Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles … For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength. 1 Corinthians 1:22-23, 25
The world falsely accuses Christians of making up stories about Jesus in order to make an ordinary man seem divine. Perhaps they recognize that their religions are all made-up stories and/or they cannot imagine … or simply accept … that the biblical account is true.
Yet if anyone were going to invent a false religion, they would certainly not make the divine Savior surrender Himself to His enemies and be led to His torturous execution like a helpless lamb. That would seem weak and shameful in the world’s eyes, but that is exactly what God did for us. Jesus was not ashamed to look weak and foolish because He knew that was the only way He could save us from our sins. So He did what He had to do: Jesus gave up His life on the cross to redeem us.
Of all the “strong” and “wise” religions the world might invent, no other religion has an answer to our sinfulness. Only Jesus has saved us from our sin through His death on the cross. Truly what the world considers God’s foolishness is wiser than man’s wisdom and what the world considers God’s weakness is stronger than man’s strength because we gain eternal salvation through Jesus.
Prayer: Dear Lord, Jesus Christ, thank You for bringing joy to us in the world. May we delight in the peace that comes through the forgiveness of our sins. Amen.
© 2006 Lutheran Hour Ministries
These devotions have been written by Rev. Paul and Kaye Wolff. Rev. Paul Wolff is a 1996 graduate of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. He has served as a pastor in the Detroit area for 10 years. He and co-author wife, Kaye, live in Southfield, Michigan.
Kaye Dumas Wolff is Chairperson of the Black Ministry Church Planting Task Force and a Mission Affiliate of LCMS World Missions where she serves as a training facilitator for laity in evangelism and mission work. Kaye serves on the Advisory Council of the Ethnic Immigrant Institute of Theology of Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, and she is a presenter for Lutheran Hour Ministries’ Equipping to Share Workshop.
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Today's Bible Readings: Genesis 13-15 Matthew 5:1-26
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