Contemplative Bible Reading

1 Corinthians 1:23 (New Living Translation)

23 So when we preach that Christ was crucified, the Jews are offended and the Gentiles say it’s all nonsense.

Paul is writing to the Christians at Corinth. Paul is discussing what he and others have been saying and how people have reacted to it. Part of Paul’s message is simple: this fellow Jesus from that little town of Nazareth was the Son of God anointed to take away the sins of the world.

Many of the Gentiles who heard this message about a Jew simply said, “It’s all nonsense.”

It made no sense that some poor, uneducated guy from a conquered and occupied people was somehow a direct descendant of a deity. If anyone was sent by a god, it would be someone who was part of the ruling class or civilization. All nonsense.

Not much has changed in 20 centuries. This idea of Jesus the Son of God is pretty much dismissed as nonsense by most folks. Sure, there are hundreds of millions of persons all over the world who believe in the Christ. Still, the educated classes generally scoff.

Not much has changed in 20 centuries. And that is a big part of the good news. God is still God. The blood of Jesus still cleanses mankind from sin. Let’s celebrate that not much has changed.