Perspectives

1 Corinthians 1:18-19… 18) For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God… 19) For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.” (NIV)

The story that Christianity must tell sounds at times as being foolish to those who are perishing. Human perception and insight are certain to fail when one tries to explain spiritual issues – subjects – matters. For all the wisdom, people continue to search for a God in wrong places. A God they never will find. Even currently with all the education there are still folks who fail to understand who God is.

Brilliant astronomers search the heavens, map the very orbits of the planets. However, none made a proclamation that their telescopes found where God lives. The details of a world invisible to the human eyes have been cutback and put back together again. However, none have authored their thesis – their notions – opinions where God is – even after using their microscopes.

Had they looked a little closer, they would have seen the marvelous work of God’s creative power. Intellectual heavy-weights study and read; they probe this and poke at that, they have turned every rock upside down to find how they can discredit the creative power of God. It is not achievable to find God through humanistic research… no way that human wisdom alone will ever find God.

One more foolish thought. It seems incredible to human folks that one who had ended his life upon a cross could be Jesus Christ, God’s Chosen Son. You see in Jesus’ day, only those who followed what the letter of the law stated, that meant that Jesus Christ nailed to a cross could not be God – and they never dreamed of a suffering Saviour nailed to a cursed cross.

There are folks today that think God is unable to feel the hurts of his people… their reasoning is; if He can not feel sorrow, pain, anger, grief; well then, someone motivated God. They can now say that God is no greater than the person who influenced Him. It seems so incredible to think that one who had to suffer as Jesus had suffered could be the Son of God.

It is no wonder that the story of Christ on the cross is hard to accept. But what looks like foolishness to us, is wiser than all the combined wisdom of humans; what looks like God’s weakness is stronger than all the might of humans. How do we view the cross? What do we think of when we hear or read about the death of Jesus on the cross and then three days later, he rose again? Do we think it is foolishness?

Oh, to be scholarly to think that it is the very power and wisdom of God. There will be those, however, who will stand back, beat their chests, suspicious… clamoring for a credible sign. Astonishing – weird perhaps that humanity wants sound solid proof before they will except the fact that Jesus was nailed to the cross for our salvation. We may have to step on our pride before we can accept the fact that God’s foolishness is after all wiser than our wisdom, and His weakness far stronger than our strength.

The cross and the resurrection is the only hope that Christians have. It tells us that God loves us, and that he will forgive us. Innumerable folks think it is too complicated to come to this Jesus who hung on a cross. But Jesus wants us to trust him. We are to come just as we are and invite him into our hearts… To God Be the Glory Great Things He Has Done.

Would you pray this prayer with me? “Lord Jesus, come into my heart. Forgive my sins. I want my life to change. My thoughts and my attitude need to change. I do not have the peace in my heart that I yearn for. I want that peace, joy and happiness that fulfills my heart’s desire. Please let the Holy Spirit help me be the kind of Christian that will honour Your Name. Amen”