The Wisdom of the Fool

1 Corinthians 1:23

…but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness,

True preachers of Christ are fools for Christ sake (1 Cor 4:10). Thus, the calling to proclaim Him is a path of humiliation. Too many are unwilling to forsake their positions in the world, or even in the church, to take up this cross and follow Him.

In truth, most wish they could have the world and Christ. This is unacceptable to both heaven and hell. The Jews demand one thing of us and the Gentiles demand something else. A third suitor is Christ. What is required by Him?

Because the world, blinded and enslaved by Satan, cannot comprehend the kingdom of God, that is, unless it is revealed by God, it requires an army of Christian soldiers to parade around the world trumpeting a message to persuade them (think Jericho). Clearly, our warfare is spiritual; therefore, our weapons are spiritual.

The sword of the Spirit is the Word of God.

The word of God is the wisdom of God, but the wisdom of God is considered to be foolishness by the world. Therefore, one who proclaims Christ, the wisdom of God, is identified as a fool. Many are called, but few are chosen for this high calling of being a fool.

Being a fool and having personal pride are incompatible. The way of Christ, for the faithful, is a downgrade. The temptation of pride and prideful affiliations is real, but pride is always the path to destruction.

Far better to join in the humiliations of Christ, so to gain His eternal glory, than to glory in the vain things of this life. The world will forsake you and then forget you; but Christ Jesus has promised to remember those before God the Father, who are not ashamed to mention Him before men.

Forsaking the futile, while engaging the eternal, is the meat of the wise fool. He is peculiar, almost a spectacle to be pitied by men of accomplishment. The more faithful he is, the more bizarre and misunderstood. Even the carnal church shuns him, as Israel did John the Baptist. The fool is not a company man. He is a voice crying in the wilderness.

The fool is no fool, however, because he knows whom he has believed. He is convinced. He is one thing in the world — a fool, but in heaven, he is quite another. He enters there with the title, “faithful.” Therefore, he lays down his life in this world to begin his life in the next. This makes him an alien, an outcast, despised and rejected by men.

Still, he pleads, “I am not ashamed!” He claims to possess the power of God in his proclamation, and you, too, would have to be a fool to believe what he says…but, some do…and that is the power of God. Thus, a few discover the fool was telling them the truth, and their lot is to join the fool in his foolishness.

Here is the wisdom of the fool: forsake the fleeting world and take hold of eternity. The world is seen, but eternity is unseen. Funny thing is that the fool claims he has eyes to see it. When asked how he can see it, he claims it was Jesus who opened his eyes, “I was blind, but now I see.”

Pity the man, who is blind, but claims he can see, but marvel at the fool who actually knows the name of the One who made Him to see. His name is Jesus Christ, and Him we proclaim, even if you think we are fools.

David Norczyk

Spokane Valley, Washington

January 30, 2022