A Rolling of the Eyes

Sometimes that's the goal. Sheer foolishness to expose the truth of the Gospel. St. Paul said that of the cross, it's foolishness, yet it makes sense when we believe.

God's ways are not our ways. In fact, if we were to learn God's ways, we wouldn't have to be so serious all the time. I'm not saying we should be flippant with God or take faith lightly. We need to be very serious about our faith, intentional about living for God, but we don't have to be somber about it. I believe that's one of the reasons the religious leaders didn't like Jesus, he was likeable, he was fun, he would tell stories that would make people giggle just before it sank in and they understood.

And the religious leaders would roll their eyes.

I get this a lot. And when I do it makes me think that I'm getting through, I'm doing my job, I'm pleasing Christ. A little foolishness for the sake of the Gospel. Once I was told that there are certain churches I probably wouldn't serve in this conference. My credentials were fine, but my pedigree might disqualify me. At first I was apalled. I couldn't believe this was even said. Then I thought about it and was relieved. There are places I don't want to go and mostly these places wouldn't want me anyway. Then again, there were certain places Jesus wasn't accepted either so I'm in good company!

I've met some wonderful people throughout my ministry, most of them without a religious education (many without any post-secondary education at all) yet with powerful testimonies of faith. God doesn't count us as somebodies because of who we are, but because of what we are. We may have a name in the community but that doesn't matter to God, what does our heart say?

"Take a good look, friends, at who you were when you got called into this life. I don't see many of 'the brightest and the best' among you, not many influential, not many from high-society families. Isn't it obvious that God deliberately chose men and women that the culture overlooks and exploits and abuses, chose these 'nobodies' to expose the hollow pretentions of the 'somebodies?' That makes it quite clear that none of you can get by with blowing your own horn before God. Everything that we have - right thinking and right living, a clean slate and a fresh start - comes from God by way of Jesus Christ. That's why we have the saying, 'if you're going to blow a horn, blow a trumpet for God.'" (1 Corinthians 1:26-31, The Message)

Jesus went to a cross, foolishness to the world, salvation for those who believe.

So go ahead, be a little foolish. And when people roll their eyes at you, know that Jesus got that look a lot. He's using us, just as we are to change the world.

Peace ><>
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