Feb 8, 2026 - 1 Cor. 2:1-12 - Fifth Sunday after Epiphany

I want you to think back to some point in your life when you were having a really rough time. It doesn’t really matter what it was. Stress at work, stress at home, on going illness, death in the family, moving, whatever the problem was, I want you to think about who was there with you. Were there people who helped you and supported you during your difficult patch? Were there people who helped pick you back up afterward? If there weren’t, did you want there to be?

What did they do that helped make things better? Was it something motivational? Words of sympathy? A helping hand? A shoulder to cry on? A warm hug? Maybe something as simple as just sitting and listening?

Our Epistle reading through the Epiphany season is walking through 1 Corinthians. We’ve been hearing St. Paul already starting to unpack some of the major problems the church in Corinth has. While they are Christians through the Gospel and they have received Christ’s grace, they have a lot to learn about what it means to live as Christians in this world. That isn’t surprising. The Israelites were led by God through the Sinai peninsula for decades after they had received the Law because they needed that long to learn how to live it. Even though God had saved them from Egypt, they still had a lot of difficulty trusting him and even more difficulty putting that trust into action. Constant grumbling got them into trouble at every turn. God provided for all of their needs, but sometimes they were still determined to be greedy, not content with all of the wealth they had left Egypt with, they wanted more. They challenged God’s selection of Aaron as high priest, causing more trouble. Perhaps worst of all, as they sat at the foot of the mountain that was shrouded in the fire and smoke of God’s presence, waiting for Moses to come back down, they were already crafting a false god and worshipping it.

Needless to say, things didn’t go all that smoothly for them. They were God’s people, but still new at it. The Corinthian church is in much the same position. They also live in a land full of idolatry, greed, and jealousy. Sure, there are some around them who care about the needs of others, some that live by strict moral and ethical codes. But, none of those people are going to understand what it means to reflect the same kind of sacrificial love that Christ has shown.

They probably need a little slack. I’m sure it’s not easy to have to rethink everything you used to do. Even if you were a generally good person before, now you do what you do for very different reasons. Before I might have helped people in the community because I was worried about my reputation. A reputation can make or break a business, so making sure my reputation is pristine is pretty important. Now, as a Christian, I might still be concerned about my reputation and might work hard to uphold it, but I also have other things to think about. There might be a situation where helping someone and caring for them as God directs might not go so well with my reputation and I’ll have to make a choice.

Living a life in Christ isn’t all that hard to understand. Even with just the Ten Commandments I have a pretty solid notion of what I should be doing with myself, both toward God and toward the people around me.

When God gives the Law to the Israelites, he gives them pretty simple directions. Sure, most of the laws he gives have deeper meanings that may take time to consider and apply, but the directions he gives are still pretty simple. Actually following them, well that’s another thing. That isn’t to say God can’t do complicated things. Very smart theologians have been debating the hows and whys of God’s work for thousands of years. They always find something new to discuss and delight in, but God knows even simple things are hard for us to manage. He doesn’t require you to have a complete understanding of how it all works. He requires you to trust him and follow him.

When St. Paul talks to the Corinthian church, he talks about pretty simple things. Not because he thinks they’re dense or because they can’t handle it, but because God’s teachings are straightforward and easy to understand for those who trust him.

I went to Ft. Wayne for their annual Symposium a couple of weeks ago. It runs for about 4 days and all of the presentations are centered on a particular topic. In this case, the topic was baptism, which is a favorite topic of mine. They divide the days up so that the first half is presentations all about the nitty gritty details of the text. What does God actually say? How did the people in that day understand the message? The nuances of Hebrew and Greek grammar don’t always translate perfectly. Hearing an in-depth analysis of the text from people who immerse themselves in the original languages can be very helpful. The second half of the symposium is dedicated to the broader theme, tying in what Scripture says about it throughout the Bible, as well as what the Reformers said. It helps to see these ideas in the big picture view. This gives you a sense of what God is doing long term. Where did we come from? Where are we going? What are we doing in the meantime? Only by putting the pieces together can we see what this all means.

