1 Corinthians 2:1-12
“When I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come proclaiming the mystery of God to you in lofty words or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified.” vss.1-2
Many contemporary evangelists have used a non-Pauline approach in the proclamation of God’s mysteries. By using market surveys they can discover the needs and desires of their prospective audience…and then they craft a message that meets those needs…and the results are impressive. Thousands come to hear the songs of praise and revel in the preacher’s ear-pleasing words of wisdom. Seldom will there be a focus on the crucifixion…it’s too depressing for modern sensibilities. Good Friday is glossed over in the presentation…often it’s totally subsumed in a massive Easter gathering. Paul had a different style…and it really wasn’t a crowd-pleaser. He came with fear and trembling with a simple message about the messiah who was crucified. He worried that his listeners would disregard his message because it didn’t make any sense…but he stubbornly went ahead and preached it anyway. Not everyone listened…but those who did caught a vision of God that defies human understanding. In his focus on the cross, Paul spoke directly to suffering human hearts and revealed the love of our hidden and mysterious God. Paul knew that we can’t really rise with Christ unless we have first died with him.
Thought for the Day: What does it mean “to die with Christ”?
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