Daily Bread

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.’

In some ways, this week's Insight (a reflection on Palm Sunday) echoes what Paul is writing about here. Who could possibly imagine that sacrificial love could lead to salvation — i.e. finding life in all its fullness in the here and now and forever through the way of Jesus and the cross? It is, to use Paul's words, 'foolishness' or in modern parlance, 'bonkers'!

Paul summarised two facets of humanity — belonging to Jews and Greeks — as 'signs' and 'wisdom'. In our contemporary world we could recast or interpret these two facets of humanity as 'accomplishments' and 'science'.

Humanity seeks to save itself through its magnificent accomplishments. Look at all we have built, the power we have harnessed, and the control we have over our environment! And science will save us too — our knowledge of how the world works, how we can examine it, understand it, and harness it.

Yes, undoubtedly, science has enabled marvellous good, and our accomplishments have been nothing short of astonishing, but is humanity any 'better' than it was two thousand years ago. Have we, as a species, grown in wisdom? The evidence would suggest otherwise.

When I think of the microplastics that litter our beaches, the astronomical spend on devices used for war, how many plants and animals we have made extinct, and how many of us live in poverty, Paul's words ring as true today as the day he penned them.

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

If we want to save humanity — save this wonderful and precious world in which we live — the answer lies, not in our own might or wisdom, but, "in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and our righteousness, sanctification, and redemption."

Holy God
Thank you for saving me and for opening
my eyes to the wisdom of the cross.
For your wisdom is wiser than human wisdom,
and your weakness is stronger than human strength.
May I boast in nothing but Christ crucified
and how your humility and sacrificial love
paved the way for the righteousness,
sanctification, and redemption of the world.