vv 26-27 Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you. Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful.
I recently met one of my neighbours outside the newsagents; he was patiently sorting out and throwing away the parts of the paper for which he had no use. ‘All this celebrity stuff and ‘must have essentials’ is pure waste.’ I almost said, ‘But we live in a celebrity culture and must-have society.’ I then did the same as he had done. As a society we judge value by celebrity status and what a person possesses. These are the outward trappings of apparent success. (Whatever success means!) God’s way of looking at people is totally different, and success is measured by different standards.
When the church in Corinth, and other places, came into being the folk who belonged were a mixed bag, much as a church is today. There were a few people who had status in society, but not many; a few had wealth, but not many; a few seemed to be genuinely wise, but not many. Most were just ordinary, humanly powerless and of little apparent significance.
Yet these were the wise, who had committed themselves to following Jesus. They were the rich, inheriting the Kingdom of Heaven. They were the powerful because they had the ear of God as they prayed. God had chosen them to confound earthly riches and power and show up the foolishness of human wisdom.
Reflect today that God didn’t call you into His family because of your wisdom, wealth, status, strength or beauty; He called you because He loves you and is pleased that you have decided to follow His Son, Jesus.