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Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany
6 February 2011
1 Corinthians 2:1-12
The apostle comes preaching! Paul, that is! And he doesn’t come as a show off! Doesn’t want anyone in the congregation saying: “What a preacher that Paul is!” Paul doesn’t want anyone paying attention to him or his style of preaching. “When I came to you, brethren,” he says, “I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom. I wasn’t trying to be clever or imaginative! Wasn’t trying to wow you with preacher Paul! I’m not here to show off my speaking skills.”
Paul would have us listen to the content of his preaching. Listen to the words. Not pay attention to the man. Focus too much on the preacher and you’ll get distracted. After all, Paul says he preached “in weakness, fear, and trembling.” Paul’s preaching style … shall we dare say it? Yes, let’s! It was a bit shaky! Not much of a performance. The church big wigs of today probably wouldn’t allow Paul to preach in any congregation. “Weakness, fear, trembling!” Preachers like that today don’t get calls or their calls are forcibly taken away from them!
Weakness. Fear. Trembling. No drama. Not very witty. So I guess Paul must not have had anything worthwhile to say, right? Shall we take a vote? And rescind Pastor Paul’s call to preach to us ever again in such “weakness, fear, and trembling”?
Better hold our horses! Better not pull the trigger yet. After all, the content of Paul’s preaching may just surprise us. Do you remember what he always preached? What he proclaimed Sunday after Sunday, month after month, year after year?
It was this: “I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.”
There you have it! Paul preaches Jesus. And not just any Jesus – BUT THE JESUS who suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried! “I resolved to know nothing while I was with you -- except Jesus Christ -- and him crucified.”
Oh come on Paul! Isn’t that a stretch? You can’t possibly believe that you can run a church on just that kind of preaching can you? A crucified and dead Jesus? Is that all? Are you kidding? You really can’t expect that to be the answer to everything, can you? That’s real mature Paul! NOT!
That’s not going to get you, anyone, or the church anywhere in the world! The church, let alone, you and me, can’t rely on such foolishness! Such weakness! Such helplessness! Let’s be adults here Paul. Let’s survey the smartest people out there. Hire the best consultants. Hold a summit. Get the brightest and most innovative techniques and ideas! Wrack our brains! Look deep inside ourselves! We can come up with something! Something much better than what you always preach Paul! We’ve taken a vote! Preach something else Paul! Or we’ll ask you to leave and never come back!
Paul remains in the pulpit. Won’t get out! Digs in his heels! And most of all he won’t change the sermon. Even if it means the end of his ministry!
After all, faith cannot live on human wisdom. Human innovation, human skills – human improvement – human potential – human cleverness -- when it comes to the salvation job – must be eliminated! All the insights, astuteness, acumen and intelligence of humans must – BE PUT TO DEATH! That’s right, I said it! PUT TO DEATH! Why? Because the old Adamic nature in all of us won’t trust God’s promises. Because the old Adamic nature in us is so curved in on itself! As if we can speak a better word to ourselves! Like we’re gods unto ourselves! Like that’s real mature!
And that’s precisely why God sends a preacher. Like Paul! To save us from ourselves! From our idolatry! From death! From hell! From God’s wrath! Through the preaching of Christ Jesus and Him crucified!
“I preach Jesus Christ AND HIM CRUCIFIED!” Paul proclaims. “Jesus hanging dead on the cross is God’s power! God’s wisdom! To save sinners! An entire world full! You and me! So I preach Christ crucified,” St. Paul says, “for you and for your salvation! Christ’s blood! Christ’s sacrifice! He is your substitute in the game of salvation. You’ve been benched! Jesus steps up to the plate! And He hits the homerun! The walk off grand slam! The salvation game is over! Christ crucified! Christ crucified! The power and wisdom of God! For you!”
The preaching of Christ crucified for you is the Holy Spirit-filled Word that calls you to faith in Jesus. In such preaching the old Adamic self is put to death. And the new creation of faith is called to life. Death! Resurrection! God kills in order to make you alive – through the good news that Jesus, the Lord of glory -- died for you! He has redeemed you a lost and condemned person!
He’s interrupted your lives. Invaded your existence. With His Good Friday death! The old has passed away. Behold the new has come. Through faith in Christ crucified. Anyone who is in Christ crucified is a new creation! That’s you! The Holy Spirit has called you to faith and salvation by the Gospel. He has buried you with Christ through baptism into death – the Good Friday one – that counts for your salvation.
So when it comes to salvation would you ever stop the preacher from preaching Christ crucified? Well, would you? Would you put all your confidence – all your faith – in man’s wisdom?
Don’t even go there! After all, the preaching of Christ crucified is enough! Enough to save sinners. And you and I qualify as sinners! And it is for sinners such as you and me that Jesus bestows His Good Friday crucified Body and Blood in the Sacrament with the bread and wine. And with that He makes a promise. And it is this: your sin is forgiven. All sin. Total forgiveness. Total salvation.
So it’s no surprise that when you go to church -- biblical and apostolic preaching is this: “I resolved to know nothing while I was with you -- except Jesus Christ -- and him crucified.”
Happy believing in crucified Jesus. He’s the Savior. What joy!
In the Name of Jesus.