Suggested Readings: Isaiah 49:1-7, Psalms 71:1-14, 1 Corinthians 1:18-31, John 12:20-36
In God’s economy, everything seems upside down and backwards. We are called to love our enemies? The first will be last and the last shall be first?
Throughout scripture, there are countless ways Jesus turns the expectation of the world on its head. In 1 Corinthians 1:18-31, Paul discusses how Christ did this with wisdom and foolishness. How ironic is it that God’s wisdom is seen as foolishness to the world? The Jews and Gentiles struggled with this. And if we are honest, I’m sure there are moments we have struggled with this too. We believe we know better than God and that we have a better plan for our lives than God does. And yet, in His kindness and grace, He doesn’t hold it against us. He could use His wisdom and our foolishness in any way he chooses. However, He decided to use it for His glory and our “righteousness, holiness, and redemption” (V. 30). Paul goes on to say in verse 31,
Therefore it is written: ‘Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.
Praise be to God that we are being put in a place where we can only boast in what the Lord has done. And this is the best thing for us! Our emotions, feelings, and thoughts are fleeting and changing. God’s wisdom, grace, and love are steady and consistent. The world may see us as foolish, but may we rest in God’s wisdom knowing that we play a small part in God getting the glory that is due to Him.
Nick Dennig