Jesus speaks here of being "wise." Wisdom can be understood as something other than knowledge.
Too often, we suffer from the illusion that a college education is all about knowledge. Whenever someone asks "Is this going to be on the exam?" we see evidence of that mistaken understanding of what you are doing here. Professors must find some way to evaluate your participation, so they give exams. But I am yet to meet an instructor whose aim was to fill their students with pieces of information. They are concerned with your development. They want you to become wise.
We saw this same mistake in the young man's question in last Sunday's Gospel lesson. He asks Jesus, "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" If I might take some liberties with Jesus' reply, what Jesus says to him falls into the category of shifting his focus from knowing an answer to living an answer. Jesus is looking for the wisdom that gives direction to one's life; not merely knowing finding the key piece of a puzzle.
Learn all you can. Amass as much knowledge as possible. Never again will you have this opportunity. But as one of your peers said at our Wednesday Night Program on "Senior Wisdom," pay attention to who you are; not merely what you do. Seek wisdom.
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