Rev. Doug Gray February 2, 2020
1Cor. 1:18 For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written,
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”
20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, God decided, through the foolishness of our proclamation, to save those who believe. 22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom, 23 but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.
1Cor. 1:26 Consider your own call, brothers and sisters: not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not, to reduce to nothing things that are, 29 so that no one might boast in the presence of God. 30 He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 in order that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”
1Cor. 2:1 When I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come proclaiming the mystery of God to you in lofty words or wisdom. 2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified. 3 And I came to you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. 4 My speech and my proclamation were not with plausible words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God.
If I were to ask you to pick out the most successful people of our time, who would you pick? How do you know?
[Take responses from the congregation.]
We live in a society where success, status and power are really important. We applaud the people who “make it” and we hear the message that we too should “make it.” In one sense, there’s nothing wrong with that. All these things are good in some sense. But talk to the people who have “made it,” and you find many of them are not satisfied or fulfilled or often even happy. Why is that? Is there a way to be successful and happy? Our passage for today asks one question that can guide us into a better future: Are we keeping the way of Jesus simple?
A few years ago, I had the great blessing of going to the Massachusetts Association Annual Meeting. The main speaker was Chris Sears, a 27-year-old drug addict who had, by the grace of God, been sober for 17 months. He talked about how for years the drugs tried to own him. During that time, like a lot of addicts, he didn’t go to church. But he talked about what it meant when he got out of jail, and how the church threw him a party. He walked into their Fellowship Hall and saw the banner signed by everyone that said simply, “Welcome Home, Chris.” Instead of hearing about all the rules, or hearing about all the ways he had failed, what he heard was “We love you!” And he cried as his parents beamed with pride and his six-year old niece ran to him. People hugged him and patted him on the back, and really cared what was going on for him. In the dark and grim days of relapses and homelessness that would follow, that scene would play over and over in his mind. Paul writes, “Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles…” Does it seem too simple? The life of Jesus draining out on an undeserved cross, for people like you and me and Chris, who don’t deserve it. And forgiveness and a new, abundant life to be had for the asking. It’s all about grace.
Maybe it seems too simple for us, like it was for the Jews of Jesus’ day. They wanted Christians to do miracles to prove what they said about Jesus, and so do we. Show me you’re real, God! we pray. If you’ll just do this for me, then I’ll believe. Until we are in the next jam, and we start looking for another miracle. Instead of learning to trust God, to have a relationship with the Risen Jesus, we ask, “What have you done for me lately.” It’s scandalous that people should try to live like Jesus, sacrificing themselves for someone who doesn’t deserve it. Why would we risk anything for someone else?
In another sense it’s way too simple for us, like it was for the Greeks of Jesus’ day. They wanted Christians to make a great argument to prove what they knew about Jesus, and so do we. You’re are perfectly logical, God, we explain, and so God’s wisdom starts looking a lot like the conventional wisdom in the world. Instead of letting God direct our paths, we try to put God in a box, to let God have a little time here or there. It’s just foolishness to believe in God, to surrender our whole lives and live like Jesus, to make choices that are not in our rational self-interest but for the good of people we may never even see. Why would we give up our rights or privileges for someone else?
Maybe that’s why we need to live in community with others who are also trying to live the paradoxically simple life of a Christian. Part of why we come to church is to remind ourselves that we are part of God’s team, to cheer for God with a bunch of other people who love to cheer for God’s team. Another part of why we come to church is to remind ourselves that we are on the winning team. As the great Baptist preacher, E.V. Hill puts it, “If God is in it, God will win it.” Whatever happens, whatever tough times we experience, we know God wins in the end. We need each other to encourage and be encouraged, to huddle up with, so we know what the next play should be, to listen to Coach Jesus as He directs the game and shapes us and molds us for greatness. Jesus’ idea of winning and power is different from the world’s, and we need each other to stay in the game.
Sometimes we get an idea that we are not the greatest, not terribly successful, not very wise, not very powerful. That maybe true…but if so, then we are right where God wants us. Paul writes, “Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are… so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power.” If we add God’s strength to our strength, God’s wisdom to our wisdom, God’s power to our power, we are totally unbeatable. The best things in this life come from God, and the best of who we are comes from the nail-scarred hand of a Lord who was willing to die on a cross. Following Jesus really is simple: offering our lives to know Him, and to show grace to the person in front of us in that moment. Relationships and grace. “Welcome Home” parties for addicts. Taking care of those who need it. Seeking justice for those with no voice. Doing the right thing even if it costs us. Ironically, it’s when we keep it simple that we do see the miracles, that we do find everything makes logical sense. It’s so simple, it blows our minds. So let us dream the dreams of our crucified Lord and make real the resurrection hope God wants to bring to life in us and our world…by His grace.