1 CORINTHIANS 1, 26-31
Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.”
His name was Celsus. He was a heathen philosopher who lived in the Second Century. He made this comment about the Christian Church. “A glance at the membership of Christian congregations prove that the Christians show that they want and are able to convince only the foolish, dishonorable, and stupid, and only slaves, women and little children.” In his estimation the Christian Church was made up of people who were of no consequence to the world, and who would accomplish absolutely nothing worthwhile! “Nobodies!”
But then, the same thing could have been said about Jesus. Jesus wasn’t able to convince the religious leaders that He was the Messiah, even though they were the Bible experts. Nor did Jesus convince the rich, and the powerful to follow Him. The ones who did follow Jesus? The blind, the deaf, the lame, the poor, the sick and diseased, those possessed by demons, the dregs of society. “Nobodies!”
Look at the Christian Church today! How many movie and TV stars, how many University Professors, how many powerful and influential people in our world confess to believe in Jesus? Oh, there are some! But not many! If you look at the membership rolls of most Christian congregations, you find people, like us! People the world writes off as “Nobodies!” People of no real consequence to the world, people who will never accomplish great things with their life. And so, we ask? Was this Celsus guy correct? Is Jesus’ church A CHURCH FULL OF “NOBODIES!”
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Paul seems to agree with this guy! “Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were influential, not many were of noble birth.” Oh, there were a few people in the Church at Corinth who were wealthy, and influential, and government leaders. But not many. Most of those people in that congregation were like us! Hard working people who were smart enough to make good business deals and keep their business floating. But to the world? “Nobodies!” Of little consequence to the world. None that would be a world class athlete to honor! None that might become the next king over this area of Greece! None that would create some fantastic invention that would make our world a better place to live in! Just “nobodies!” Of little consequence to the world!
The reason for that? The wise, the influential, the noble birth, the strong wouldn’t have anything to do with Jesus. Because what Jesus preached, and what Jesus expected of people who follow Him, was so offensive to them, they wouldn’t touch it with a ten-foot pole!
Paul tells us what God chose to use to save us. “God chose the foolish things of the world…God chose the weak things of the world…He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things – the things that are not!” The very center of Christian faith wants us to believe that Jesus died, and then arose from the dead, never to die again. That flies in the face of worldly wisdom. It’s impossible! That could never happen! This world teaches you very quickly that when people die, they stay dead, and don’t come back. For these wise people to follow Jesus, they would need to give up their wisdom, and believe in fairy tales, and run the risk of people looking down on them for being so foolish. And they just can’t do that.
“God chose the weak things of the world.” Jesus overcame our enemies, and became our conquering hero, not by destroying our enemies, but by being destroyed by our enemies. Jesus went out to fight Satan, on Good Friday, but at the end of the day, Satan was the one still standing and Jesus lay dead, in a tomb. The world says, “That’s ridiculous! How can you follow a “loser” like that, and expect to gain anything! No, that is just too much to swallow. They could never do that!
“He chose the lowly things of this world, and the despised things.” Jesus couldn’t defend Himself from His enemies, or get away from them. He became the subject of their ridicule and mocking! Imagine seeing your hero, your leader humiliated by the powerful people of the world. And Jesus ended up dying on a cross. Today we wear those crosses with honor and pride! But to the Greeks, the cross was the most disgusting, the ugliest, the most perverse way to die. Anyone who died on a cross, was considered a vicious criminal who had done horrendous things. A criminal to be spit on and rejected. Not someone to be respected, and worshipped and praised as the hero. The people in this world found this offensive and disgusting. They couldn’t believe in something so nasty! It made no sense! They could never believe that!
“He chose the things that are not!” Jesus wants us to “believe in Him,” as the way to Heaven! He doesn’t give us proof! He doesn’t give us a deed to the mansion waiting for us that we can put in our Safe Deposit Box! We have nothing tangible that we can see with our eyes, and hold with our hands to assure us that we have eternal life with Jesus in heaven. All we have is Jesus’ promise! Nothing else! Nothing tangible! Nothing that we can cling to. “The things that are not!” Nothing but faith in what Jesus promised.
And that’s too much for the world. They want things they can touch and see. They want things in their hands, and in their bank accounts, and in their stock portfolio. They want absolute proof and signed and notarized documents that assure them of what they have waiting for them. They want “the things that are.” And they will not give up all these things for some “pie-in-the-sky” promise of a better life in Heaven. That is ridiculous, and they just won’t do it.
Maybe we now understand why very few wise, and influential, and noble, and rich and powerful, will follow Jesus. Of course, as we listen to what Paul says here, we may want to ask ourselves, “Why do I believe that?” What Jesus asks of us, is foolish, and it demands absolute trust, without any evidence. We would never do such things in this world! Why would we do that with our relationship with Jesus?
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Paul answers. “It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus who has become for us wisdom from God – that is, our righteousness, holiness, and redemption.” If it were up to us, we would have done exactly what those rich and powerful and influential people did. We would have said, “You ask too much of me, Jesus. I just can’t do what you want me to do. Your ways sound so foolish and dangerous. I will not follow you.
But, Paul says, “It wasn’t up to you.” It is “Because of him that you are in Christ Jesus.” The Holy Spirit entered your heart through this Word, or through your Baptism, and created a faith in Jesus, that made that huge transformation for you. The Holy Spirit touched your heart, and suddenly what God says, is not foolish, or weak, or lowly and despised. The Holy Spirit touched your heart and suddenly you don’t need proof that this is so. You have Jesus’ promise. And that’s all you need. God used the foolish, the weak and despised things of this world to save you “so that no one may boast before Him.” It’s not your wisdom, your trust that saved you. It was the power of God working in your heart. It’s not me that put me here. It was Jesus.
And because of that Jesus is “your wisdom from God, your righteousness and your redemption.” I am holy and precious in God’s sight. I have the righteousness that Jesus purchased for me on that cross. I am holy and able to stand in God’s presence, and live in that Mansion in Heaven because of Jesus. I may be a “Nobody” to the world. But God has made me a “Somebody!” Who will work miracles! Who will do great things for God’s kingdom. Oh, I may never become a successful Missionary like Paul. But there may be souls God puts in my path, who will see the light of Jesus come from my life, or my words, and be brought to know Jesus. There may be souls who will be in Heaven, because Jesus has given me the privilege of sharing my faith with them. And even though I cannot boast about my salvation, Paul says, “Let him that boasts, boast in the Lord.” I can rejoice and boast because of the things my Lord allows me to do!
God chose the “foolish things of the world to shame the wise, the weak things of the world to shame the strong, the lowly things of this world and the despised things and the things that are now to nullify the things that are.” It may not look that way in this world. The world still mocks and ridicules me because I believe in childish fairy tales. I don’t really care. But there will come a time when their wisdom, and their wealth, and their influence, and their strength will fail them.
One day they will be suffering hurt and pain, and they will ask, “Why is this happening to me?” And all their wisdom and might will be useless! They may come face to face with their own mortality, and they may ask “What’s going to happen to me when I die?” And all their wisdom, and might will be useless! But we have the answer? We? The “Nobodies!” We, the people of little consequence. We have the answers they so desperately search for but can never find. Because we have Jesus. And that is the only answer we need to know, the only answer that will give comfort, peace, and joy even through the darkest of days. The answer that leads to an eternity with Jesus in Heaven.
To the world, we may seem like A CHURCH FULL OF “NOBODIES!” who will never amount to anything. But to our Lord we are A CHURCH OF “SOMEBODIES” precious and holy children of God, who will work miracles and who will accomplish great things for Him and His kingdom!
