Have you ever talked to someone, trying to tell them something important, and they looked at you like you had lost your mind? They responded like you were crazy, and a raving lunatic. Perhaps they put you down, spouting off with their supposed intellectual superiority. This often happens when Christians discuss salvation and the Bible with the lost, particularly if the person is more “intellectually minded”. The responses we get might cause us to hesitate in sharing the Gospel, for fear of being labeled a fool. In our Scripture passage today Paul addresses the topic of those who are wise in the eyes of the world, and who call the Gospel of Jesus Christ foolish. Let’s look and see who God thinks is truly wise and truly foolish.
When the intellectuals and worldly-wise hear the message of the Gospel, and that Jesus died upon the cross to save us, they scoff and reject that. They do not want a crucified Savior. If they want to believe in a God in this day and age, they want something that is inoffensive. One who shed His Blood to save man from their sins, doesn’t fit their ideas. The worldly-wise don’t like to hear about sin, and the need of a sacrifice for those sins. They feel that so much of the Bible is myth and fairy tales, and Christians who believe the Bible are weak-minded in their opinion. It is dangerous to trust in human intellect rather than trusting in God. Since we are not all-knowing or all-powerful, placing our confidence in man can lead to trouble. The message of the Cross is foolishness to the unsaved (vs. 18). It makes no sense to them because Satan has blinded their eyes to the truth.
Contrary to the words of intellectuals of this world, we have to come to God through only one way, and that is through the Cross of Jesus. All other ways lead to eternal destruction (Proverbs 16:25). We can spend our whole life gaining human wisdom and not accept Jesus as Savior. What good was all that knowledge? It did not gain us eternal life.
The Jewish people thought the Cross of Jesus was a stumbling block (vs. 22-24). They wanted a conquering Messiah/King, who would destroy their enemies and let them rule, not someone who would save them from their sins. The Greeks thought that a God who would die upon a cross for sins a foolish deity, not like their pantheon of mighty gods and goddesses.
Salvation through the Blood of Jesus shed on the Cross seems foolish to most people. Society worships power, fame, and wealth. Jesus came as a humble and poor man, who served others. He welcomes to His kingdom those who have faith in Him, not the powerful, wealthy, or beautiful. That seems foolish to the world, but we come to God through His Son, not our own means.
Ever since the days of the early church the world has wanted to eliminate the Cross of Jesus Christ. The world doesn’t want anyone to hear about the Cross. They don’t want the Gospel message of the sacrifice of Jesus’ Blood upon the Cross shared with others. They want us to take down the Cross. In response to this, we must never make the Gospel message “seeker friendly”, watering down the message. We must not soften our message, taking out the Cross, and that Jesus died for our sins, trying to make it seem more inviting.
Accepting Jesus might sound too simple and easy for many. They want to do something. “Foolish” people who accept Jesus are actually the wisest, because they are the ones who gain eternal life. No amount of human knowledge can bypass the Cross of Christ. If it could, only intellectuals could gain heaven, not ordinary people or children. Salvation is so simple, anyone can understand it. Just admit that you are a sinner who deserves God’s punishment, and that God paid that punishment upon Himself when Jesus died upon the Cross. Acknowledge that Jesus did that for you, and ask Him into your heart as your Savior. That is the message of the Cross for all.
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