Daily Worship

Discipleship has a cost - Foolishness

Norah Summers April 01, 2014 0 0

1 Corinthians 1: 18-25

Christ the Power and the Wisdom of God

For the message about Christ's death on the cross is nonsense to those who are being lost; but for us who are being saved it is God's power. The scripture says,

“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise
    and set aside the understanding of the scholars.”

So then, where does that leave the wise? or the scholars? or the skillful debaters of this world? God has shown that this world's wisdom is foolishness!

For God in his wisdom made it impossible for people to know him by means of their own wisdom. Instead, by means of the so-called “foolish” message we preach, God decided to save those who believe. Jews want miracles for proof, and Greeks look for wisdom. As for us, we proclaim the crucified Christ, a message that is offensive to the Jews and nonsense to the Gentiles; but for those whom God has called, both Jews and Gentiles, this message is Christ, who is the power of God and the wisdom of God. For what seems to be God's foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and what seems to be God's weakness is stronger than human strength.

God of wisdom,
God of divine foolishness,
can we be light-hearted for a moment?

Sometimes our own solemnity weighs us down.

We think we need to take the world on our shoulders,
and make a big thing of our discipleship.

Sure, there is plenty to worry about in this world,
which you have made
and we have in many places unmade –

but you, Creator that you are,
wisely created a day of rest,
time to relax,
time to refresh and recharge.

What is life, if, full of care,
we have no time to stand and stare?

Jesus, you have called us to follow,
but if we do,
we find we are not just plodding along the dusty road –

our journey takes unexpected turns,
we do unexpected things,
and the world thinks we are daft.

We keep some strange company,
and we dine with you, 
and with the sinners who so scandalise the holy people –

we are anointed with generosity
by the most unexpected people –

we find ourselves feeding five thousand folk
with five small fishes –
verily, verily,
you have a sense of humour.

And then –
and then,
we see you crucified 
and find you risen.

May we never be afraid 
to be fools for Christ.

 

Norah Summers
Falkirk Trinity Church