The Foolishness That Shamed the Wise
Tuesday, March 16th, 2010 | Lent Meditations
The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God…. This foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God’s weakness is stronger than the greatest of human strength.
Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you. Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God.
God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; he made us pure and holy, and he freed us from sin. Therefore, as the Scriptures say, “If you want to boast, boast only about the Lord.” -1 Cor 1:18,25-31
Most people who don’t understand the full story of the cross would consider it a catastrophic failure for Jesus. They would say that he must not have been strong enough, wise enough, or convincing enough. A strong leader would have raised an army and overpowered his enemies. A wise politician would have used alliances and intrigue to put together a more loyal group of followers. A powerful orator would have convinced everyone to see things his way. If Jesus was so great, they might say, how could his crucifixion have happened? When Paul was writing the scripture above, he must have known many people who argued that Jesus’ death on a cross was a foolish waste—because they were stuck thinking only from the perspective of human strength and success. They couldn’t possibly understand the beauty and power of this great Love that conquered death itself.
To those who believe, the cross is the mighty expression of God’s saving power for us! Our hope is not in the world’s definition of strength, wisdom, or influence. It is in God’s surpassing greatness. God promises that His strength is made perfect in our weakness (2 Cor 12:9) and that we can do all things through Christ’s strength (Phil 4:13). In His power, we are able to accompish whatever He calls us to. Not a hair on our heads can be touched without His knowledge and permission. The world may call us foolish for giving up everything to follow a crucified King, yet ultimately God will use weak and foolish things like us to “bring to nothing what the world considers important.”
What situation do you need God’s strength for today? Would you take a moment to ask God to help you look at this situation from Jesus’ perspective?
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