God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. (1 Corinthians 1:27)
Today is the First of April, which traditionally is an annual day of playing practical jokes and pulling hoaxes on others. The perpetrator of the trickery will reveal their behavior by shouting “April Fools!” at the person who was the object of the prank; the victims of the chicanery are referred to as “April Fools.” Now, I suspect that while we are in the midst of this worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, not many people are feeling lighthearted enough for playing pranks . . . or for being on the receiving end of one either! But since today is “Aprils Fools Day,” I’d like to encourage you to be an “Almighty Fool.”
Today’s verse provides a powerful word of encouragement for those who are in the family of faith. We are not God’s adopted children because of anything “good” that is in us. When Jesus left His throne in heaven and came to this earth, He chose twelve disciples; note well that He did not choose those whom the world considered wise or powerful or influential. On the contrary, He choose a few poor fishermen and even a despised tax collector, all men of low esteem and position in the community. They had no special learning or ability to do what Jesus was calling them to do.
The world would have expected Jesus to choose the scribes, Pharisees, and teachers of the Law, but He did not. He chose the foolish things of this world to shame those who exalted themselves as wise; He chose weak people to shame those who presumed themselves to be strong.
Why would Jesus do such a thing? He had available to Him the elite within the religious community, as well as the elite outside of it—learned Greek philosophers and powerful Roman rulers. Yet He chose the powerless and uneducated so that that no one would mistake the reason for their success in ministry. The more foolish they looked to the watching world, the more glory would be ascribed to the wisdom of God. The more powerless they appeared, the more praise would be given to the strength of the sovereign Lord. Whatever good they were to do would all be attributed to the only One who is truly good (Luke 18:19), and who had called them and empowered them to do it.
When was the last time you considered yourself to be an “Almighty Fool?” You may not be greatly esteemed in the eyes of the watching world, but you are of inestimable value in the eyes of the One who chose you to be His. Remember, you don’t need any special education, position of influence, wealth, or wisdom to be a servant of Christ and to show His love to a lost, broken, and hurting world.
And at this time, when tens of millions of people around the world are gripped by uncertainty, fear, and even despair, remember that all you need to minister to them is Jesus and the willingness to go where He is calling you to go and to do what He is calling you to do. We have been instructed to avoid coming into physical proximity with others, so your ministry this day may be as simple as picking up the phone and reaching out to someone you haven’t spoken with in some time in order to let them hear a calm, loving, caring voice—a simple action that can carry a profound impact.
So . . . probably no Aprils Fools’ jokes today; but let us instead be Almighty Fools who are intent on spreading the love of Christ to a world that needs Him now, more than ever!
Purpose and passion,
Pastor Tommy
Grace for the Race 