This weekend, we observe that day that has become known as April Fools’ Day. For the most part, it is a day of fun when people tell jokes and pull mostly harmless pranks. It is a day when people try to get others to laugh.
It has been recorded in many places that laughter is a good thing, but the Bible has a lot to say about foolishness. The Bible takes foolishness seriously. According to the Bible, foolishness is the opposite of wisdom, and wisdom is a very important virtue.
Wisdom is seen to come from God; indeed, it is seen to have a divine quality itself. The Bible encourages people of faith to seek wisdom. It is important to do whatever it takes to gain wisdom, because those who were wise were seen to be closer to God, because they were seen as having the Spirit of God within them. You could tell those who were filled with wisdom because of the way they lived their lives. And thus people of faith were strongly encouraged to listen to and learn from those who were seen as wise.
The other side of the coin would be those who were seen to be filled with foolishness. Those who were seen as fools were considered to be void of the Spirit of God, and their lives reflected that fact as well. And so the Bible encouraged people to avoid those who were fools. So how does one tell who is wise and who is foolish? What effect does wisdom or foolishness have in our lives? The Book of Proverbs gives us some clear answers to those questions. Many of the Proverbs speaks to just this issue. So for your April Fools’ Day reflection, here are a number of verses from the Book of Proverbs addressing foolishness and wisdom:
A wise man heeds commands, but a prating fool will be overthrown. (Prv.10:8)
Wise men store up knowledge, but the mouth of a fool is imminent ruin. (Prv.10:14)
It is the lips of the liar that conceal hostility; but he who spreads accusations is a fool. (Prv.10:18)
Crime is the entertainment of the fool; so is wisdom for the man of sense. (Prv.10:23)
The fool immediately shows his anger, but the shrewd man passes over an insult. (Prv.12:16)
The quick-tempered man makes a fool of himself, but the prudent man is at peace. (Prv.14:17)
The fool spurns his father’s admonition, but prudent is he who heeds reproof. (Prv.15:5)
A wise son makes his father glad, but a fool of a man despises his mother. (Prv.15:20)
Face a bear robbed of her cubs, but never a fool in his folly! (Prv.17:12)
The fool takes no delight in understanding, but rather in displaying what he thinks. (Prv.18:2)
Precious treasure remains in the house of the wise, but the fool consumes it. (Prv.21:20)
Like snow in summer, or rain in harvest, honor for a fool is out of place. (Prv.26:1)
Answer not the fool according to his folly, lest you too become like him. (Prv.26:4)
He who trusts in himself is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom is safe. (Prv.28:26)
Father Kenneth Taylor is pastor of Holy Angels Catholic Church and St. Rita Catholic Church. He can be reached at fatherkt@mailhaven.com.
