Third Sunday of Lent, Year B, Epistle Text

This sacred season of Lent is a time of reflection, repentance, and preparation for the celebration of Easter, calls us to turn our hearts and minds to a passage that stands at the very core of our faith. In 1 Corinthians 1:18-25, the Apostle Paul confronts us with the paradox of the cross, a symbol of both suffering and salvation, foolishness and wisdom.

In this Lenten journey, let us meditate on three profound truths revealed in this passage.

I. The Paradox of the Cross

The cross, in the time of Paul, was a symbol of humiliation, suffering, and the most excruciating form of Roman execution. Yet, Paul proclaims it as the power of God and the path to salvation. This presents a stark paradox: what the world views as defeat and foolishness, God uses as the means of ultimate victory and wisdom.

This Lent, we are invited to embrace the paradox of the cross in our lives. It challenges us to find God’s strength in our weaknesses, His wisdom in what the world deems foolish. The cross calls us to a life of humility, service, and sacrifice, following in the footsteps of Christ who laid down His life for us.

II. The Critique of Human Wisdom

Paul questions the wisdom of the wise and the intelligence of the intelligent, showing that the wisdom of this world is inadequate for understanding the things of God. The world seeks signs and wisdom, yet God chose the cross, a symbol of apparent defeat and foolishness, to reveal His love and to save us.

This critique invites us to examine where we place our trust: in the wisdom of this world or in the wisdom of God revealed through the cross. Lent is a time to let go of our reliance on human wisdom and to deepen our trust in God’s mysterious plan for our lives, a plan that unfolds in ways that may seem counterintuitive to the world.

III. The Call to Embrace the Foolishness of God

To the world, the message of the cross is foolishness, but to those who are being saved, it is the power and wisdom of God. The cross is a stumbling block and foolishness to many because it challenges the conventional values of power, success, and wisdom. Yet, for us, it is the revelation of God’s immense love and the way to true life.

This Lent, let us embrace the “foolishness” of God as revealed in the cross. Let it be a time when we surrender our own wisdom, our own desires for signs and wonders, and instead seek the deeper wisdom found in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Let us recognize in the cross not only the instrument of Christ’s suffering but also the symbol of God’s unfathomable love and the means of our salvation.

Conclusion: A Lenten Invitation

Beloved, as we journey through this Lenten season, let the message of the cross penetrate our hearts and minds. May it challenge us to let go of our preconceptions, our reliance on human wisdom, and our search for signs according to the world’s standards. Instead, let us cling to the cross, the power of God and the wisdom of God, as our only hope and salvation.

The cross invites us to a radical reorientation of our lives. It calls us to live not for ourselves but for Christ, who loved us and gave Himself for us. It beckons us to find in our vulnerabilities and weaknesses the very places where God’s strength and wisdom shine brightest.

As we reflect on the message of the cross, let us be transformed by its power. Let this Lent be a time of renewal, as we die to ourselves and rise with Christ, embracing the foolishness of the cross as the true wisdom and power of God.

In this season of penitence and grace, may we draw nearer to the heart of God, discovering in the cross not only the depth of God’s love for us but also the call to love others with the same self-giving love. Let us journey together towards the cross, towards Easter, with hearts open to the transformative power of God’s foolish wisdom and weak strength.

May this Lenten season be a time of deep spiritual renewal for each of us, as we embrace the paradox of the cross, finding in it our hope, our wisdom, and our salvation.