Wisdom and Knowledge

In the Garden of Paradise, there were two trees that were critical to our path of life -- two trees from which we must all choose at some point.  The Schocken Bible, a translation by Everett Fox, names the two trees as The Tree of Life in the midst of the garden and the Tree of Knowing of Good and Evil.  I think that translation gets us closer to the meaning we need, as "knowledge" is not really the same as "knowing,"  or "tasting."

Whenever Scripture uses the term "know," it means "to experience," in the sense of seeing, tasting, smelling, touching, hearing for oneself.  It is a concrete, right-now experience: "Adam knew Eve, and she conceived."  Even in the New Testament, Mary says to the angel, "How shall this be, as I do not know man."

The concept of disobedience as "tasting," or "finding out for ourselves" rather than being guided by wisdom is a very human experience.  From the time we are two years old, there seems to be something in human nature that wants to find out the hard way, as the expression goes.  The moment we are forbidden to do something is the moment that thing becomes even more attractive -- almost irresistible -- to us.  We are bound to taste the forbidden fruit, regardless of consequences.

As Everett Fox says in his commentary on the sin of Adam and Eve:

It should be recognized that the garden story...has been the subject of endless interpretation.  One line of thought takes the psychological point of view.  The story resembles a vision of childhood and of the transition to the contradictions and pain of adolecence and adulthood.  In every way -- moral, sexual, and intellectual -- Adam and Eve are like children, and their actions after partaking of the fruit seem like the actions of those who are unable to cope with newfound powers.  The resolution of the story, banishment from the garden, suggests the tragic realization that human being must make their way through the world with the knowledge of death and with great physical difficulty.  At the same time, the archetypal man and woman do not make the journey alone.  They are provided with protection (clothing) given to them by the same God who punished them for their disobedience.  We thus symbolically enter adulthood with the realization that being turned out of Paradise does not mean eternal rejection or hopelessness.

For most of us, "finding out the hard way," or "finding out for ourselves" is sort of the back door to wisdom.  We wanted to experience what the world had to offer us, and we found that, although the first taste was exciting and sweet, eating the whole apple inevitably led to bitterness and disappointment.  When we are led by external appearance, we often find that the "apple" has a rotten center -- but we discover it too late.  Knowledge based on our own experience is inevitably limited; we cannot see the spiritual energies or realities that are hidden beneath the surface.

In the past few days, I have been writing about people like Francis of Assisi and Catherine of Genoa, people who 'tasted' all the 'goodness' the world has to offer, but found that it failed to satisfy their hunger and thirst.  When they were finally given to eat from the "Tree of Life," they turned their back entirely on the world-as-a-Source-of-satisfaction.  Paradoxically, once they sought their sustenance from the Tree of Life, the world became more beautiful, more glorious, more loving and satisfying and more welcoming than ever before. 

Solomon tells us in the Book of Wisdom that he asked God for wisdom and he prized wisdom above all other gifts -- and he received that which he sought.  Along with wisdom, though, came "knowledge" and understanding: 

For he gave me sound knowledge of existing things, that I might know the organization of the universe and the force of its elements, the beginning and the end and the midpoint of times, the changes in the sun's course and the variations of the seasons.  Cycles of years, positions of the stars, natures of animals, tempers of beasts, powers of the winds and thoughts of men, uses of plants and virtues of roots---such things as are secret I learned, and such as are plain, for Wisdom, the artificer of all, taught me (Wisdom 7:17-22). 

 

It is hard for modern, scientific, man to believe that Wisdom and insight -- the gift of God infused into our very souls -- can possibly be better than what we can learn on our own.  But God does direct our thoughts, our reading, and our understanding if we will only allow Him to do so.  And His wisdom is greater than all the wisdom of the world.