If you caught my husband’s most recent Pioneer column you met Diva, our 13-year-old Bichon Frise. Mike compared Diva’s adoration for us to the adoration we should have for our Master. Perhaps you were touched by Mike’s description of Diva lounging among our shoes or nesting in a jacket. She is adorable. And when I come home after a long day, it’s like she’s been fixed in place, just waiting for my return. How touching is that?
While Diva is a loving and faithful companion, the one thing Mike did not mention is that she’s not real smart. It’s OK…I’ll choose faithful and affectionate over intelligent any day. But sometimes I do wish she could figure out how to get the kibble from under the table without needing me to move the chairs around.
She doesn’t understand much of what I say to her. I don’t think it’s selective hearing…she’s just not very bright. She picks up certain words: “walk,” “outside,” and “go to bed.” Other than that, I’m sure my speech pretty much resembles that of Charlie Brown’s teacher’s: “mwa mwa mwa.” My lips are moving and something’s coming out, but to Diva it’s all gibberish.
To the people of ancient Corinth, much of what the Apostle Paul had to say was gibberish…nonsense. Paul came to the busy Greek trading city to share the gospel with the mostly Gentile population. He taught about the freedom of life in Christ—the Jewish Messiah who came to save the world. He preached about Jesus’ death on the cross and subsequent resurrection. He asked people to accept the Good News and experience the new life for themselves.
It was a difficult sell in a cosmopolitan city that celebrated Greek philosophy and a culture of “wisdom.” Though not a scholarly city, philosophers were plentiful—each with their own conclusions regarding the world’s problems. And into this enlightened society, Paul brought the word of the cross (1 Corinthians 1:18)—so much mwa, mwa, mwa. To people who celebrated the power and wisdom of gods such as Kratos and Athena, the God of Israel was insignificant. How could an Almighty God allow His Savior to die the death of the lower class? The Roman cross was reserved for criminals and slaves—not the Son of God. That was simply foolishness.
Some, however, heard Paul’s message and believed. It made no logical nor reasonable sense, yet they saw this weakest, most foolish moment as the moment God sacrificed for them. And this, of course, revealed God’s strength and wisdom. In allowing Himself to be seen as weak and foolish, He attracted intelligent but needy Corinthians.
God’s message of salvation through the cross remains so much mwa, mwa, mwa today. With our superior systems of knowledge and access to information, we do not accept what we cannot explain. And we cannot explain a God who allows war and hunger and the sexual exploitation of children. We cannot explain a God who allows suffering through cancer and AIDS. To call Him a loving God is simply foolishness…according to the world’s wisdom.
Yet, there are some who do believe. They believe God loved this world so much that He allowed His Son to die to save it. He allowed Himself to be weak, and Jesus offered no resistance when arrested. He permitted Himself to be foolish, and Jesus submitted to torture and death. It’s an outlandish story…but many believe it.
God is well pleased through the foolishness of the message to save those who believe (1 Corinthians 1:21). It really doesn’t matter whether we think God is foolish or weak. The truth is He saves those who believe. The evidence of His wisdom and power is displayed by their lives—renewed, restored, and changed lives. It pleases God when we break through the mwa, mwa, mwa and believe.
