For the word of the cross is folly 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, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly 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, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 1:18–31)This smacks my arrogance by saying that no one can know God by their own wits, wisdom or intellect. I know this. I remember many years of reading the Bible as a habit only. I could not understand it at all. It was a jumble of words to me until Christ came into my life. Only with Him and the Holy Spirit’s eye and heart-opening power did those words begin to make sense.
Nothing has changed. While God quickens the heart and gives new insight to the mind, apart from Him, I still cannot perceive truth or the will of God. I have nothing to be arrogant about.
Not only that, I was not and have never been a powerful person, nor am I of noble birth. It hurts to read that God chooses the foolish to shame the wise, the weak to shame the strong. I’d like to think myself wise and strong, but I am not.
Further, God chooses the low and despised, the nothings of this world to bring to nothing the things that are. As a Christian, I know a bit about being despised for what I stand for now, but this is not what this passage refers. This is about my status before salvation, about me being not really liked and of no account as a person.
My pride cringes at that too, but as I read the newspaper, it is clear that most of the people in the world have that attitude toward others. People are of little value, easily bought, sold or killed to satisfy the whims or desires of others more powerful, at least in the world’s view of powerful.
God’s value system is radically and diametrically opposite. For one thing, He has no pride. He knows who He is and does not need to boast. God is happy with being God and needs not to push others around to prove Himself. He also knows the weaknesses and futility of humanity. We make big plans and swagger as if we can do it all. The disasters of life, such as hurricanes, famines and stock market crashes, show that we are puny creatures.
Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against his Anointed, saying, “Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.” He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision. Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying, “As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.” I will tell of the decree: The LORD said to me, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.” (Psalm 2:1–9)God’s answer to the foolish arrogance of the world and to my pride is the Lord Jesus Christ. Because of God, I am in Christ, who is my only wisdom, a wisdom from God that is not my own. I cannot boast.
Jesus is also my righteousness, sanctification and redemption. He died and lived to save me from pride and all sin. That is why He says, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”
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Father, sometimes pride slides into my life and I do not even notice, at least until I trip over it. By grace, make me more aware so I can bring it to You in confession and repentance. It is better to be in harmony with the way You think about me even though that is shameful, than to think a lie and let sinful pride and lack of love rule my life.
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