The Missing Piece, Part Two: Wisdom and Wordplay — Context in Proverbs and the Teachings of Jesus

Why Context Matters

“A text without context is a pretext.”

Context gives meaning. Without it, we risk misunderstanding the very truth we claim to believe. Words can shift depending on their setting.Tone shapes interpretation.Culture shapes understanding.History defines relevance.

And Scripture — like any meaningful communication — is rooted in who’s speaking, to whom, when, why, and how.

Without that framework, we risk:

• Turning wisdom into superstition

• Poetry into doctrine

• Metaphors into mandates

• Lament into praise

  
  

Context isn’t a distraction from the truth — it’s the doorway into it.It guards us from shallow certainty.It helps us honor the Bible on its own terms.It keeps us from turning Scripture into a mirror of our own assumptions. Because God deserves to be understood, not misquoted.Because Scripture deserves to be studied, not sliced up.Because people deserve the whole truth — not just fragments.

Recap: The Widow’s Mite

We often hear the Widow’s Mite preached as a heroic act of faith — a poor widow giving her last two coins as an example of radical generosity.

But step back and notice the context:

“Beware the scribes… who devour widows’ houses.” (Mark 12:40)

Moments later, Jesus sees a widow give all she has to the very system He just condemned.

And what does He do?

• He doesn’t praise her.

• He doesn’t say, “Go and do likewise.”

• He simply observes.

This isn’t a celebration — it’s a lament.She gave out of oppression, not abundance.Jesus wasn’t smiling; He was grieving.And shortly after, He declared:

“Not one stone will be left upon another.”

Context changes everything.

From Narrative to Proverb

Let’s shift from a gospel narrative to wisdom literature.

Proverbs is poetic, concise, and rich with meaning — but because it’s made up of short, stand-alone lines, it’s often pulled out of context and misunderstood.

Just last week, I got a message from a friend who had heard a guest preacher quote Proverbs 11:30 in a sermon about evangelism.

Here’s what he wrote:

“A pastor from India spoke on evangelism. He talked about Proverbs 11:30 and winning souls… I was wondering what it meant in the original context. I know the soul is the whole of the person, not just a disembodied piece of our existence that goes into the afterlife.”

That question is exactly why context matters. Proverbs 11:30 — More Than an Altar Call Verse - Proverbs 11:30 (KJV)

“The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.”

We’ve heard this at altar calls, in “soul-winning” campaigns, and in evangelism training. But is that what Solomon meant?

The Structure of Hebrew Wisdom

Hebrew poetry often works in parallelism — two lines that mirror, contrast, or deepen each other.

Line A: “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life.

”Line B: “He that winneth souls is wise.”

These aren’t separate ideas — the second line expands the first. “Winning souls” here is another way of describing the life-giving influence of the righteous.

What “Winning Souls” Means

In Hebrew, the phrase is לֹקֵחַ נְפָשׁוֹת (loqeḥ nefashot) — literally “takes lives” or “captures persons.”

Depending on context, it can mean:

• Taking life violently

• Persuading or influencing

• Drawing someone toward life

Paired with “tree of life,” this isn’t about violence — it’s about nourishing others toward life through righteous influence.

Soul-Shaping, Not Soul-Winning

This verse isn’t about pressuring someone to pray a prayer.It’s about living so fruitfully that others are drawn to God through you.

A righteous life feeds, sustains, and heals.A wise person leads others toward the same life.

It’s not about soul-winning in the modern evangelical sense.It’s about soul-shaping — forming lives toward wholeness and flourishing with God.

From Proverbs to Jesus — The Good Eye and the Bad Eye

Jesus also used culturally loaded language that only makes sense in its context.

Matthew 6:22–23 says:

“The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness.”

To us, that sounds mystical or philosophical. But to His audience, this was a well-known Hebrew idiom.

Good Eye vs. Bad Eye in Jewish Thought

• Good eye (ayin tovah) = generosity

• Bad eye (ayin ra’ah) = greed

  
  

Proverbs 22:9: “He who has a good eye will be blessed, for he shares his bread with the poor.”

Proverbs 28:22: “A man with a bad eye hastens after wealth…”

So when Jesus says, “If your eye is good…” He’s saying:If your heart is generous, your whole life will reflect God’s light. If your eye is selfish?Even your religion will be dark.

Zooming Out — Matthew 6 in Context

Matthew 6:19–24 forms a single thought:

• 19–21: Store treasure in heaven = give to the poor

• 22–23: Live with a generous eye

• 24: You can’t serve God and money

It’s all about generosity, wealth, and how we treat people.Not eyesight — heart sight.

Closing the Loop — Back to the Widow

The Widow’s Mite is a warning against a system that lets the poor give until they have nothing left. Matthew 6 is a call to those with more to live with a generous eye.

One passage warns against giving from poverty.The other calls for giving from abundance.In both cases — context changes everything.

Conclusion

Reading Scripture without context is like texting your grandma “LOL” after a funeral. You meant “lots of love.” She thinks you’re laughing at Uncle Joe.

Context matters.

Let’s be people with good eyes — generous hearts that shine.Let’s be people whose lives are trees of life — feeding, sustaining, healing.Let’s slow down, ask better questions, and refuse to live with missing pieces.

Because the truth isn’t hiding.It’s waiting for the context to be restored.