Reading 1, Wis 7:22b—8:1

22 For within her is a spirit intelligent, holy, unique, manifold, subtle, mobile, incisive, unsullied, lucid, invulnerable, benevolent, shrewd,

23 irresistible, beneficent, friendly to human beings, steadfast, dependable, unperturbed, almighty, all-surveying. She enters into all intelligent, pure and very subtle spirits;

24 For Wisdom is quicker to move than any motion; she is so pure, she pervades and permeates all things.

25 She is a breath of the power of God, pure emanation of the glory of the Almighty; so nothing impure can find its way into her.

26 For she is a reflection of the eternal light, untarnished mirror of God’s active power, and image of his goodness.

27 Although she is alone, she can do everything; herself unchanging, she renews the world, and, generation after generation, passing into holy souls, she makes them into God’s friends and prophets;

28 for God loves only those who dwell with Wisdom.

29 She is indeed more splendid than the sun, she outshines all the constellations; compared with light, she takes first place,

30 for light must yield to night, but against Wisdom evil cannot prevail.

This description characterises the divine spirit as wisdom and gives her a feminine gender. The Greek personification of true wisdom as Sophia may be one source of this language but the primary source is Jewish wisdom literature and especially Proverbs Chapter 8, in which a feminine wisdom calls humanity to take heed. For Jewish writers, divine wisdom is also the hard-won practical wisdom of the proverbs. Wisdom is a dimension almost wholly lacking in my religious culture: faith, devotion, obedience, these have always been inculcated, but wisdom, as the shared intelligence of God and human beings, was never an option. What a serious absence! For wisdom above all qualities allows the believer to be a benefit rather than a burden to humanity. Come to think of it, wisdom is not much admired in our secular culture either: brilliance, skill, cleverness, cunning-these are lauded, while wisdom, which cannot be acquired overnight, is ignored.

Gospel, Lk 17:20-25

20 Asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God was to come, he gave them this answer, ‘The coming of the kingdom of God does not admit of observation

21 and there will be no one to say, “Look, it is here! Look, it is there!” For look, the kingdom of God is among you.’

22 He said to the disciples, ‘A time will come when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of man and will not see it.

23 They will say to you, “Look, it is there!” or, “Look, it is here!” Make no move; do not set off in pursuit;

24 for as the lightning flashing from one part of heaven lights up the other, so will be the Son of man when his Day comes.

25 But first he is destined to suffer grievously and be rejected by this generation

The question about the imminence of God’s Kingdom is one which has agitated zealous believers in many religions: mainstream Judaism, Christianity and Islam have taken the long view, although some sects have been convinced it was just round the corner. The whole “left behind” propaganda in modern American churches, tries to terrify recalcitrant people, with bloody visions of what will happen to those who miss the last bus. 

On the other hand many mainstream believers have given up all hope of God’s kingdom.  

See how wisely Jesus deals with the topic. 

He tells his questioners that God’s Rule cannot be seen as if it was the Roman Empire or a victorious battle. It is God’s quiet authority amongst people who want to go his way. He often used the phrase “son of man” to point to himself and his followers as the prototype of a new humanity, one day victorious over all inhumanity. When that Day comes, Jesus said, there will be no mistaking it. But for now there is rejection and suffering, in the midst of which wise people should beware hysterics and impostors. The kingdom of God amongst us is very like the gift of wisdom described above.