Sermon for Pentecost 13, August 18, 2024
1 Corinthians 2:6-16 6Yet we do speak wisdom among
those who are mature, but it is not a wisdom of this world or of the rulers of
this world, who are being reduced to nothing.
7Instead we speak God’s wisdom that has been hidden in
mystery―before the ages, God
foreordained that this wisdom would result in our glory. 8None of the rulers of this world
knew it. (If they had known it, they
would not have crucified the Lord of glory.)
9But as it is written: “What no eye has seen and no ear has
heard and no human mind has conceived―that is what God has prepared for those who love him.” 10But God revealed it to us
through his Spirit. For the Spirit
searches all things, even the depths of God.
11Indeed, who among men knows a man’s thoughts except the
man’s spirit within him? So also, no one
else knows God’s thoughts except God’s Spirit.
12What we received is not the spirit of the world, but the
Spirit who is from God, so that we might know the blessings freely given to us
by God. 13We also speak about
these things, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in words taught by the
Spirit, combining spiritual truths with spiritual words. 14However, an unspiritual person
does not accept the truths taught by God’s Spirit, because they are foolishness
to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually
evaluated. 15But the
spiritual person evaluates all things, and he himself is evaluated by no
one. 16Indeed, “Who has known
the mind of the Lord? Who will instruct
him?” But we have the mind of Christ. (EHV)
God’s
wisdom exceeds what man can imagine.
Dear brothers and sister redeemed by the blood of the Lamb,
The
Judeans of Jesus’ day considered themselves keepers of wisdom as they dreamed
of a return to the glories of David and Solomon’s kingdom. The Roman Empire of that time considered
itself to be the most powerful force on the planet and the leaders of that
kingdom confidently thought themselves smarter and wiser than any other people
around them.
In much the same way, the great thinkers of our
time believe themselves the holders of all that is wise and good. So much do they think of themselves that many
of them mock anyone who might be involved in the Christian faith. Some say religion is a crutch to get us through
our troubles. Some imagine us fools for
believing in what they consider myths and tall tales. Yet, there remains one constant in all of
this—something that has not changed since Cain wandered the earth searching for
some purpose after being cursed by God for his wicked murder of his brother and
rebellion against God’s wisdom—that one thing is this, God’s
wisdom exceeds what man can imagine.
Throughout the course of human existence,
mankind has tried to find wisdom, success, and power in his own
understanding. We see this today as
scholars and scientists routinely imagine great thoughts for how this world
came to be, though the Bible clearly shows that their ideas are figments of
their overactive imaginations. Even as
these men and women discover more and more of the mysteries of how this world
works, most of them still miss the hand of the Creator behind everything in
this world. Archeologists search and dig
for clues to explain what happened in the past and predict what we might expect
in the future, but again, their imaginations far exceed their abilities.
Now, there is nothing wrong with their
searching for the mysteries of creation except that they rule out the clear
truth that God is the force and Creator of everything in the universe. Furthermore, mankind has never been able to
discover the true purpose behind our lives and everything we deal with in this
world. As Paul explains by the
inspiration of the Spirit, “What no eye has seen and no ear has heard and no
human mind has conceived―that is what God has
prepared for those who love him.”
You see, dear friends, there is more to life
than existing on this planet until we die.
God created us to live, and to have a relationship with Him that lasts
forever. God created us to have a people
He could care for, and He created this world so we would have a place to live
and meaningful work for our lives.
Part of what confuses the human mind is that
things changed drastically when Adam and Eve fell into sin. No longer was there peace and harmony in
God’s creation. No longer was man at
peace with God. In fact, mankind began
to fear God and be terrified of His judgement because we all fell under the
curse of sin which is death. We lost our
likeness to God’s perfect image. We lost
the ability to do His will. We lost the
knowledge of His perfect love. Then,
when mankind’s wickedness grew to unbearable limits, God destroyed the world
with a flood that altered earth’s entire landscape completely. Thus, the more people try to live without
God, the more confused they become.
