Despised by the World, Blessed by the Word 1 Corinthians 1:18–31; Matthew 5:1–12

Grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, who blesses us.

We’re going to talk about being Despised by the World, but Blessed by the Word.

On rare occasion, we use a Scripture reading more than once throughout the Church Year. That’s the case with today’s Gospel. It’ll also serve as our Gospel near the end of our Church Year, on All Saints Sunday, Nov. 5th.

 

Today’s Gospel describes what a truly blessed life looks like, far different than a worldly life. 

Some of the things that Jesus identifies and pronounces as blessed, the greedy world mocks and despises.

In our Epistle, Paul teaches us that while the Gospel might be considered as just so much foolishness to some people, to God’s chosen, it’s the truth that saves and empowers us.

Paul says, 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. 

Much better to be blessed with the wisdom from above that gives life and love, than to despise and reject it to your own demise.

To reject God’s Word might help us to fit in better with the world, but it also takes God’s wonderful blessings away from us.

To seek the false blessing of the ungodly world, to curry its favor, to seek its acceptance, and yearn for its approval, is in reality, not a boon but a bane…

The blessings of the fallen world are actually more like curses, harming the well-being of the human mind and soul.

Last Sunday we celebrated the sanctity of life. To those who believe and follow God’s Word, human life sacred. 

And so a pre-born baby is not a curse to be exorcised of, or a bane to be rid of, or an inconvenience to be discarded, as we said last week, but a blessing, a gift to be kept and treasured.

Much of what the corrupt world despises, the Church, enlightened by the Word, and sanctified by the Spirit, embraces.

Yet some of that worldly corruption lives in each of us; and so with God’s help, we’re wise to repent and receive forgiveness, until the day we’re made entirely good through our glorious resurrection, and we’ll need forgiveness no more. 

What’s fallen and misguided about us would dismiss God’s Word, and try to gain enlightenment from the world instead of, or in place of the Word.

The secular world has natural knowledge to give us, which ultimately comes from our Creator, we’re just discovering it as the world goes on; there are many things in this world that we can learn for our good, and for the good of others, and the good of the world we live in. 

But the enlightenment we receive from natural knowledge, common sense, and reason and science and other secular disciplines, can’t grant us the wisdom that never ends, the wisdom of God’s grace and salvation.

Only the wisdom of the Gospel can grant the gifts and blessings that will endure even after our universe ceases to exist.

As so the knowledge of God’s Word, of the Gospel, this eternal, saving wisdom, is what we prize above all earthly knowledge.

Earthly knowledge has its place when rightly used, but it’s a poor substitute for the Gospel. Yet in our secular-minded culture, that’s what many seek above and before the Gospel. 

There’s just nothing that can take the Gospel’s place, and do what the Gospel does, and so we hold on dearly and joyfully, to this unique truth, the only truth that saves the body and sanctifies the soul – sanctifies the soul by divine forgiveness, and saves the body by glorious resurrection.

To some this is nonsense -- to us it’s a blessing like no other; to some this is all silly to believe -- to us, it’s foolish and tragic not to believe it. 

Having received the immediate and eternal blessings of the Gospel, how can the world possibly expect us to now let go of the Word and replace it with popular knowledge? 

Sometimes the world would try to nudge us away from God’s Word; other times it would try to coerce us, or worse; but away from God it’s all the same result, it’s a life not blessed.

How can we aspire to a life not blessed? How can we hope that for anyone? But that’s the final goal and lasting outcome to secular thought and belief. 

Secularism may consider the Gospel silly, but it only offers sad in its place, just a short, fast, sad life, in contrast to the Gospel’s blessings of long, eternal, happy, fulfilled life.

When the world considers the Gospel to be silly and stupid, we consider it wise beyond words, literally other-worldly wisdom, wisdom from Heaven.

When the corrupt world goes a step further and despises God’s Word, and persecutes the people of His Word, we take it as proof of truth, and as to be expected.

The world’s opposition to the Word won’t stop God from blessing His faithful.

Jesus said, 11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

When the world hates us and hates what we believe, we’re in good company; we’re blessed like the saints who went before us.

When we’re among the company that believes and follows the Word, then we’re among the greatly and richly blessed. 

We may be despised by the world, but we’re blessed with the Word and the wisdom of God.

The Apostle Paul tells us, 26 … consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong…

As Jesus said, Blessed are the poor in spirit… and blessed are the meek.

Paul says, 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world… 9 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. 30 And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

Let us boast in the Lord’s blessing, not that we’ve won or deserved it, but that through His Son, He gives it by grace to chosen children.

By His Word and His Spirit, God makes His chosen ones wise, wise to realize how little we can know, or do, or be without Him… 

… wise to know that we’re sometimes weak to sin, and wise to repent and receive His complete and healing forgiveness…

… wise to know that His power restores us… wise to know and believe that His blessings for His people, as wonderful and abundant as they are on earth, just get better in Heaven’ glory.

Even though the world may despise and mock what we believe, God will empower and bless us, so that we can be a blessing to the world, a voice of wisdom and love and truth to the world, sharing what His Word teaches to help and correct and bless us all -- His commandments to guide us, and His Gospel to save us. 

May God keep us always interested in what He has to teach us in His Word, so that as we go through the challenges of life, we grow not more worldly and foolish, but we grow wiser every day…

… wiser to live a life more like Christ… wiser to believe and speak godly words of truth… and wiser to share the Good News that can bless and save the world, that the world might be wise and rejoice!

And as we grow in the wisdom of the Word, the blessings of God and His peace, which passes understanding, will guard our hearts and minds, in Christ Jesus, who richly and daily blesses us. Amen.