grace and love given in his own life, the Word made flesh. Today’s let this wisdom of God inspire and direct us.
Image: “Open Torah scroll” by Lawrie Cate is licensed under CC BY 2.0.