The Fifth Sunday after Epiphany
February 5, 2017
I Corinthians 1:26-31
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 wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.” (NIV1984)
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
Have you ever known someone who likes to boast? Perhaps they boast about their athletic abilities or their physical attributes. Perhaps they make sure everyone knows about how successful they are or all the important people they know. They make a big deal out of the house they live in or the car they drive or the expensive vacations they take. How do you react when you cross paths with that person— whether it is at work or at school, at a party or in the grocery store? Do you relish the opportunity to hear all about Joe’s newest toy or Sally’s latest promotion? Probably not. In fact, you may even try to avoid them so that you don’t get stuck listening to them boast— yet again.
There are times, however, when we don’t mind listening to someone boast. Here I’m thinking of all the times that we have listened to someone tell us all about their children or their grandchildren— how proud they are of what their children have accomplished and how much fun it is to have their grandchildren come visit them. While they may indeed be boasting— it is a “good” boasting!
As you and I continue our sermon series on the subject of God’s will, this morning the Holy Spirit focuses our attention on the topic of boasting. For that reason let’s study this text under the theme: God’s Will for You— Be Boastful! There are two central truths contained in these inspired words of our God. First, let’s see how these words reveal to us that God’s will for you is that you “boast”— but not in yourself. Second, let’s see how these words reveal to us that God’s will for you is that you “boast in the Lord.”
It is not difficult for us to picture the face of someone who likes to boast about themselves— who they are and what they have, what they have accomplished and what they are able to do. Sometimes the face we picture might even be the face we see in the mirror! Yes, my friends, even we are tempted to boast about ourselves! God’s will for us His children, however, is that we do not boast about ourselves. Why? Because as Christians we know that on our own, by nature, we have nothing to boast about! Look at how the Holy Spirit brings that truth out in the opening verse of our text. He has Paul write, “Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many of you were influential; not many were of noble birth.”
As God’s people in Corinth looked around at their brothers and sisters in the faith they saw pretty much the same thing you and I see as we look around at God’s family of believers here in our congregation. By in large we see regular ordinary people! While we do indeed have a number of very well educated and very successful members here in our church, I am not sure how many of us will ever be listed in “Who’s Who in America.”
The same principle holds true for the Christian church down through the ages. Even the Lord’s very first disciples were— humble fishermen and a tax-collector. When we look at the people in our society today who are widely acclaimed to be “wise” or “influential” or “of noble birth” how many of them openly proclaim their faith in Jesus as this world’s only Savior from sin? How many of them boldly stand up to defend the Truth of holy Scripture?
Those who are considered “wise” by human standards, those who hold positions of “influence” and “power” in this world, those who are of “noble birth” all are all too often lined up against the Lord’s Christ and against the Truth of God’s holy Word. Do these people have something— anything— to boast about before God? The Holy Spirit answers that question when He has Paul say in our text, “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.”
The very heart of God’s Plan of Salvation for this world, the very core of the entire Christian faith is found right there— the cross on Calvary’s hill. As Paul brings out in the verses preceding our text for today the message of the cross of Jesus Christ is utter “foolishness” to those who do not have the gift of saving faith in their heart. (See I Corinthians 1:18-25) Think about it, my friends. Every time you lift up your eyes to this cross you are reminded of all your rebelliousness and all of your sins. Every time you lift up your eyes to this cross you see the punishment that you deserve to receive from God. Every time you lift up your eyes to this cross you realize that there is no work that you could ever possibly do, there is no choice, no decision that you could ever possibly make to save yourself from an eternity of suffering in the unquenchable fires of hell.
At the very same time, every time you lift up your eyes to this cross you are reminded of the fact that because you could not do anything to save yourself and because God’s love for you is so amazing and so deep and because the heavenly Father wants you to live in the glory and in the joy of His heavenly Home, God’s dearly beloved Son willingly suffered and died on that cross— for you! “It is finished!” “I have reached my goal!” (John 19:30) “Your sins are forgiven!” “Trust Me!” Jesus now says to all mankind. That’s the message that the world considers to be utter “foolishness.” And yet, that’s the message that carries us through the difficulties and the hardships of this life. That’s the message we will cling to with all our heart when we stand before the Judgment throne of God!
