Fools for Christ's Sake

 

Are you willing to be considered a fool, in the eyes of the world, for Christ's sake? Am I? By being fools for the sake of Christ, we are truly being wise.

"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose." -Jim Elliot

 

⁹ For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men.

 ¹⁰ We are fools for Christ's sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honourable, but we are despised.

 ¹¹ Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwelling place;

 ¹² And labour, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it:

 ¹³Being defamed, we intreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day.

1 Corinthians 4:9-13 KJV

 

In verse 9, Paul talks of the apostles being made spectacles. The spectacle idea here, was not a positive one. Paul applies this idea of being a spectacle, particularly to the apostles, but also to anyone who is a message bearer of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The majority of our spectators are not there to cheer us on; instead, they are throwing out taunts, stumbling blocks and trying to get us to falter.

 

Verses 10-13, are a series of contrasts between the apostles and the proud Corinthians (some of whom were believers) who ridiculed them. The beginning of verse 10 says "we are fools for Christ's sake". The apostles were fools for Christ; this doesn't mean they were really fools, only that they were treated as such because of the way they were living out their lives.

 

In verses 12 and 13, Paul speaks of how they (the apostles) were treated. Instead of returning evil for evil, they returned evil with good. They, like their Master, Jesus Christ, were rejected, defamed, and persecuted. This is something that is hard for us, as humans, to do because our flesh doesn't like NOT being well-liked or popular. But for the sake of Christ, are we willing to be called names and not be well liked? The only way we can be triumphant over our flesh, is to lean on Christ and trust Him. Only thru Him are we able to endure anything that comes our way.

 

May we always want to be fools for Christ, and reap the benefits by one day being able to go home and live with Him in Heaven!