Not of Noble Blood

There are two types of people in the world. There re those who think they are special and those who don’t. There are those who think they are underdogs and those who think they rule the rest of us. In Christ, there are no underdogs and no rulers.

We are all together in Christ. God uses each of us to assist the other in reaching Him. In Christ there is no such thing as ‘us and them’. There is only ‘we’ in the Church. The only ‘King’ is Christ and we are all His subjects. We have only one job to help others find Christ.

Brethren, consider your call, not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth; but God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong, God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, whom God made our wisdom, our righteousness and sanctification and redemption; therefore, as it is written, “Let him who boasts, boast of the Lord.” When I came to you, brethren, I did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God in lofty words or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in much fear and trembling; and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

1^st Corinthians 1.26-2.5

All things lead to Christ, if we are paying attention. Even when things don’t go our way, if we are watching, Christ is always at the other end. Saint Paul says today that God chose even the lowest, even the weakest, even the foolish, that our faith might rest “in the power of God.”

If you are feeling left out today, don’t fret. God sees you. He chose you just as much He chose the celebrity down the street. Here’s the thing. Neither you nor the celebrity are ‘more’ wanted by God. That’s the temptation when we hear Saint Paul today.

On the surface it looks like Saint Paul is saying that God is tearing down the noble and strong. In fact, God is both lifting the weak AND tearing down the strong so the faith of BOTH might rest “in the power of God.” Weak and strong, noble and servant. We are all together.

Here’s another reality I have learned over the years. There is always someone ‘weaker’ and ‘stronger’ than I am. Today I might feel ignored and weak. Tomorrow I might feel ‘on top of the world’ because I achieved my goals at work. Each day is different. Each person is different.

If you feel weak, stop putting your faith in powerful men. If you feel strong, stop boasting in your abilities. We both need God and we both need each other. Be thankful for the high moments AND the low moments in life. God is always calling us closer.

So, you’re not nobility. That’s ok. It doesn’t mean you aren’t wanted by God. It doesn’t mean you don’t have a place in the Church. It does mean your life will inspire someone else to understand God’s mercy and grace, and for that we should all be thankful. We are in this together.