When the Judge of all mankind summons the “wise” man before His Judgment throne and asks him, “Why should I let you live in My heaven?”, will his or her worldly “wisdom” give them the only correct, the only acceptable answer to that question? When the Creator of the heavens and the earth summons the “powerful” and the “influential” person to give an account of everything they have said and everything they have done (See Matthew 12:36, 37; Romans 14:12; 2 Corinthians 5:10) will all of their earthly “power” and all of their earthly “influence” help them get admitted into heaven? When the “nobility” of this world are required to stand before the One who has been exalted to the “highest place” and given the “name that is above every name” (Philippians 2:9), will their “social status” here on this earth count for anything in eternity? All such questions are answered very clearly when Paul writes, “…so that no one may boast before him.” In the original Greek this statement is even more powerful, my friends. A literal translation of these words goes like this: “So that all flesh may never boast in the presence of or in the judgment of God.”
God’s will for you, my friends, is that you do indeed boast— but not in yourself! On our own we have nothing to boast about! What does God want you to boast about? Look at how the Holy Spirit answers that question in the closing portion of our text. He has Paul write, “It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God— that is our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: ‘Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.’”
God’s will for you, my friends, is that you do indeed “boast”— “boast in the Lord”! Why can you “boast in the Lord”? This portion of our text gives us two answers to that question. The first answer is found in the words, “It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus.” The only reason that you are “in Christ Jesus”, the only reason that you are a dearly beloved child of your heavenly Father is because of what the Lord Himself has done for you. Because of His grace and His power working in your heart through His holy Word and His holy Sacraments you now have every right to lay claim to all the wonderful amazing blessings that are found “in the sphere of Christ Jesus” your Lord. Is that a reason to “boast,” my friends — to “boast in the Lord”? It most certainly is!
The second answer to the question of why God’s will for you is that you “boast in the Lord” is found in the way Paul describes Jesus for us here in this text. He says concerning our Lord, “…who has become for us wisdom from God— that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.”
Because God’s grace and God’s power have brought us into “the sphere of Christ Jesus” we are now able to see and to understand, we are now able to believe and to rejoice in true “wisdom”— the “wisdom” that comes to us from God! And what does this “wisdom from God” reveal to us? What does this “wisdom from God” give to us? This “wisdom from God” reveals to us and gives to us, “righteousness, holiness and redemption.”
Take a moment to savor what that means, my friends. Even though the message of the cross is “foolishness to those who are perishing” the “wisdom” that comes to us “from God” reveals to you that through faith in what Jesus accomplished for you on the cross, the Lord God Himself has dressed you in a beautiful white robe of perfect “righteousness.” When the Lord looks at you, His children, He no longer sees the sins that you have committed, but rather He sees the “righteousness” that His Son, your Brother Jesus, won for you!
Even though the message of the cross is “foolishness to those who are perishing,” the “wisdom” that comes to us “from God” reveals to you that through faith in what Jesus has done for you (pointing to the cross) you now have the “holiness,” you now have the “perfection” that God requires to live in His heavenly Home. (See Leviticus 19:2; Matthew 5:48) You have been “washed clean” of all of your sins, you have been “purified” through the power of God working in Word and Sacrament. (See I Corinthians 6:11; Ephesians 5:25-28; Titus 3:3-7; I John 1:7) When you are summoned before the Judgment throne of God and He asks you, “Why should I let you live in My heavenly Home?” the “wisdom” that comes to you “from God” will enable you to give the only correct, the only acceptable answer to that question— “Because your Son died for me!”
Even though the message of the cross is “foolishness to those who are perishing,” the “wisdom” that comes to us “from God” enables you to look up at this cross and see God’s personal guarantee that you have been “redeemed,” you have been “bought back” from the power of sin, death and the devil “not with perishable things such as silver or gold…but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect” ( I Peter 1: 18, 19). Is this a reason to “boast,” my friends— to “boast in the Lord”? It most certainly is!
I am relatively confident that we all know someone who likes to boast about themself. I am also relatively confident that at one time or another we have all done a little boasting ourselves— some “good” and perhaps some not so “good.” My prayer this morning is that these words of Scripture will enable you to hear the voice of God the Holy Spirit as He says to you, “God’s will for you is— be boastful!” Don’t boast in yourself, however, but rather, “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord”!
To God be the glory!
Amen
