Fri 22May09: Proverbs 26: 4,5 KJV
Answer not a fool according to his folly, . . . v4
This morning's reading from the book of Proverbs reminds me to exercise discretion when confronted with the proverbial fool. Fools despise wisdom and instruction (1:7). They refuse advice and think they are always right (12:15). They are hot-tempered and careless (14:16) and are quick to quarrel. (20:3).
A fool rages and scoffs, even in a court of law! (29:9).
How hazardous indeed to confront a fool in his folly. Here, in Proverbs 26: 4,5 we are given a rule of thumb when anwering fools. Notice that the verses do NOT forbid a person from replying a fool. Instead, we are told to be discreet in knowing when, and how, to answer a fool.
There are times when we must avoid being drawn into a fool's quarrel by refusing to go by his terms.
Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him. v4
One day as our Lord was teaching and preaching the gospel in the temple court, a group of important people confronted Him. They comprised the chief priests, scribes and elders. They did not appear very pleased. And they demanded an answer from our Lord: "Tell us by what authority you do these things, or who it is that gave you this authority." (Luke 20: 1 - 8, ESV). Tell them? Our Lord wouldn't tell them anything. He would not answer them according to their folly. Instead, He posed a different question to them and demanded that they answer Him first.
"I also will ask you a question. Now tell me, was the baptism of John from heaven or from man?"
When the delegation of important men could not answer him for fear of political consequences, the Lord told them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things".
Perhaps today we can learn from our Lord's example, that we don't always have to give in to the demands of fools. We don't have to answer a fool according to his folly. Yet at other times, we may have turn a fool against his own folly by making use of his ideas.
Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit. v5
On another occasion, it was a Sabbath day, and as the Lord Jesus was teaching in a synagogue he saw a crippled woman. She was a crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. The Lord called her to him, touched her and healed her. She straightened up and praised God! (Luke 13: 10 - 17)
However, the ruler of the synagogue was not impressed. He was indignant. He chided the people, telling them that if they wanted to be healed they should come on any of the other days of the week instead of the Sabbath day. After all, he said, there are six days on which they can carry out the "work" of healing. It looked like this man's folly had blinded him from seeing the wonderful miracle wrought by God that day. Instead, he was fuming with anger.
This time our Lord chose to answer the ruler according to his own folly. He asked the him,
"You hypocrites! Doesn't each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water? Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?" Luke 13: 15,16
The Lord turned the thoughts of this angry hypocritical fool against himself: in terms of what it means to rest on the Sabbath. And while the people there were delighted with his works, Luke 13:17 records for us that his opponents were humiliated by the Lord's answer.
Christians, let us learn to be wise in our replies.
