A Fool for Christ

            Most everyone who has made positive advancements in the world were called fools at some point- Galileo, Edison, Einstein, etc. And this makes sense- people often make fun of and mock what they don't understand. And of course, as a follower of Jesus Christ, I can identify with that. I am a fool, of course. I'm foolish enough to believe in a number of scientific and medical impossibilities simply because I believe in the God big enough to both set down the rules that govern our universe and our lives and exist outside of them Himself and thus perform miracles that we can only stand in awe of when we read about them in The Bible. I'm foolish enough to believe that God loved the world so much that He became one of us, being born at Christmas and growing up to die on the cross and rise again from the dead at Easter.
          And people thought Jesus was a fool too. But Jesus' willingness to identify with us and pay for our sins gave us access back to God. We can have salvation if we trust in Him with faith and trust and love Him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. But it takes a touch of folly to do that.
As Brennan Manning wrote, "The disciple of Jesus will be made to look and feel like a fool. Yet, fools for Christ formed the early church. And as that tiny band of believers grew, the world witnessed the power in such foolishness."
"I wish you would bear with me in a little foolishness. Do bear with me!" (2 Corinthians 11:1) (In fact, keep reading verses 16-33 while you're at it, if you want to see Paul's list of accomplishments that he casts aside as foolish because the only thing he can boast in is Jesus Christ.) But God uses the weak and foolish things of the world to confound and put to shame the strong and wise of the world. (See 1 Corinthians 1)
         Heed the cry of wisdom in the Proverbs. (See chapters 1-9 particularly.) Wisdom comes disguised as foolishness. If anyone thinks himself wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. (1 Corinthians 3:18-23)
As Rich Mullins sang, "Let Mercy lead- let Love be the strength in your legs- and in every footprint that you leave there'll be a drop of Grace. If we can reach beyond the wisdom of this age into the foolishness of God- well, that foolishness will save those who believe. Although their foolish hearts may break, they will find peace. And I'll meet you in that place where Mercy leads." ("Let Mercy Lead" by Rich Mullins)
         Of course, I know the natural man doesn't understand the spiritually discerned things, as 1 Corinthians 2:14 attests- for they are folly to him. How ironic that what seems like folly to the world at large is the very thing we must embrace in order to be saved- we must be willing to embrace folly in order to gain true wisdom. "For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." (1 Corinthians 1:18) Christ is indeed a stumbling block to the Jews and folly to the Greeks- but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks [i.e. Gentiles], Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. (see 1 Corinthians 1:21-25. Actually just read the whole chapter.)
          In the end, God's foolishness is still wiser than man's wisdom. What silly creatures we are! How stupid to think that we the created being should somehow know more and know better than the One who created us! We've just got a breath in our nostrils- that God gave to us- quit putting your trust in fallible human beings. (Isaiah 2:22) Put your trust in God, the Giver of all wisdom. (James 1:5) Look how foolish He was willing to be Himself- He was born as a human baby at Christmas, lived under the rule of Mary and Joseph and grew up for 33 years on Earth- experiencing all the joys, pains, sorrows, trials and temptations that come with living on a planet of sinful human beings. And Him the only righteous One in the whole bunch- He who was both God and man at once. And He submitted Himself to a corruption of justice and gave Himself over to the power of Pilate- and thus, the innocent died in the traitor's stead. And He rose victorious and regained His rightful position as fully God, reigning on high forever!
         "When we in our foolishness thought we were wise- He played the fool and He opened our eyes. When we in our weakness believed we were strong, He became helpless to show we were wrong. So we follow God's own fool- for only the foolish can tell. Believe the unbelievable and come be a fool as well." ("God's Own Fool" by Michael Card)
With the foolish abandon of a man who bets all he has to his name on what he thinks is a sure thing, may we also likewise put all our trust and all we have on the One who we know is a sure thing.
           "But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8)
That's what a fool believes, but it do be The Truth, brothers and sisters.

What If You Believe? (song)

The world is often dubious, brothers and sisters. The world is dubious of the claims of Christ and His followers. There are so many things that are listed as excuses. The world at large finds the tenets of Christianity to be only what a fool believes. Of course, if we're out of our minds, it's for Christ. And He takes the vain and foolish things of the world and confounds the wise. Yes, it may seem like foolishness to believe that God would love us all so much that He became a man and died on the cross for us and rose again in order that we might have forgiveness of sins and eternal life in Heaven instead of the eternal damnation in hell we deserve. But what if you believe what the world calls foolishness? Explore the evidence and truly consider the words of Christ- and you might find it making more and more sense minute by minute as God reveals Himself to you. This song talks about the encounters of Jesus with His first disciples and the miracles He showed to Nathanael and all the others who dared to believe. They left what they knew and believed on Christ. Now what if you believe?

"What If You Believe?"
(parody of "What A Fool Believes" performed by The Doobie Brothers and written by Kenny Loggins and Michael McDonald; copyright by Nathan Ludwick 2/11/2017)
(John 1)

He came in somewhere back 2000 years ago
The quintessential Yule log scene
Triune God is incarnate
Creator joins the created- Here comes Jesus Christ

His cousin's so wild-
Jesus' Messianic herald
Saw Him coming near- Johnny called out to say
"Behold, the Lamb of God
Who takes sins away"- Jesus!

They seek the place of the Christ
The Baptist's made ID twice
And disciples move there- (both) following
Son of God asks what they want to know
They're wanting to go

"Well, come and you will see"- They see
What wise men and the prophets all so longed to see
Andrew then leads
His own ol' brother (named Simon)
To Jesus Who calls Peter- fisher of men

Come way back in here- John 1- go!
Where in Galilee Jesus just states His invite
"Come follow Me"- Philip's on board

He went to Nate- "We've found Christ"
Nathanael balked but went to Christ
He surprises him, "Saw you under fig tree"
"Son of God," Nate says- How else would He know?
"You're the King of Israel!"

But what if you believe? You will see
Some wild things- so much powers far greater than these
Angels ascending
Come down like a ladder on Son of Man
With Heaven opened
Now that all you believe- you will see!

But what if you believe? You will see
Some wild things- so much powers far greater than these
Angels ascending
Come down like a ladder on Son of Man
With Heaven opened
Now that all you believe- you will see!