“Christ Jesus, Wisdom From God!”

“Christ Jesus, Wisdom From God;”(I Cor.1:26-31).
There is this tricky joke concerning the qualification of the teachers who taught the person who obtained the first Doctor of Philosophy.
In every community there is the royal family. Each country has either a President, King, Queen, Tsar, Emperor, Caesar, etc.
However, it is obvious that communities did not start with any stratification, so there was nothing like nobility and aristocrats.
“Every cloud has a silver lining.”
Even in today’s stratified settings everybody has an opportunity of becoming something from nothing.
Initially Israel was a theocracy – God ruled through the prophets. They admired the kings of neighbouring countries and asked Samuel, the last of the ruling prophets to give them a king. Samuel agued against it but God asked him to do what they wanted. That is how Saul was crowned their first king(I Sam.8:1-10:25). When grace departed from Saul, God asked Samuel to go and anoint one of Jesse’s son as king. Thinking humanly Samuel considered stature but God told him, “The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” So it is that God’s choice was David, the youngest of the sons of Jesse. We are told that when Samuel anointed David, “from that day on the Spirit of the LORD came upon David in power.”(I Sam.16:1-13). Once the LORD appoints, he anoints and empowers.
Indeed, we are all nothing, before God makes us something. This is the main reason why regardless of your high position you must remain humble. There is no reason why you have to boast.
Underlying the divisions in the Corinthian Church was probably a show of intellectual strength, and the ambition for power and authority. Paul reminded them of who they were before being called.
Those words speak to all of us who have been called and especially those who are in positions of authority. Take note that it can be any other person than you to occupy an office. Besides, nothing lasts forever.
So therefore “brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things – and the things that are not – to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us the wisdom from God – that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption…” So if you want to boast, boast in the Lord.
God will continue to astound us by taking the useless things and making them useful; in which case there is no reason to boast. Because whatever you are or become is the LORD’S doing.
Sunday prayer: Thank you LORD for making clay vessels useful in the midst of golden and silver vessels. Amen!
Have a blessed Sunday! Peace be with you!
Rev Babila Fochang.