APRIL FOOLS -- FOOLS FOR CHRIST
I Corinthians 1:18-31
"Wise men say, 'only fools rush in,' but I can't help falling in love with you..."*
Interesting that this year the beginning of Lent, Ash Wednesday, fell on February 14, Valentine's Day, a holiday celebrating love, and ends with Easter on April Fools Day, a time for practical jokes, humor and all kinds of foolishness. But then, the world does consider the wisdom of the cross foolishness. So let us rejoice and be fools for Christ!
"Hey, Lane," called my one of my co-workers, "Tom is on line one for you." Sure it was my husband, Tom, I picked up the phone and said, "Hi, sweetie! How's my hunka-hunka burning love doing today?" Silence followed, and then a male voice I didn't recognize said, "Um, ah, this is Tom from Sir Speedy Printing."
We've all done something stupid, embarrassed ourselves, and maybe even something that seemed foolish for the sake of someone we cared about. Some people might think we're foolish for believing in all this stuff about Jesus. From the world's perspective, the wisdom of the cross must look foolish to a lot of people.
First of all, God so loves all human beings, freely and unconditionally. In a world where there is no such thing as a free lunch, that alone is a hard concept to get our heads around. God sends his only son, not in the heavenly glory of a divine warrior king to save the world, but in human flesh as a helpless baby, born into poverty in the region of Galilee which has the reputation of being a place from which nothing good every comes from.
As Jesus begins his ministry, it is evident to all the right-thinking religious people and leaders that Jesus is crazy. He hangs out with all the wrong people, openly breaks sabbath law, heals leapers, gentiles and women, and has the audacity to believe he has the authority to (gasp) forgive people. In other words, he did the unthinkable, touched the untouchable, loved the unlovable and gave hope to the hopeless through compassion and mercy, all for the sake of love for people like us.
Foolishly, he publicly rode into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey and into the hands of his executioners. Offering no resistance, he was betrayed by his friends, mocked, tortured and put to death in the most humiliating and painful way the Romans could conceive.
And on the third day, God raised him from the dead. It was the greatest expression of God's love for all humanity, and a gift freely given, so that those who choose to believe in Christ are baptized into Christ's death and resurrection and into new life and eternal life.
Through Christ, we are a loved and forgiven people, no matter what, no matter how many times we may fail. And because of that, I can't help falling in love, again, and again, every day with this wonderful Savior.
So, yes, call me a fool for Christ, because I believe that the death of a Jew hundreds of years ago can save me and millions today and transform the world.
Yes, I believe God raised Jesus from the dead and has the power and authority to keep all of God's promises of love and bring redemption and value to human life and salvation to the world.
Yes, I believe I have done nothing to deserve such love and forgiveness, and that the action of God's love in the world is feely offered to me and to you. It's not true that you get what you pay for.
With Jesus, we get far more than we deserve. Praise God!
And I know that we are forgiven daily and daily called to look foolish to the world as we make a difference as agents of God's transforming love.
Are you a fool for Christ? Thank God if you are and say amen!
*"Can't Help Falling in Love," lyrics by Hugo Peretti, Luigi Creatore and George David Weiss, based on the romance song,"Plaisir d'amour," by Jean-Paul-E'gide Martini (1784); released in 1961.
"Wise men say, 'only fools rush in,' but I can't help falling in love with you..."*
Interesting that this year the beginning of Lent, Ash Wednesday, fell on February 14, Valentine's Day, a holiday celebrating love, and ends with Easter on April Fools Day, a time for practical jokes, humor and all kinds of foolishness. But then, the world does consider the wisdom of the cross foolishness. So let us rejoice and be fools for Christ!
"Hey, Lane," called my one of my co-workers, "Tom is on line one for you." Sure it was my husband, Tom, I picked up the phone and said, "Hi, sweetie! How's my hunka-hunka burning love doing today?" Silence followed, and then a male voice I didn't recognize said, "Um, ah, this is Tom from Sir Speedy Printing."
We've all done something stupid, embarrassed ourselves, and maybe even something that seemed foolish for the sake of someone we cared about. Some people might think we're foolish for believing in all this stuff about Jesus. From the world's perspective, the wisdom of the cross must look foolish to a lot of people.
First of all, God so loves all human beings, freely and unconditionally. In a world where there is no such thing as a free lunch, that alone is a hard concept to get our heads around. God sends his only son, not in the heavenly glory of a divine warrior king to save the world, but in human flesh as a helpless baby, born into poverty in the region of Galilee which has the reputation of being a place from which nothing good every comes from.
As Jesus begins his ministry, it is evident to all the right-thinking religious people and leaders that Jesus is crazy. He hangs out with all the wrong people, openly breaks sabbath law, heals leapers, gentiles and women, and has the audacity to believe he has the authority to (gasp) forgive people. In other words, he did the unthinkable, touched the untouchable, loved the unlovable and gave hope to the hopeless through compassion and mercy, all for the sake of love for people like us.
Foolishly, he publicly rode into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey and into the hands of his executioners. Offering no resistance, he was betrayed by his friends, mocked, tortured and put to death in the most humiliating and painful way the Romans could conceive.
And on the third day, God raised him from the dead. It was the greatest expression of God's love for all humanity, and a gift freely given, so that those who choose to believe in Christ are baptized into Christ's death and resurrection and into new life and eternal life.
Through Christ, we are a loved and forgiven people, no matter what, no matter how many times we may fail. And because of that, I can't help falling in love, again, and again, every day with this wonderful Savior.
So, yes, call me a fool for Christ, because I believe that the death of a Jew hundreds of years ago can save me and millions today and transform the world.
Yes, I believe God raised Jesus from the dead and has the power and authority to keep all of God's promises of love and bring redemption and value to human life and salvation to the world.
Yes, I believe I have done nothing to deserve such love and forgiveness, and that the action of God's love in the world is feely offered to me and to you. It's not true that you get what you pay for.
With Jesus, we get far more than we deserve. Praise God!
And I know that we are forgiven daily and daily called to look foolish to the world as we make a difference as agents of God's transforming love.
Are you a fool for Christ? Thank God if you are and say amen!
*"Can't Help Falling in Love," lyrics by Hugo Peretti, Luigi Creatore and George David Weiss, based on the romance song,"Plaisir d'amour," by Jean-Paul-E'gide Martini (1784); released in 1961.
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