Therefore, unbeknownst to the natural man, Jesus
came into this world to restore what we lost in the fall. He came into this world to make us right with
God, to take away the curse of sin by becoming sin for us, (2 Corinthians 5:21)
and to live righteous holiness in our place so that God could count us as if we
had never sinned at all. The leaders of
the Jews and Roman authorities had no understanding of God’s plan to save us,
yet their devious hatred for God’s Son led to them carrying out the death that gives
us life. This is what Paul is talking
about in our text.
As Paul proclaimed the Good News of all Jesus
had done to save us from eternal damnation, many people rejected the teachings
as incomprehensible. Today, just like it
has been throughout history, God’s Word cannot be comprehended apart from the
work of the Holy Spirit. At the same
time, we rejoice, because the Spirit works through that Word of grace to give
us understanding of God’s salvation plan and work. It is the Spirit working in us through the
Gospel that opens our eyes and our minds to the truth of salvation by faith in
Jesus Christ—all because God’s wisdom exceeds what
man can imagine.
Now, in the kingdom of the world, none of this
makes any sense at all. Natural man
assumes that he must do something to please and satisfy whatever god he
trusts. Yet, the harder he tries, the
further he gets from the salvation that is granted only by grace through faith. Therefore, like Paul and his fellow apostles
sent out by Jesus, “We preach Christ crucified—which is offensive to Jews and foolishness to Greeks, but
to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and
the wisdom of God. We preach Christ
crucified, because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness
of God is stronger than men.” (1 Corinthians 1:23-25)
No human thought could ever devise such a plan
to save foolish sinners from the judgment and condemnation we all deserved, but
God is not merely a just God, He also loves us with an unending love that
desires to save us from our own foolishness.
Of course, no matter how hard we might have
tried to discover God and to reconcile ourselves with Him, we lacked any kind
of ability to do so. Accordingly, God
sent out His messengers to bring us the message of life. With His Spirit working through and by the
Gospel, God changes us from the foolishness of our own thinking to possessors
of true wisdom and the gift of forgiveness and salvation. The Gospel becomes both the means and the
truth that gives us faith in Jesus.
Here, Paul wrote, “What we received is not
the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we might know
the blessings freely given to us by God.”
The blessings God’s Spirit has brought to us have given us understanding
that worked our faith in all that Jesus has done to reconcile us with God. That means that having heard the prophecies
of the Old Testament that point to Jesus as the Savior of the world, and then
hearing how Jesus has fulfilled those prophecies with His life, death, and resurrection,
we were taught the wisdom of God which gives us life.
No plan we might have devised would have
satisfied God’s righteous judgment and still brought us reconciliation and everlasting
life. God’s plan, however, works
perfectly for His purpose, because His own dear Son took on our guilt and paid
the price for us all with His death on the cross. Therefore, the demand of the Law is
satisfied, and by the power of the Father in heaven, Jesus was raised from the
dead to live forever. For His commitment
to His Father’s will and amazing sacrifice, Jesus is now granted authority to
judge and rule the world for those who believe in Him.
Dear friends, for the natural mind, there is a
lot of mystery in God’s plan of action.
Yet, God is not confused, nor is He diminished by the grace He has shown
us. In fact, God glorifies Himself by
being the salvation we need to be reconciled with Him. Thus, just as He intended from the beginning,
we now have a relationship of peace with our Creator, and God has provided
everything we have needed to dwell safely with Him both now and in eternity.
Because of the life, death, and resurrection of
God’s Son, Jesus Christ, and by the faith in Him worked in our hearts by the
Holy Spirit, you and I possess the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Through the washing grace of the water and
Word of Baptism, we are cleansed of all that God would find detestable, and by
His holy will, we have been adopted into His family, with all the privileges of
those who inherit the victory Jesus won for all on the cross.
May the Holy Spirit, by the Gospel in Word and
Sacrament, continue to strengthen your hope and confidence in God’s salvation
work so that when Jesus returns to judge the world, He will welcome you into
everlasting glory. All, because God’s
wisdom exceeds what man can imagine.
Amen.
Amen. Blessing
and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and might belong to our God
forever and ever. Amen.
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