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.
1:19 For it is written, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and
the discernment of the discerning I will thwart."
1:20 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?
1:21 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.
1:22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom,
1:23 but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and
foolishness to Gentiles,
1:24 but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ
the power of God and the wisdom of God.
1:25 For God's foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God's
weakness is stronger than human strength.
Can we not preach the Word using our intellect and wisdom? We are
called to do so. God's wisdom is supreme, yet each of us has been
given some measure of it in order to present the Good News of God.
Examination of the history and culture of Jesus' life and ministry
does not set itself against the heart-felt confession of Jesus is
Lord. We have difficulty reconciling the two-faith and scholarship.
Though it is through faith we are saved by grace, lest anyone should
boast, God is still present in all of our attempts at understanding
the Mystery of the Cross.
Grace and Peace to you, Dwight in WV
Of course we must apply our minds, but get in trouble when we think
our wisdom supercedes God's. Interesting about jews want signs and
greeks want wisdom. I was wondering if we could say in our modern
times that oldliners want wisdom and mega-churches/para churches
want signs. In the end, Christ is both sign and wisdom... Q in Ct
To Dwight in WV
Of course friend - just asking or considering the question itself
answers it.
My point is about final words and authority. Many facts from 50
years ago - 100 years ago are now laughed at. Our facts about things
and our reason is dm and partial. But God's Word is, for me, alive
and active!
We must bring every gift to the service of God, but I believe all
must come under God's sovereign rule.
The NY Sheepdog
I have been trying to synthesize the readings for this week. I see
the 10 commandments and the psalm together, and the apparent
foolishness/curiousness of Jesus turning the tables and Paul's
comment about the perishing as going together, but until a
discussion I had yesterday I have not been able to put them
together. Let me explain. A not-yet Christian (i'm working on him!)
and I were having a discussion, and he brought up the 10
commandments. He stated plainly that he could see the value in the
10 commandments, esp. in the civil portion of the 10, for they were
beneficial to all humanity provided everyone would follow them. But
because he does not believe in eternity/life after death, he could
not see following these rules for some eternal reward, only for the
temporal reward (cosmic harmony). In short, here's my thought for
Tuesday: yes, the Law of God makes sense even to an unbelieving
world, even if they are unwilling to abide by them, for they help
insure a harmonious existence for all life. But the point where the
unbeliever stumbles is the cross, for it doesn't make sense that a
God would submit to an ugly death in order to bring eternal life,
esp. if they don't believe in an afterlife.
Still ruminating, UMPREACH
I am looking at the Gospel lesson and the Epistle lesson together.
The title of my sermon is: "In retrospect . . ." - The Potential for
Wisdom. In this Lenten season as we "look back" upon the passion of
Jesus, we are very much like the disciples who only understood in
retrospect. So often, we gain wisdom and understand more of God's
wisdom when we give ourselves permission to look backward on our
lives. Any Comments welcome. Donna in SC
Newsweek this week (I believe its the March 27 edition?) has Jesus
on the cover and an interesting article about how the other major
religions view Jesus. The article describes how many of those
outside Christianity find several points of interest or admiration
for Jesus, but in the end they get hung up on the crucifixion (so to
speak!) and indeed consider it to be foolishness. May be some
interesting material for a sermon there....
Steve in Indiana
I am working with the word stumbling block concept. "Jews look for
signs" Happens today in many of our science driven manufacturing
companies, demand proof of results. Greeks look for wisdom. Happens
today. There is an amazing story about the "The Smart Guy" on 20/20.
He is of the Mensa IQ charts, and claims that he can scientifically
prove God exsists, but he works as a bouncer, and lives in a hut. As
he said in interview, there is no logical correlation.
I am working now on the relavnt stumbling blocks to those in my
pews. Reliance on politicans or governmental programs, on national
intellegince, reliance on self -demonstriated in anxity. All of
which cause us be disapointed, and to stumble.
And of course the answer, --J.C. where there is no stumbling,
because he catches us before we fall. RevRon between intellegience
and wealth.
Friends,
Up to this point in Lent, I've been addressing the OT, the NT and
the Gospel readings together, and using the epistle text as the
basis for interpreting both the OT and Gospel passages. The first
Sunday was the covenant with Noah and Peter's teachings on baptism.
Last Sunday was the covenant with Abraham and Paul's teachings on
justification by faith. This one has got me mostly stumped, although
I can see an avenue to pursue: Paul's teaching on the "foolishness
of the cross" really does cut against both the Gentiles' demand for
reason and the Jews' appeal for a sign. Both Jews and Gentiles were
looking for God on their terms. The Jews especially had the Law and
their whole heritage of God's saving acts as their "grounding" for
their knowledge of God. But Christ on the cross cuts against much of
epistomology, just as Jesus' cleansing of the temple redefined and
clarified what the Law and the Prophets said about righteousness
before God.
The challenge for this week is to reexamine the Decalogue in the
light of cross of the crucified Savior, and to bring to our
congregations some suggestions on how the "shalts" and "shalt nots"
now find expression in the lives of today's disciples.
AO in PO
The Epistle this week seems to fit more into my theme for lent than
the other texts. No one seems to be discussing our need for the
cross. The foolishness certainly pertains to those outside the
Christian faith who don't even take us seriously enough to find this
on the internet or to come to our church and hear the sermon I am
preparing. But the stumbling block is convicting for me as I look at
my own sinfulness and need for the cross. What about those of us who
are in the pews and pulpits who need to be reminded of that
sin/forgiveness.
Texas
I have been using all three lectionary texts through my lenten
services, concentrating on "Covenant." This week, as we look at the
Mosaic Covenant, I ask why, after this thorough approach, did God
feel the need to send Jesus to die for us, and offer us this new
covenant? The epistle answers the question. Therefore, Jesus became
the answer to all seekers and questioners, whether looking for signs
or wisdom. We are closing all lenten services with the celebration
of the covenant, Holy Communion. Thank you all for your comments and
insights. I find them very valuable. Blessings!
RevJanet in CNY
1 Cor. 1:26ff reads: For consider your call, brethren: not many of
you were wise according to earthly standards, not many were
powerful, not many of noble birth; 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, God chose what is low and despised in the world,
even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so
that no human being might boast in the presence of God. He is the
source of your life in Jesus Christ, whom God made our wisdom, our
righteousness and sanctification and redemption; therefore as it is
written, "Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord."
Now that'll preach! Fr Sully
If one wre preaching using all three verses for Sunday, one could
start with the epistle about the foolishness of God and use the
Gospel as an example (what is this foolishness about blessing those
who persecute you, anyway?) and close with Micah lesson showing that
God is not impressed with what we or others think about ourselves,
but rather our heart says about our relationship with God. B Rock in
HI
It seems to me that over and over, God continues to try to help us
understand that it is not what we do or say, what we read or learn
that helps us to know God and the things of God. It is relationship
with God that liberates the soul! If it was anything we could do
ourselves, we would surely be lost.
