Listen

The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are being destroyed. But it is the power of God for those of us who are being saved. It is written in scripture: I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and I will reject the intelligence of the intelligent. Where are the wise? Where are the legal experts? Where are today’s debaters? Hasn’t God made the wisdom of the world foolish? In God’s wisdom, he determined that the world wouldn’t come to know him through its wisdom. Instead, God was pleased to save those who believe through the foolishness of preaching. Jews ask for signs, and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, which is a scandal to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles. But to those who are called—both Jews and Greeks—Christ is God’s power and God’s wisdom. This is because the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.

1 Corinthians 1:18-25

Think

Paul is writing to the church in Corinth because he’s gotten word that there’s a lot of bickering and problems going on (what, bickering in church? — never!), and he’s got a message for the Corinthians: Get it together! You’re not supposed to be boasting in what you think is right, but you’re supposed to be boasting in the cross of Jesus!

It does seem backwards that the Corinthians (and we!) are supposed to boast in a cross. It doesn’t seem logical. Why would we boast about the death of a man born in a barn, who was homeless and poor and wandered around preaching and healing, and who spent time with the most unimportant people in society?

Seems unlikely that God would use the life and death of such a lowly person like Jesus to help usher in a new kingdom. It also seems unlikely that God would use this bickering, imperfect church in Corinth to further that kingdom.

Hmm. If God uses the unlikely, then maybe God can use me, too.

Erin Spengeman Hutchison

Pray

God, sometimes you use the strangest things and strangest people to show the world your love. I’m a little weird, too. I pray that you’ll call me and use me, too. Amen.

Go

Today, join God in turning the world right-side-up, one decision at a time.