Tuesday, September 15, 2026
1 Corinthians 1:18-24
18 The message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written,
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”
20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scholar? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, God decided, through the foolishness of the proclamation, to save those who believe. 22 For Jews ask for signs and Greeks desire wisdom, 23 but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to gentiles, 24 but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
I love the playful way Paul plays with the paradox of the cross. The foolishness of the cross is the very power of God, and even as a foolish power or wisdom, it is ever greater than the greatest wisdom we as broken humans can achieve. But if this wisdom is considered foolish, then is not considered a failure? This is how we understand foolishness in our world. Whenever we are made a fool in our human wisdom, or lack thereof, we feel as though we’ve failed. Foolishness can taste like the bitter and salty tears that stream down our faces when we are ashamed by our failure.
But perhaps Paul and Jesus are calling us to an experience of foolishness in the message of the cross we have not yet considered. One that encourages us to move past our own foolish desires of having wisdom greater than our God (or anyone else for that matter), we can embrace the foolishness of our God dying on a cross for us. Why would a God, so powerful, so almighty, do something as foolish as sending his one and only Son to cross?
Of course, as Christians we reconcile God’s wisdom, God’s action by proclaiming that it was the necessary act of God bearing the weight and responsibility for our sins...but was there no other way? We can ask these questions all day long, but the lesson of our reading today, is that what seems foolish to us is the truly wisdom of God beyond our wildest imagination. How mysterious. How amazing.
– Pr. Kyle
God of wisdom, give us strength to embrace what seems foolish in this world but bears witness to wisdom of your love and mercy. Help us grow closer to you and your witness through our prayer and service. Amen.