Devotion by Pauline Kong (Zone Supervisor)
In preparation for the upcoming 1 Corinthians Bible study with Prof Doug Petersen in the month of September, I decided to read this epistle again and I found myself caught up in this verse:
I Corinthians 1:18
“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”
How does the message of the cross appear foolish, yet at the same time, supremely powerful?
One example of this is displayed when we look at the moment when Jesus was hanging on the Cross.
“and saying, “You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” Likewise the chief priests also, mocking with the scribes and elders, said, “He saved others; Himself He cannot save. If He is the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him.”
Matthew 27:40-42
The Jews were asking Jesus for a sign of power to prove that God was at work. To them, power is defined by the ability to overrule and overcome all forms of external powers and difficulties. Power meant being at the top of the hierarchy where one could have the last word over everything, with the right to own anything. Since Jesus seemingly could not overcome the physical cross, those that crucified Him considered Him foolish and powerless. How could he possibly be the Messiah?
As the people had their eyes fixated on the physical cross, they failed to recognise the victory in the spiritual realm that was unseen. So here were the Jews, expecting the Messiah exercise His power to topple human sovereignty, when Jesus actually came and overruled Satan’s sovereignty instead. The Jews were looking for earthly freedom from Roman rule, but Jesus won their eternal freedom from the kingdom of darkness. What’s more, Jesus victoriously paved the way for them to draw near to God the Father.
I have to admit that on many occasions, when I look at the failures or weaknesses in my own life, I can easily lose sight of the power of God that is in me. There is definitely a time and place for the need to self-reflect and figure out how the mistakes came about in the first place. When all the reflecting is said and done, it is important to recognise that failures do not ultimately define who we are. There is a power within us that empowers us to become better, and more like Jesus.
For those of us in leadership, how often are we tempted to push our agenda through, albeit with good intentions? We tend to think that leaders must always make things happen, and the failure to do that can make us feel inadequate, or think that we are not successful leaders.
As I reflect on the vulnerability of Jesus on the cross, and how the message of the cross can appear foolish and yet supremely powerful, I learnt that biblical leadership is not always about winning the argument but honouring people, understanding where they are at, and hopefully winning them over through love one day. This is a long process that requires patience and faith in the Lord. And this form of leadership certainly may sound foolish or contradictory, but surely the goal is for us as believers to develop the fruit of the Spirit.
Jesus could have called fire down from heaven as a show of power, but that was clearly not His intention. His purpose was to show us how much He loves us by dying for us on the cross while we were still sinners. When we understand the truth of why He suffered unjustly on the cross so that we can be reconciled back to God, our hearts will be filled with immense gratitude and awe. No amount of argument or signs of power can possibly impact us the same way.
Therefore, the next time you are tempted to think that you are a failure or that your situation is hopeless, turn your eyes to the cross and remember that what seems hopeless and useless to you, can be turned around for good because the power of God is always at work in you. This power does not just change the outward circumstances, but it changes your heart to trust God regardless of the outcome.
