A Big Stumbling Block

For to those who are perishing the message of the cross is foolishness, but to us who are being saved it is God’s power. For it is written:
I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and I will set aside the understanding of the experts.
Where is the philosopher? Where is the scholar? Where is the debater of this age? Hasn’t God made the world’s wisdom foolish? For since, in God’s wisdom, the world did not know God through wisdom, God was pleased to save those who believe through the foolishness of the message preached. For the Jews ask for signs and the Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles. Yet to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is God’s power and God’s wisdom, because God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.
(1 Corinthians 1:18-25 HCSB ©®)

The message of Christ is a stumbling block to people who prefer the misguidance of karma’s power being overcome by good works, or late Roman mythology deceiving followers into believing in the strength of the priesthood of the church or in the weight of penance to cover sin. For those of us who want unending grace when our children fail, and fierce judgment when others’ children fail, the payment for all of it on the cross makes a mess of our accounting procedures.

God’s foolishness regarding His tolerance of our pretense of wisdom is far more wise than even our genuine wisdom when ours actually happens to appear. Wisdom that is from above is true. Other wisdoms, which are earthly, carnal and devilish, aren’t just without value – they are costly.

Jesus loves you. He wants to lead you into abundant life. It might not make sense.