God Chose

1st Corinthians 1: 18-31, page 166
For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”
Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, God decided, through the foolishness of our proclamation, to save those who believe.
For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
For God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.
Consider your own call, brothers and sisters; not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not, to reduce to nothing things that are, so that no one might boast in the presence of God.
God is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption, in order that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”
Sermon
John Satterwhite and I were sitting in the den at Martha Matthews’ home talking about Columbia – how things have changed – what’s different – what’s still the same. Mrs. Matthews was thinking of the many parents she has known, like the many parents we all know, who spend a tremendous amount of time worrying about the right school for their children – the right college – hoping and praying that a good education will get them into the right job – but never give a thought to getting their children into the right church.
It’s true, to some it would seem it’s true now more than ever, that many people don’t give church a thought – they dismiss it – they don’t see the point.
But for some it’s a matter of work – the work week has changed so much and the Sabbath no longer has the protection it once did even here in Columbia, so some people end up working on Sunday mornings and don’t make it to church.
For others it’s a matter of time – they’ve been going like crazy all week – maybe they’ve worked a 60 hour week and they just need some time to rest.
Many in the Church have been fighting against these trends – worried that our society has become far too secular, afraid that if this secularization continues it will hurt the church even more.
Interestingly, the Apostle Paul isn’t so worried about what is happening in his society and how that will affect the members of the Church in Corinth in this regard. The Apostle Paul doesn’t address either of these areas in the lesson we just read, and we certainly won’t gain any sympathy from him regarding these complaints because the church in Corinth was a church in a non-Christian country where most people had never even heard of the Sabbath and everyone besides the lazy and the rich worked seven days a week. Surely some in his congregation had to work seven days a week 24 hours a day for no pay making their way as slaves in the ancient world.
Many in our world want society to change in the hopes that if society changes then people will return to church – but here was the church in Corinth making its way in a society that gave church no respect, gave its people no time off, and yet, people were there worshiping God and today we have to wonder why.
What we find in our lesson for today is the reason they were there and it’s the same as the reason that we are here: “Consider your own call, brothers and sisters; not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not, to reduce to nothing things that are”
The church in Corinth was made up, not of the wise, the powerful, or the well born mostly, but those whom society called foolish, weak, and low class. Outside the church these members heard words that told them who they were, kept them in their place - they were treated as less than most – so when they heard good news about a God who cared about them as much as God cared about everybody else, they found the time to go and listen.
To those who have been cast out of proper society, news about a God who cares is worth showing up for.
To those who have been put down by the wise, called foolish, illiterate, uneducated, news about a God whose foolishness is wiser than human wisdom is worth making the time for.
And to those who have been made weak by the powerful, news about a God who shames the strong needs to be heard.
But what has this news to do with us?
The straight “A” students, the doctors, the teachers – what we read today doesn’t necessarily sound like good news as you’ve worked too hard for those grades to hear that God will destroy the wisdom of the wise and the discernment of the discerning.
The bankers, the managers, the store owners, the wealthy – what we read today doesn’t necessarily sound like good news as you’ve spent too much time, too many years building up from where you were to hear that God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong.
The well born, the descendants of land owners and businessmen – this doesn’t necessarily sound like good news as your parents, grand-parents, great-grandparents, they spent too much of their lives in the hopes that life would be better for you just to hear that God chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not, to reduce to nothing things that are.
Maybe you can relate to those who aren’t here at church because the good news doesn’t always sound all that good – it certainly sounds like foolishness at times – certainly like foolishness in our world where people are judged by what they have worked for, what they have earned, what their last name is.
What we hear today from Paul’s letter to the church in Corinth is so different – the news that we hear in our lesson for today is about a God who comes to us – not because of what we’ve done, who we are, what we’ve earned – God simply claims us.
All the wisdom that the wise thought would bring them closer to God is rendered foolish – because getting closer to God isn’t the work of human hands.
The strong who thought their strength would elevate them in the world are shamed – because it’s not our strength that makes us worthy in the eyes of God.
And those who have grown used to their name meaning something are reduced to nothing – because it’s not who you are that matters to God – it’s who God is to you.
So many people take so much time worrying over where their kids will go to school – but where else will they hear the good news – that in a world where grades mean so much – God will be your God regardless of your place in the class.
That in a society where what you earn seems to mean the world – whether you’re retired, employed, or laid-off – God sees your worth and it is our God who has made you worthy.
That in a world where who you know matters just as much as what you know – who you are in God’s eyes is really all that matters – and this day I want you to hear the truth – who you are in God’s eyes is beloved.
Martha Matthews’ told me last week – “You can go to Harvard, but if you don’t have a church, something’s missing.” And she’s right – because if you don’t have a church you might go your whole life thinking that what you can do is all that matters in this world – but to those of you who are being saved – you’ll know – that regardless of what you know – you are a brilliant creation of the most high God – regardless of what you do – you are the beautiful work of God’s hand – and regardless of who you are – you are God’s. God chose, God decided, through the foolishness of our proclamation, to save those who believe.
Thanks be to God.
Amen.