Wednesday 24 July, 2013

18 The message of the cross seems foolish to those who are lost and dying. But it is God’s power to us who are being saved. 19 It is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of those who are wise. I will do away with the cleverness of those who think they are so smart.” (Isaiah 29:14) 20 Where is the wise person? Where is the educated person? Where are the great thinkers of this world? Hasn’t God made the wisdom of the world foolish? 21 God wisely planned that the world would not know him through its own wisdom. It pleased God to use the foolish things we preach to save those who believe. 22 Jews require miraculous signs. Greeks look for wisdom. 23 But we preach about Christ and his death on the cross. That is very hard for Jews to accept. And everyone else thinks it’s foolish. 24 But there are those God has chosen, both Jews and others. To them Christ is God’s power and God’s wisdom. 25 The foolish things of God are wiser than human wisdom. The weakness of God is stronger than human strength.

As there are divisions happening in the church, Paul explains that the only thing any one of us can boast in is Jesus.   It’s got nothing to do with who we are, who led us to the Jesus, how smart we are, or what position in society we hold.

I am so grateful about that!  I have friends – well educated – and to them believing in Jesus is very foolish, others have seen or heard of miracles (signs) and still don’t believe.  Jesus dying for my sins really is not reasonable, but as Paul says in verse 24 “Christ is the wisdom and power of God” and my faith can rest on nothing else but this.

Lord thank you that the Gospel is so simple, my faith in Jesus. Help me not to get carried away with the latest favourite teacher or church or such but to remember that Jesus is the only one that I should be boasting in.

Written by Suzie Hodgson