Preach!

1 Corinthians 1:18-25

¹⁸ 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. ¹⁹ As the Scriptures say,

“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise
and discard the intelligence of the intelligent.”

²⁰ So where does this leave the philosophers, the scholars, and the world’s brilliant debaters? God has made the wisdom of this world look foolish. ²¹ Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never know him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe. ²² It is foolish to the Jews, who ask for signs from heaven. And it is foolish to the Greeks, who seek human wisdom. ²³ So when we preach that Christ was crucified, the Jews are offended and the Gentiles say it’s all nonsense.

²⁴ But to those called by God to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. ²⁵ 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.

Have you ever shared the good news about Jesus with someone and afterwards thought, “well, I made a mess of that didn’t I.” Or maybe like me you’ve thought, “maybe if I was more eloquent, or smarter, or more confident, I’d get better results – people would actually respond in the affirmative.”

This passage, however, gives me hope. God, in His beautiful wisdom has chosen “our foolish preaching” to save people (see verse 21). Not eloquence, not wisdom, not great oratories – He has chosen my stumbling, feeble, yet heart-felt message of the God-with-us crucified for me, to save those who are lost. He chose you and He chose me – and He is completely fine with that!

Sure, we can always up-skill – and we should! The message of salvation is too important to not be prepared. But let us never forget it is God’s power working through our weakness that makes all the difference.

Jesus, let me preach today! Help me step into those awkward, “foolish” moments where I am weak, but you are strong.

Amen

Written by B van Noppen