Frontline Devotion for Thursday, March 16, 2006 By Rev. John L. Kallerson

1 Corinthians 1:18-25

“For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”1 Cor. 1:18

When I was a young man, I volunteered to be a firefighter in my hometown. After a great deal of training, I eventually became a firefighter-paramedic in a small, rural fire department. My friends told me I was crazy to do such dangerous work for free. One day in church, an old man called me aside and told me how foolish it was for a young man to do such a dangerous job without the security of insurance. I know they all meant well but I felt they just didn’t understand what drove me to do such a job. Looking at the scripture for today, we could ask if people don’t understand what drives us to be a Christian today.

I once heard a story about a cottage in a little country village. In the cottage lived a family of four: father, mother, and two small children. One evening the cottage caught on fire. In a few seconds the thatched roof and the wooden timbers were ablaze. There was no fire engine in this remote spot and the villagers stood around helpless. Suddenly a young man, who had just arrived upon the scene, cried out, "What, can nothing be done to save them?" When no one responded he jumped through the flames and darted into the house. A moment later he emerged bearing a little child under each arm. He had carefully protected them from the flames by hiding them under his coat but he himself was badly burned. The parents of the two children died in the fire. There was much sympathy for the two children in the town and several people wanted to adopt them. When the judge arrived to decide who would adopt the children there were two people who petitioned the court. The first was the squire of the village. He had money, position, and a fine house to offer the children. The second petitioner was the young man who had rescued the children from the flames. When the judge asked him what right he had to ask the court for the children he did not answer with words. Instead he held up his hands that had been badly burned and scared in their rescue and let them do his arguing for him.

When people ask me why I am a Christian, I usually point them to the cross and let it talk for me. Now you understand that I eventually talk but I talk about the cross of Christ and the cost that Jesus paid to save me and all of humanity. The young man pointed to his hands it let the cost of his sacrifice talk for him. Today, Americans have a tendency to look at you like you are a fool to follow a person who would get himself crucified over 2,000 years ago. Maybe it still sounds foolish to you? That’s OK. The people of Corinth were divided over who they followed in their faith. Maybe that sounds foolish to you. Along comes Paul to help them so he first discusses their need for unity and then he immediately goes to the cross of Christ. What a foolish thing to do for people who knew what a horrible death the cross stood for. Or was it? Isn’t it foolish to run into a house on fire? This Lent we can consider how foolish we look to others because according to Paul this is understandable for we are being saved. The good news is “God’s wisdom is wiser than human wisdom.” God is working with us and we are not foolish to have faith in our God who sent His own son to rescue us. Take a good look at your hands this week…

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