17:3-5
At first reading, these three verses appear to have no connection, but closer study shows they do.
Verse 3 speaks of how humans refine gold and silver and seek to do the same with others. But of course we cannot do that. Only God can search our minds and examine our hearts. He alone can purify and refine us. So be careful not to judge others and not to seek to ‘purify’ them. Sadly, our judgements tend not to be pure but self seeking and our attempts to purify are actually manipulation, which is abusive.
If we consider the self seeking manipulator, verse 4 becomes a logical continuation of verse 3. The self seeking manipulator is the malicious person who delights in speaking negatively about others and in hearing others speak like that also. Never consider someone who delights to spread malicious stories about you or others is anything but evil.
Following on from the malicious story teller is the person who mocks those he considers less than him. I am speaking of any person who looks down on others, from a Federal Politician who through government policy puts down the poor to the neighbour who considers herself better than others. In mocking others you are mocking God who made them. And in delighting at bad things that have happened to others, you are bringing condemnation from God on your head.
Remember, the wise person does not judge or condemn others. She hands difficulties with others over to God to attend to. She avoids speaking badly about others or taking part in such conversations. She may on occasion be upset at something another person does and have a quiet conversation with another person speaking of her frustration, but she refrains from spiteful and malicious stories. She sees calamity as a sad thing for her enemies as well as her friends. She does not consider herself better than anyone else but honours others as ones made by God and loved by God. She seeks God, and is willing to be purified and refined by Him, so that she may be more like Jesus with each passing day.
 

17:2
This verse talks about the wise servant and the foolish son. One is the unimportant person who works for the family and has no share in the inheritance. The other is the presumed heir.

What this verse is saying is that the one who is, by worldly standards, considered the natural heir, is not necessarily considered an heir by God.

We do not automatically win a place in heaven because of birth or attendance at a religious institution. We earn a place in heaven by accepting Jesus as the Son of God, who died for our sin, and seeking to surrender our selves to become more like Jesus.

That is the wisdom of the wise servant. And the foolishness of the foolish son is to ignore Godly wisdom.

No matter what the world tells us, wisdom must be ours. We can’t acquire it by birth. We can’t buy it. We must live it. And wisdom is Jesus.