Fools For Christ

St. Basil, Fool for Christ

 Often in the Church is it prized to be learned, intellectual, and wise. Teachers with great eloquence, articulate powers, and charisma are hired by congregations to keep them content through great exegesis and homilies. There is nothing wrong with being intellectual or being a person of the mind, but there is simplicity that I think is lacking in the American Church. Church leaders are considered successful is they can expound on the Bible, and use alliteration, and other language powers to convery their sermon. Ironically, Jesus Himself spoke against anyone calling themselves a teacher, "But you are not to be called 'Rabbi,' for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. And don't let anyone call you 'Teacher,' for you have only one teacher, the Messiah." (Matthew 23:8, 10). And yet being a pround and engaging teacher is what garentees someone is pastorship. The Apostles, and even imitators of our Lord had quite a different point of view.

The Apostle Paul is most starkly known for his devotion to Christ and the Simplicity of the Gospel, that means speaking the message of Christ and Salvation through Him simply. The Apostle Paul said, "For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified," (1 Corinthians 2;2), "My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power," (1 Corinthians 2:4), "But as for me, may I never boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world," (Galatians 6:14), "And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing," (1 Corinthians 13:2), "Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ," (Phillippians 3:8). The Apostle Paul was a very intellectual man, He went to school in Tarsus, an epicenter of learning like Alexandria, where he would have learned Greek, Latin, and his native Hebrew and Aramaic. Paul studied under the great teachers of religious Law, one of them being the Oxford, Cambridge, Yale, and Trinity College equivalent professor, Gamaliel (Acts 22:3). And yet despite all of this Paul discards it (Phillippians 3:8). He chooses instead to preach the Gospel simply. He wants to challenge people to know Christ and Him Crucified, so he does not hide his words in allegory, metaphors, and allusions; but speaks straightforward and to the point. The Apostle Peter joins Paul in this quest, "For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty." (2 Peter 1:16). The Apostle Paul even goes on to say that because He preaches this, people call it foolishness, "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.It is foolish to the Jews, who ask for signs from heaven. And it is foolish to the Greeks, who seek human wisdom.but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength." (1 Corinthians 1:18,21-25). Here we see a confrontation to Church teachers and preachers today, the Wisdom of God looks like foolishness to God, and wisdom of the world looks like foolishness to God. The Apostle Paul even took on Corinthians who reveled in their wisdom, "We are fools for Christ, but you are so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are honored, we are dishonored!" (1 Corinthians 4:10). The Corinthians were quite an intellectual group and prided themselves in knowledge, but Paul gives us an interesting picture, real Wisdom, Christ, looks like foolishness to the World, but wisdom men crave is foolishness to God. Paul rejected the wisdom of world, because it isn't wisdom, for only wisdom can be found in Jesus Christ, "to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." (Colossians 2:2-3). By becoming foolish for Christ's sake we become wise, because Christ is Wisdom, "It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God--that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption." (1 Corinthians 1:30).

From the Apostle Paul, Apostle Peter, and rest of apostles the example of being "Fools for Christ" grew. In Eastern Orthodox they are Fools for Christ who behave in bewildering ways to wake up a deaf world to their need for Christ. A famous ascetic of Orthodoxy who became a Fool for Christ was St. Basil, whom the Church that is now retrofitted and connected to Kremlin in Moscow, Russia is named after, "St. Basil's". The Roman Catholic have the Devotio Modern, particularly Thomas A Kempis, a monk we emphasizing imitating Christ in His classic work, "The Imitation of Christ," in which he said:
"HE WHO follows Me, walks not in darkness," says the Lord. By these words of Christ we are advised to imitate His life and habits, if we wish to be truly enlightened and free from all blindness of heart. Let our chief effort, therefore, be to study the life of Jesus Christ.
The teaching of Christ is more excellent than all the advice of the saints, and he who has His spirit will find in it a hidden manna. Now, there are many who hear the Gospel often but care little for it because they have not the spirit of Christ. Yet whoever wishes to understand fully the words of Christ must try to pattern his whole life on that of Christ.
What good does it do to speak learnedly about the Trinity if, lacking humility, you displease the Trinity? Indeed it is not learning that makes a man holy and just, but a virtuous life makes him pleasing to God. I would rather feel contrition than know how to define it. For what would it profit us to know the whole Bible by heart and the principles of all the philosophers if we live without grace and the love of God? Vanity of vanities and all is vanity, except to love God and serve Him alone.
This is the greatest wisdom -- to seek the kingdom of heaven through contempt of the world. It is vanity, therefore, to seek and trust in riches that perish. It is vanity also to court honor and to be puffed up with pride. It is vanity to follow the lusts of the body and to desire things for which severe punishment later must come. It is vanity to wish for long life and to care little about a well-spent life. It is vanity to be concerned with the present only and not to make provision for things to come. It is vanity to love what passes quickly and not to look ahead where eternal joy abides.
Often recall the proverb: "The eye is not satisfied with seeing nor the ear filled with hearing." Try, moreover, to turn your heart from the love of things visible and bring yourself to things invisible. For they who follow their own evil passions stain their consciences and lose the grace of God. EVERY man naturally desires knowledge; but what good is knowledge without fear of God? Indeed a humble rustic who serves God is better than a proud intellectual who neglects his soul to study the course of the stars. He who knows himself well becomes mean in his own eyes and is not happy when praised by men.
If I knew all things in the world and had not charity, what would it profit me before God Who will judge me by my deeds?
Shun too great a desire for knowledge, for in it there is much fretting and delusion. Intellectuals like to appear learned and to be called wise. Yet there are many things the knowledge of which does little or no good to the soul, and he who concerns himself about other things than those which lead to salvation is very unwise.
Many words do not satisfy the soul; but a good life eases the mind and a clean conscience inspires great trust in God.
The more you know and the better you understand, the more severely will you be judged, unless your life is also the more holy. Do not be proud, therefore, because of your learning or skill. Rather, fear because of the talent given you. If you think you know many things and understand them well enough, realize at the same time that there is much you do not know. Hence, do not affect wisdom, but admit your ignorance. Why prefer yourself to anyone else when many are more learned, more cultured than you?
If you wish to learn and appreciate something worth while, then love to be unknown and considered as nothing. Truly to know and despise self is the best and most perfect counsel. To think of oneself as nothing, and always to think well and highly of others is the best and most perfect wisdom. Wherefore, if you see another sin openly or commit a serious crime, do not consider yourself better, for you do not know how long you can remain in good estate. All men are frail, but you must admit that none is more frail than yourself." (The Imitation of Christ, Chapters One and Two).But does being a fool for Christ mean one cannot know anything? Must I discard the philosophers and wisdoms? Actually, you are receive wisdom in exchange for being perceived by world as a fool for Christ, because Christ is only source of wisdom (Colossians 2:2-3, 1 Corinthians 1:30). As the Apostle Paul says, we become wise when we become fools for Jesus Christ's sake, "Let no one deceive himself. If any of you thinks he is wise in this age (time period, day and age), he should become a fool, so that he may become wise.  For it is written: "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.  Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?" (1 Corinthians 3:18-20).

