Wise by the Spirit

I Corinthians 2:And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. 2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3 And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, 4 and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

We saw yesterday that Paul was addressing this church plagued with division. Part of the problem was that some people thought they were so smart - that they knew more than others and experienced more than others, therefore everyone should listen to them. It was especially bad because they had divided into little camps of opposition.  Paul starts right out in this chapter contrasting that with His approach.  The key is to make sure our trust is in God, and the power and wisdom of His Spirit, not in men.  He goes on to show that it is only by the Spirit that we can know the heart and plan of God. Spiritual things cannot be comprehended or apprehended by men without the Spirit of God within, and that only happens when we have humbly put our trust in Christ, Who humbled Himself on our behalf.   

Not So Smart

I C

orinthians 1:26 For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. 30 And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

As Paul wrote to this troubled church at Corinth, be began as usual with what He was thankful for: that God by His grace had poured a lot into that church.  But he also wasted not time addressing his concerns about their disunity.  He appealed to them to prevent divisions by focusing on the wisdom of Christ. They had been choosing sides in a debating match between various parties, and things were beginning to smell very arrogant. Just as fractured marriages are due to selfishness and pride, so are divided churches. Paul told them that they had nothing to be proud about or take trust in except for Christ. Given that fact, they were to stop and consider what He had called them to: humbly following Christ and His wisdom; taking the humble path, and working together with fellow believers. May we do the same. 

What He Had Said All Along...

 Luke 24:44 Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46 and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, 47 and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things.

This chapter is Luke's account of the resurrection.  He pictures the followers of Jesus as bewildered after the events surrounding the Crucifixion, and even lacking clarity after the Resurrection.  The fog was lifted after Jesus appeared to the two on the way, and later to the fuller gathering of disciples.  Jesus not only reminded them of what He had been saying all along, but also helped them put more pieces of the puzzle together concerning His life, ministry, and atoning work. This helped them understand what they were to do. In the same way, the more we allow Him to teach us and trust Him to lead us, we will know what way to go.

To the Everlasting God

 Psalm 90:12 So teach us to number our days
    that we may get a heart of wisdom.
13 Return, O Lord! How long?
    Have pity on your servants!
14 Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love,
    that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.

This psalm by Moses begins a new section of The Psalter.  He begins with reflecting on the eternity of God and the brevity of life here on earth.  God is rightfully angry at man's neglect to recognize His eternal power and glory, let alone his refusal to live by His rightful instructions for His creation. That all leads to the request above: for God to give us perspective, wisdom, and most of all, contentment with how and why He made us in the first place.  The goal is for us to live life under God's favor and blessings, trusting that He knows what is best and truly has good in store, both in this life and throughout eternity. 

The Song of Steadfast Love

 

Psalm 89:13 You have a mighty arm;
    strong is your hand, high your right hand.
14 Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne;
    steadfast love and faithfulness go before you.
15 Blessed are the people who know the festal shout,
    who walk, O Lord, in the light of your face,
16 who exult in your name all the day
    and in your righteousness are exalted.

Psalm 89 is a major musical masterpiece, one of the longer of the psalms. It begins with a chorus of praise to the Lord for His steadfast love. The writer then goes on to call the heavens to join him in praising God for all his demonstrations of that steadfast love, which reveal His very character. Included are the ways God has gained victory for His people, and especially His choosing the line of David for His blessing. But in the middle of the psalm, the psalmist transitions to the "but ifs..."  The people could forfeit all these blessings by their disobedience and rebellion.  In fact, that is exactly what they have done, so the psalmist concludes by calling out to God in the midst of their suffering and asking that He once again show His steadfast love. 

"Teamwork"

Luke 23:6 When Pilate heard this, he asked whether the man was a Galilean. 7 And when he learned that he belonged to Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him over to Herod, who was himself in Jerusalem at that time. 8 When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad, for he had long desired to see him, because he had heard about him, and he was hoping to see some sign done by him. 9 So he questioned him at some length, but he made no answer. 10 The chief priests and the scribes stood by, vehemently accusing him. 11 And Herod with his soldiers treated him with contempt and mocked him. Then, arraying him in splendid clothing, he sent him back to Pilate. 12 And Herod and Pilate became friends with each other that very day, for before this they had been at enmity with each other.

The Jewish leaders had brought Jesus to Pilate to seek a legal conviction and sentence, but Pilate found no reason for one.  But he was more than willing to jump on the bandwagon and mock Jesus, a Jew. He also offered Herod a part in the fun.  But then the Jews demanded more than Pilate had gambled on, demanding Jesus' death. Pilate was hesitant to join with them, but, to be a good "team  player," ended up doing so.  The crowds seemed more than happy to join in, cheering for their team... and against Jesus. One exception to this teamwork was the one criminal, who refused to join in the mocking with his cohort, and instead asked for forgiveness.  Finally, the torture and the cross did their one-two punch and Jesus died.  Following His death some friends and some women joined together, as a team, to make sure Jesus received a respectful burial.  

Plotting and Planning

Luke 22:35 And he said to them, “When I sent you out with no moneybag or knapsack or sandals, did you lack anything?” They said, “Nothing.” 36 He said to them, “But now let the one who has a moneybag take it, and likewise a knapsack. And let the one who has no sword sell his cloak and buy one. 37 For I tell you that this Scripture must be fulfilled in me: ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors.’ For what is written about me has its fulfillment.” .

Jesus had shamed the Jewish leaders in their attempts to shut Him down, and He was ever increasing in popularity and influence with the people, so they began to plot and plan a way to get rid of Him once and for always.  The paragraph shows how they pulled Judas into their plan, leading to Him making plans of his own. But Jesus had also been planning a plot of His own: how to picture for them what He was about to do; the Passover served as the best backdrop for understanding His sacrifice for our sins. Meanwhile, the rest of the disciples were plotting and planning how they could have highest position in the Kingdom, and Peter was sure he could outdo them all.  In the passage above, Jesus points them to the Master plan, the plan of the Father: it would supersede any plans of the disciples or Jesus' opponents. Jesus then went to the garden, where He talked with the Father, fully submitting to that plan. The Jewish leaders then carried out their plot, taking Him into custody, allowing their officers to carry out their plan of humiliating Jesus until they could carry out their planned fake trial the next day. Things were going according to plan...