Wisdom & Relationships – Proverbs 25:16-26

Wisdom is the skill to navigate

1. There is such a thing as

“Even things as desirable as honey and neighborliness can become loathsome through excess.” (Bruce Waltke)

2. There are several ways to be

• By actively seeking your neighbor’s downfall
• By passively contributing to your neighbor’s downfall
• By providing shallow comfort

“If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?” (James 2:15-16)

3. It is possible to love

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” (Matthew 5:43-45)

“And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him…” (Colossians 1:21-22)

“Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:19-21)

4. Relationships can be a source of

“It is better to live in a corner of the housetop than in a house shared with a quarrelsome wife.” (Proverbs 21:9)

“It is better to live in a desert land than with a quarrelsome and fretful woman.” (Proverbs 21:19)

“A continual dripping on a rainy day and a quarrelsome wife are alike; to restrain her is to restrain the wind or to grasp oil in one’s right hand.” (Proverbs 27:15-16)

5. Being a good neighbour doesn’t

“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” (Anonymous)

“Better is open rebuke than hidden love.
Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy.” (Proverbs 27:5-6)