January 29th Reflection - It doesn't make any sense! - by Bill Lynch

1 Corinthians 1:18-31

 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. For it is written,
‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
   and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.’
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? 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. For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling-block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.

 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. 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, things that are not, to reduce to nothing things that are, so that no one might boast in the presence of God. He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption, in order that, as it is written, ‘Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.’

Reflection - It doesn't make any sense!
You know, it's not going to make any sense to many people. It's not going to make any sense, this faith we have in Jesus. They will argue with you on and on, but you won't be able to make any sense out of God's act of salvation by coming into this world as flesh in Jesus and spirit in the Holy Spirit, to save all people from death... eternal death and hell. You will get arguments about what is and isn't possible, you will get arguments about historical facts, you will get arguments about God, you will get arguments about various religions of this world. It's just not going to make any sense to many people.

And I'll be darned if God doesn't choose the oddest people to proclaim the Gospel. He takes the weak, the murderers, the prisoners, the sinners, the uneducated, the very people you would least choose, and gives them faith and they believe and they become the very ones that continue on in Jesus and follow Jesus right into eternal life and through the Kingdom of God day by day. When you're broken you're way more right than the people with all the power and brains of this world. When you're broken you know you need a Savior and that savior is not yourself. So, God picks you and uses you... yes you!

It's not going to make any sense especially to people who believe that they have this life, this existence, this place upon this earth all figured out. The people that believe that it's through their own efforts, their own control, their own power, their own wealth that saves them from it all. These people want signs and proof and wisdom of this world. It's just not going to make any sense... until... until... the Holy Spirit acts upon their broken lives and they hear the wonderful message of God in Jesus and they accept that message and believe that message to be true. That it's not about their efforts to save themselves but rather it's about God's grace to save us all.

And yes God saves us in an unbelievable way! God saves us through his Son, Jesus, hanging and dying on a cross for our sin. God becomes the sacrifice for our sin. And so much more than that! God in Jesus is raised. Jesus leads us into eternal life through his death.

"For God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength."

It's not going to make any sense to many people. But it doesn't need to... once you believe... once you are given faith... once you turn and follow Jesus... it just doesn't matter if it makes any sense.

Prayer
Lord, take me broken as I am as I follow you. Use me to do your will this day. Use me to speak the wonderful Gospel of Jesus. Use me in your Kingdom. Yes. Lord, I believe... today... tomorrow... and forever. --- Amen