The Beginning of Wisdom

The first documented western philosopher was a guy named Socrates.  He founded the Grecian school of philosophy which is still the foundation of western thought. 
Socrates founded his school of thought on a seemingly simple question: where does wisdom come from?  In his quest to answer this question, he interviewed poets and politicians, scholars and playwrights; in short, all the respected men of knowledge of his day.  One at a time he probed them with queries as to the foundation of their knowledge and brilliance.  What he discovered was startling and disturbing: none of these men had any real explanation for their success.  In every case, when Socrates questioned back along their line of reasoning, their reasons dissolved into irrational speculation, assumption, or ignorance.
This led to the foundational statement of the Socratic school of thought: "Wisdom starts with the realization of how ignorant you truly are."
Five hundred years before Socrates came to this conclusion, the King Solomon came to a different conclusion about the start of wisdom.  He said, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom."  Like most of his proverbs, Solomon does not greatly expand on this statement, leaving the reader to wonder in what way is the fear of God the beginning of wisdom, and what does he mean by fear of God?
Fear is typically a force that drives one away from something.  If I fear the woods, I am not going anywhere near the woods.  Yet coming from a Jewish vantage, and in light of his other writings, it is fair to assume that Solomon would advise wisdom seekers to pursue God, not to flee from him.  What kind of fear drives you toward the object of your fear?
In Jesus' famed Sermon on the Mount, he begins by blessing a number of pitiful groups: the poor in spirit, the meek, those who mourn, etc.  We are told these people will, among other things, inherit the earth and see God.  However, as the sermon proceeds, the people are told that unless their righteousness exceeds that of the holiest group in Israel, the Pharisees, that they will not enter the kingdom of God.  The people are shockingly advised to remove any body parts that are causing them to sin, and finally they are told that they must be perfect in order to enter the kingdom.
Was Jesus harsh advice to, among other things, pluck out your eye or cut off your hand if they are causing you to stumble, rhetorical?
In the most famous section of Dante's Divine Comedy, the writer tells of his journey through Hell as he makes his way to Heaven.  The writer had a very specific purpose for taking his readers through Hell first: for Dante, Hell represented the recognition and rejection of sin.  God is not kidding around.  Sin really IS that serious to God.  And Jesus advice to cut off your hand was no mere rhetoric.  If that's what it takes to free you from sin, it is worth every drop of blood.
However, Jesus also knew that self-mutilation would not remove the problem.  Because the eye-less, hand-less man would still be thoroughly corrupt through every cell of his body.
These words of Jesus were intended to drive the hearer to despair.  It is a technique he employed more than once. 
People are quick to find solace in the first part of Jesus' sermon where the poor and meek are given glorious blessings, but rarely do we find anyone enthusiastic about the second part of the sermon. 
Those who find a shocking dichotomy between the God of wrath and judgement and the God of love are not wrong.  Frequently God is both in a single breath.
There is another story that Jesus told.  The story concerns two men praying in the temple.  One is a holy man, a Pharisee, who thanks God for his virtue and for the fact that he is not like the lowly men.  The other is a corrupt tax collector.  This man, in contrast to the Pharisee, tears his clothes, falls face first on the ground  and cries in misery "God, be merciful to me, a sinner!"  Jesus says, "I tell you, this man went home justified before God."
The same God who shows his wrath and judgement will heal and justify the man who acknowledges his corruption and helplessness.  THIS is the God of Love.  But the man unwilling to come to grips with the fact that he is truly hopelessly lost will never get to meet this God.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.