Christ--the Stumbling Block--Unequivocal Love to the Immeasurably Unlovely

2 2 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 2 3 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. 

"The man stands in front of [Pilate] with his hands tied behind his back.  You can see that He has been roughed up a little.  His upper lip is absurdly puffed out and one eye is swollen shut.  He looks unwashed and smells unwashed.  His feet are bare--big, flat peasant feet although the man himself is not big."--Frederick Buechner, "Telling the Truth, the Gospel as Tragedy, Comedy, and Fairy Tale."

"He uttered nary a mumblin' word."  Negro Spiritual



We Christians are a strange bunch.   We worship a man who, when arrested and beaten and standing before Pilate with his "big, flat peasant feet" "uttered nary a mumblin' word." We are unlike the Jews (the religious people), who "demand signs," (miracles for the benefit of the religious people) or the Greeks (the intelligentsia), who "seek wisdom" (a better way to live.)  No, instead, we follow a man who suffered the most ignominious death ever devised by we cruel humans.  We follow a man who, rather than calling down the wrath of angels upon his oppressors, went silently to His death on a cross. 

Why? 

Because it is true.  Because what was foretold in the Garden--that the serpent would nick the heel of Eve's offspring (hang Jesus on the Cross), but that Eve's offspring would crush the head of the serpent (through His death and resurrection)--came true.

We don't follow Jesus because he will perform miracles on our behalf (give us better lives, happy families, job promotions, victory for our country in war).  We don't follow Jesus because he will give us wisdom so that we can live better lives.

We follow Jesus, because the Cross (not signs or wisdom) speaks the ultimate truth about man and about God.

The Cross first is a mirror for each of us--we stare at it and into it--and realize that, like the Jews and Romans, we would have crucified Jesus.  Our innate sinfulness leads us to hate love, and Jesus was that--the embodiment of perfect love.  We don't like the fact that He chose the thieving tax collector over the upright, successful businessman.  We don't like the fact that He saved the adulteress.  We don't like the fact that He loved the non-religious people of his day and upbraided the religious.  We don't like the fact that, instead of throwing out the Romans occupiers (the enemies of His people), He allowed himself to be killed under their governmental authority.  

The Cross second is a reflection of God's response to our innate sinfulness.  God didn't prevent the death of Jesus.  God didn't seek retribution after His death.  Instead, God forgave those who crucified Jesus.  For, from the Cross, Jesus exclaimed:
"Father, forgive them for they know not what they do."  If Jesus asked His father to forgive those who murdered Him, would His father not heed his Son's wishes?  If God forgives them, will He not also forgive us?

The Cross is the victory of God over man.  It says to us that we are immeasurably unlovely, but nonetheless unequivocally loved.  Praise God for giving us the Cross, rather than signs or wisdom.  Praise God for not giving us what we desired or deserved, but rather for once and for all expressing His infinite love to us while we were yet His ultimate enemies--the murderers of His son.

God works "sub contrario"

2 2 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 2 3 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.   1 Cor. 1:22-25

18So the Jews said to him, "What sign do you show us for doing these things?" 19Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up."  John 2:18-19

"And he said not a mumblin' word..."--Spiritual

"God works 'sub contrario' ('under his opposite')."--Martin Luther

In order to determine whether God was at work, the Jews demanded "signs"--they wanted to see miracles to prove that the person claiming to be acting for God was telling the truth.  Moreover, they wanted the miracles to be positive actions--actions for the seeming good.  We modern day Christians are no different.  We want to see "signs" that God is at work--healing someone from cancer; having our country prevail in war; providing us with a loving spouse, healthy children, and job promotions.  Indeed, Jesus had already performed numerous "positive" miracles.  

Yet, when the Jews asked Him for a sign, He didn't refer to any of them.  He didn't refer to restoring sight, or curing leprosy, or even raising the dead.  Each of these was more than sufficient to demonstrate that Jesus was "acting for God."  Instead, Jesus answered: "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up."  The "sign" that Jesus pointed to was His crucifixion and resurrection.

Death at the hands of the Jews--death at our hands--death from those who want God to work in strength.  Instead, God works "under his opposite"--through death, rather than life; through weakness rather than strength; through loss rather than success.  This is why Jesus was a stumbling block to the Jews and why, so often, He is a stumbling block to us.

This is our God--one who is acquainted with the suffering of His people; one who went to His death while saying "nary a mumblin' word;" one who could have called down angels to kill those who would kill Him but instead withheld His power; one who we can always turn to in our times of sorrow, suffering, and grief.  

He is a god unlike any other.  God's "sign"--"Christ crucified"--was unequivocal love to the immeasurably unlovely.