I’ve been to a lot of theological presentations. I’ve studied under a lot of professors. I’ve read a lot of theology books. I’ve learned a lot of really interesting things from some of them, some that deepened my understanding of God and and his work, what his gifts mean and what we are to do with them. I’ve also learned that there are a lot of really smart people out there who are terrible at communicating what they know. Being gifted with intelligence doesn’t automatically mean you are gifted with the ability to take what you know and share it with others. It’s unfortunate, but it’s proof that smarts aren’t everything.

We tend to treat the Christian faith as a big, complicated thing. We treat it as something that requires years of study and education to even understand the basics. It becomes an excuse to not bother talking to others about it at all. “I don’t understand it completely. I can’t explain things very well. I won’t be able to help anyone figure it out. It’s all just a waste of time.”

There’s a lot to be said about learning more about God has done and will do. Knowing your Bible well means that you’ll see just how much he has done for you and will hopefully lead you to trust in him more fully, but knowing the Bible cover to cover isn’t necessary to share God’s love. It isn’t a requirement for telling people that Jesus died to forgive them. I could stand up here and preach all about the hypostatic union in Christ’s two natures. I could explain in detail how the anaphora is an essential part of the liturgy. I could go on and on about Christ’s act of kenosis is what makes his payment for our sins possible, but I don’t have to do all of that to tell you the very simple and straightforward truth that Jesus loved you despite your sin. That he loved you despite your constant rebellion. He loved you despite the fact that he has to explain everything he does to you as if you were a little child who doesn’t really understand anything. He loved you so much that he saw the only way to save you was to die for you and the only one who could do it was him.

St. Paul was a very intelligent, very educated man. He knew theology very well. He knew the philosophy of the day. He didn’t use all of that as he shared the gospel with them. He didn’t use lofty speech or wisdom. He came to them with simple truth. If he had given them high minded theology, they might have gotten it in their heads that they were saved because they were so smart and had been given knowledge of the inner workings of God’s grace. Plenty of people in his day did exactly that. Plenty in our day still do.

St. Paul tells them the story of Jesus, the Jesus who was born, who lived, who died, who rose again, and who will come again in glory. He tells them the story of how God did all of that for each and every single one of them, and he did it freely, without regard to what any of them might offer in return.

To be sure, I find the hypostatic union to be a fascinating topic. Christ’s kenosis makes everything he does more significant. Seeing our anaphora at work in the liturgy helps us to understand why we’re here on Sunday morning. I’d be happy to sit and discuss any of these kinds of things with you. But, if you’re having a rough day, you probably don’t want any of that. You probably would rather have someone sit and listen to your troubles. If you’re stuck and can’t seem to sort things out on your own, you probably need someone who says he’ll be there to help you any way he can. If you’re deep in the pit of darkness because of how you destroyed your marriage, you probably need someone who tells you that, yes, Jesus still forgives you and that he still loves you even now.

God loves you. God forgives you. He always will. He comes to you, not just with words, but with actions. He shows you how much he loves you. He wants you to trust him, as a child trusts a loving Father to take care of him. He’s been there by your side all your life, listening, protecting, offering you his love, offering you his mercy, whether you understood it or not, whether you even knew it or not.

This is the love you can share with others. The same love Christ shares with you, he now sends you to share with others. Listen to those in pain, as Christ listens to you. Be a shoulder to cry on, as Christ tells you how all sadness will one day cease. Share God’s grace and forgiveness with those struggling with guilt for the terrible mess they’ve made of their lives because of their own selfishness. God’s love and grace shine through in simple words and deeds. Jesus comes into the world and displays his power, not in overwhelming majesty, but in humility and weakness. The words you share and the deeds you do that reflect that same love and mercy are just as powerful, because God is at work through you to accomplish mighty things.

Don’t let your weakness be an excuse. God loves you in simple ways, becoming human to share that simple love with you. Don’t be afraid to love others simply and share your faith simply. Cherish your human weakness, because then the love of God will shine through you all the more.