Lectionary, 1 Corinthians 1:18-31
Apostle Paul gave good advice to the Christians in Corinth. Knowing our bent toward the need to worship something, to talk up (or down,) something, or someone, he told them how to use their energy in a way that would count. ‘If you’re going to blow a horn, blow a trumpet for God!’ Within us all is the need to know and worship the power higher than ourselves. It shows up in our appetite for hero stories, superhero movies, and American Idols. It shows up in archeology- idols have been discovered from every age and nation.
But Paul reminds us that it is in the lifting up of Christ, who was exalted by being lifted up on the cross, that the energy ‘spent’ on lifting him up is not energy lost, but energy invested in an eternal kingdom.
In the preceding verses, Paul recognizes the futility of diluting our energy for God by spending it on talking up or down our religious subgroups. Paul redirects their energy to the only one who died for them - Christ.
Our human efforts will one day be over. Effort we invested in many things will stop when our breathing does likewise. But our energies invested in lifting up Christ will bring about a harvest- a harvest that will go on forever. All our life energy, including the way we use our speech as a tool, is meant to be directed upward to Christ, and this will draw us together, and others to the Savior. Cheer the Hero! His name is Jesus!
