Writer of the Week

Here is a full Maxim essay that Zachary wrote for Diogenes. For this assignment, each student chose a Maxim to amplify. (Previous weeks had the Maxim assigned.)

Wisdom vs. Folly

“A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish son grief to his mother.” ~ Solomon

by Zachary (age 13)

All wise writers deserve admiration, but none so much as Solomon, the third king of ancient Israel. When God told Solomon to ask for whatever he wanted God to give him, Solomon chose wisdom over personal wealth, a long life, or any other selfish desire. He ruled with great diplomacy and never used much military force. Of all the maxims and proverbs he wrote, his teaching on how wise sons please their parents must be one of the finest.

This maxim speaks of how children who live with respect towards the knowledge and fear of God and who are devoted to obedience to His commands will please their parents. In contrast, children acting without regard to the laws of God will cause their parents grief. The wisdom of this maxim will be observed in the sections below.

The person who heeds this maxim will discover what is right, or true, according to Scripture. He will also learn what is upright in God’s eyes, understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God. He will have favor with God and man, and his reward will be eternal life.

In contrast, if someone disregards this maxim and chooses foolishness over wisdom, then he will not know what is right according to God’s will. He will not have knowledge of God or a fear of the Lord. This kind of man is what Scripture warns us against imitating; he is a perfect example of what not to emulate. He will reap destruction in the end.

Such is also the situation with students. The student who pays attention in class and studies hard will bring joy to his teacher by displaying appreciation of the teacher’s time. But the student who does not pay attention in class and entertains himself rather than studying will discover that his teacher will not be pleased with him, since the teacher wasted his time teaching a student who does not appreciate his time and effort.

An example of this maxim is the Parable of the Prodigal Son told by Jesus. The son asked his father for his inheritance early, and when he received it, he moved away to the city. There he wasted his money on his own pleasure, and quickly exhausted his resources. He decided to return to his father’s house, but planned to ask to be a slave since he had sinned against his father. When he returned, his father, having been worried about him, welcomed him with excitement and refused to let his son be his slave. His father had the fattest cow slaughtered and a feast was held to celebrate his son’s return to living wisely.

Cicero, the great Roman philosopher and orator, testified to the wisdom of this maxim when he said, “The function of wisdom is to discriminate between good and evil.”

When all of this is considered, can Solomon possibly be admired and praised enough for his wise saying on wisdom and folly?