The Message of the Cross

Read: 1 Corinthians 1:18-25

Here Paul provides a bridge from our study of the Old Testament this week into the message of Lent, which is the message of the cross. Paul sounds like the writer of Psalm 19 when he claims “the foolishness of our proclamation” as the work that he is doing in Christ’s service. For all of the wisdom which humankind might have obtained from studying the heavens and the law has not resulted in human understanding of who God is. “I Am Who I Am” has in Christ become the Wisdom Incarnate, in order to “save those who believe” (vs. 21). Paul’s job, and ours, is to proclaim that truth.

As a summary of Paul’s theology, and a defense of his ministry, verses 23 to 24 cut through to the heart of our call as Christians: “we proclaim Christ crucified…Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.” The paradox of the cross is its strength, made perfect in the weakness which God chose (“decided,” vs. 21) in order to share our powerlessness and redeem it by the power of suffering with us.

Our call to proclaim this is not so much a matter of preaching it, since these two verses are really all we need to say on the subject. Especially in Lent, we are called to witness to the power of Christ’s suffering on our behalf by following his example. We can’t do that by our own strength, but we can find God’s power in our own weakness.

Prayer:
O Word of God incarnate, O Wisdom from on high
O truth unchanged, unchanging, O Light of our dark sky,
You have taken our pain on yourself and given us the power to freely share the pain of others; help us to trust you to be saving us.
Amen.

Betsy Lunz