Proverbs 2:1-9 & John 16:19-24 Scripture Study
By Pastor Chris Simmons – Trinity Lutheran Church, Paso Robles CA
A reinforcement/supplement study to our Sunday service meant for “Building up the body of Christ… the manifold Wisdom of God made known” (Ephesians 4+3)
For Sunday May 18, 2025
The word for this week is “strive”. “Strive” means “to make great efforts to achieve or obtain something. To struggle or fight vigorously.” In a sentence, you hear it often used as “We must all strive to do better.” “They continue to strive toward their goals.” “She always strives for perfection.” We hear it numerous times in Scripture as well.
“In striving against sin, ye have not yet resisted unto bloodshed.” (Hebrews 12:4) and “Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.” (Luke 13:24). Striving is a term used for something difficult… but that doesn’t mean it’s bad. Inherently, we assume that hard things must mean they are bad things. Doing hard things often leads to good. We are caught in a life of striving, yet we see and know the good Jesus has laid before us. Let us strive, struggle to keep that good always in our sights, and strive against what seeks to distract and derail us.
Prayers for a blessed study.
Pastor Chris Simmons.
Proverbs 2:1-9
1 My son, if you accept my words
and store up my commands within you,
2 turning your ear to wisdom
and applying your heart to understanding—
3 indeed, if you call out for insight
and cry aloud for understanding,
4 and if you look for it as for silver
and search for it as for hidden treasure,
5 then you will understand the fear of the Lord
and find the knowledge of God.
6 For the Lord gives wisdom;
from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
7 He holds success in store for the upright,
he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless,
8 for he guards the course of the just
and protects the way of his faithful ones.
9 Then you will understand what is right and just
and fair—every good path.
Discuss: What is one of the hardest things you have done in your life? How did it change you? What good came out of it?
Here in Proverbs Solomon writes to “cry aloud for understanding and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.”
Discuss: What does it mean to search for silver or hidden treasure? What would it be like?
Imagine you were on a ship, sailing the seven seas, out looking for hidden treasure. You would examine a map, ask other people where they have seen it, forge through jungles, fight off bandits, sail through storms… all in hopes of finding it. Yet, you know it’s valuable. That’s why it’s already called treasure! You would strive against adversity to gain the valuable prize.
Solomon reminds us that there is nothing more valuable than “knowledge of God and the Lord’s Wisdom”. In a New Testament context, there is nothing more valuable than knowing Jesus, What He has done for you, and what difference that makes for your eternal life and relationship with God. That is the most valuable prize to never lose sight of, to never forget… as Solmon writes My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you… storing up that wisdom, that knowledge of God within you, is the greatest treasure when faced with adversity.
Discuss: Do you have any “nuggets of wisdom” to share with those around you?
Here are a few examples of “nuggets of wisdom”…
People like people who like them and are like them.
To gain trust, trust first.
Learn to endure discomfort, but never get accustomed to it.
A moving mind is always fed. At rest, the mind eats itself.
Knowing that we are called to hold fast to the treasure that is the knowledge of God, we look to our Gospel reading.
John 16:19-24
19 Jesus saw that they wanted to ask him about this, so he said to them, “Are you asking one another what I meant when I said, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me’? 20 Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. 21 A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. 22 So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy. 23 In that day you will no longer ask me anything. Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. 24 Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.
The context of this conversation is right before Jesus' betrayal and arrest. “A little while and you will see me no longer and again a little while, and you will see me” Jesus is alluding to His death on the cross, placement into the tomb, then His resurrection. We see that play out, that when Jesus is buried, the disciples hide out of fear. But then, they do see Him again, many times as He teaches them and makes appearances between His resurrection and Ascension.
As Jesus tells them this the first time, they still don’t understand what is going to happen in its entirety until they experience it. So, He elaborates on what they will experience as disciples, followers of Christ… in other words… Christians. They will weep, mourn, and grieve at death. The suffering Jesus speaks of is not a “might” it’s a definite. It’s something sadly we understand and does not sound unfamiliar to us. The key here is that Jesus promises that it will not last. There will be Joy.
We too, even as we celebrate the life of a Christian brother or sister… We still weep, mourn, and grieve. Yet in the face of even death, Jesus gives us this promise “You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. ""Will turn to” is one word in the Greek here γίνομαι - ginomai - means “will become, come into, is born”. What Jesus means is the grieving for those who follow Jesus will become/will birth joy in the face of His Resurrection and defeat of death. In the same way, as He continues “ A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. “
Discuss: Women who have given birth: please enlighten everyone (especially the men); what was the pain like? What did it mean to endure that pain “for the prize”? What was it like to hold your child for the first time after the labor and birth pains?
Do you have any good stories from your parents about you being born?
It’s hard to strive through childbirth of course… but imagine striving through childbirth and not knowing why! Or not knowing the reward that was at the end of it. We are called to endure, to strive forward toward Jesus even in our current times of pain and grief. Jesus says in Luke 13:24 “Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able." One can be distracted, to be pulled of course. It can be on account of grief, pain, even “church trauma”. Church Trauma is when someone had a bad experience at church, be it from the people serving, the pastor, the congregational members, family members, or anyone within a “religious organization”. It can be a very real thing when those who felt church was supposed to be the “safe place” find it still full of sinners who can strike someone in such a spiritually vulnerable place.. My heart goes out to them, and I always seek to work with and through trauma like that. This type of trauma is a barrier that God always seeks to have torn down.
As Jesus said “the door is narrow.” Knowing that suffering does not last, that in the perspective of eternity
When Jesus says ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me’? He relates that to that time of suffering “little” in the Greek here is mikros which we use for the word “micron” which is a unit of length equal to one millionth of a meter. In other words,… microscopically small. Jesus says that time of suffering will be a micron in the perspective of eternity, and that His return, that amount of time will seem just as small. We are called to strive through these moments, even though suffering wants you to believe it will be there forever.
For the sake of a micron, have a supposed “good reason” to not go to church, read one’s Bible, or be in relationship with God… Jesus wants you to know that through Him “ Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.” Through all things we strive towards Christ, like valuable silver or hidden treasure, because He is that treasure, the knowledge of God, the wisdom of the Lord incarnate.
Discuss: How do you deal with change? Moves? Jobs? Transitions from one stage of life to another? How has pain helped you grow?
John 16:23-24
23 In that day you will no longer ask me anything. Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. 24 Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.
After Jesus Resurrection and Ascension, our relationship with God has been reconciled. We pray directly to God in His entirety. We do not need to pray to a saint or ask for someone to intercede on our behalf. Jesus has already done that. When The Father sees us, He sees a child of God, robed in the perfection of Christ Jesus. We are not striving to attain favor or to “win salvation”. Jesus has already done that for us. We strive to understand, to know Jesus even deeper, to strengthen our faith, to help us through times of mourning and grieving “then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.” (Proverbs 4:5)
Prayer
What are you striving through now? What has helped you keep your eyes and ears on the promises of Jesus?
Do you carry any “Church trauma”? Have you been able to work past or through it?
What is taking your eyes off the prize? Anger? Distractions? Anguish?
Lord God, you promise that nothing can ever take away the joy of Jesus. We ask for your help, through those around us and by your spirit, let nothing take our eyes from you. That through grieving, mourning, anguish remind us constantly of your promise. Help us to seek you when we struggle with doubt and strive against what seems joyful in the world apart from you. Thank you for the gift of your Son, that this prayer and all our prayers are heard by you. Encourage us daily please, to strive toward a deeper understanding of your knowledge and treasure in Jesus. We pray this all in Jesus' name. Amen.