But what about Jesus saying call no one a fool (Raca)? "But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, 'Raca,' is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell." (Matthew 5:22). Raca actually translates, "raca in the Bible Expand. vain, empty, worthless, only found in Matt. 5:22. The Jews used it as a word of contempt. It is derived from a root meaning "to spit." (Google). This alludes to what the Jews did to Jesus before Court of Sanhedrin, "Then they spit in his face and struck him with their fists. Others slapped him." (Matthew 26:67). Thus Jesus is probably addressing what the people did to Him at his Trial, they spat on Him, a curse and insult, claiming Him to be crazy and foolish, and by doing so they endanger their souls because they do believe the Truth (John 14:6) that Jesus is God (Romans 10:9). We see another time Jesus says something vague without context, "Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven." (Matthew 12:31). Many Christians tremble over blaspheming the Spirit, but what Jesus is talking above is four verses before, "But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “Only by Beelzebul, the prince of the demons, does this man drive out demons. Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand? And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons drive them out? So then, they will be your judges.  Or again, how can anyone enter a strong man's house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man? 28But if I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. 30He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come." (Matthew 12:24-30 ). As for Jesus saying call no one a fool, He is invoking the negative form of fool, "3474 mōrós (the root of the English terms, "moron, moronic") – properly, dull (insipid), flat ("without an edge"); (figuratively) "mentally inert"; dull in understanding; nonsensical ("moronic"), lacking a grip on reality (acting as though "brainless"). (Strong's Greek, Bible Hub). The Apostle Paul is turning this word "fool" into become a fool in the sense of the world, be stupid in matters of world and its wisdom (unbeliever wisdom, wisdom of men), but  be wise in Christ. He is effectively underpinning Jesus' words, "Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents (seraphim, angels, good angels obey the Lord) and innocent as doves (doves are sensitive, discernment (of spirits and knowledge they sense danger, they are tender and not defiled, pure, so stay innocent of evil and worldy things)." (Matthew 10:16). 


Some of examples of Jesus Fools is the fact that Our God and Savior picked what seemed foolish and to be fools in comparison to scholars: fishermen. Christ did not go to the Temple in Jerusalem, or select the perfect Pharisee candidate or Sadducee from seminary, He went to a small fishing town in Galilee, and there He gathered the Twelve Disciples, of whom many, Peter, Andrew, James, and John were all fisherman (Matthew 4:21-23, Luke 5:4-11). The fact the Twelve Disciples were tradesmen is important. In Jewish culture at the time of Jesus, if you showed promise in Hebraic School, you would go to a more advanced Hebrew school to train to be become Talmidim or disciples of a Rabbi, and eventually become Rabbis (teachers) of the Mosaic Law. But if Jewish boy did not excel, he would go home and learn the trade of his father, and so because Jesus is calling fisherman and others, he is making disciples (talmidim) of those who did not advance in Seminary. The fact Jesus was a Carpenter (Mark 6:3) proves that God himself didn't even cut it in 'wisest' schools of Judaism, which is ironic because Christ is Wisdom! (Colossians 2:2-3). And yet the fisherman became Fathers of Church, men whom we all know by name and who reached countless numbers of people for Christ! Jesus the Carpenter at the crowds decried, turned out to be the Christ, The Son of the Living God, and God in body (Colossians 2:9). So while many thought the Apostles foolish at the time, no idea how long they fished before the founder and finisher of Our Faith called them, they became the most famous men in history. And God Himself a carpenter with no credentials, except that He is God as attested by the Father and Holy Spirit, and John the Baptist (Matthew 3:13-7, Matthew 21:23-27). Puts things in perspective huh? Jesus and His Disciples had no college degrees, no wealth, no homes, and no honor or renown from the wisest men of the day, but Jesus is Christ, is God, is wisdom (1 Corinthians 1:30), and His Disciples got the most important degree or certification of all at Christ's feet and learning from Him, the Gospel (Good News) of Salvation! 

John the Baptist was certainly a Jesus Fool forerunner or prototype. He did what has become the convention and tradition of Orthodox Jesus Fools today, dress in crude and coarse clothing, practicing asceticism, and preaching repentance, "Now John wore a garment of camel's hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him, and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins." (Matthew 3:4-6). This was forerunning of what Christ later commands, "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit," (Matthew 28:19) and "He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned." (Make 16:15-16).

Being a fool for Christ means to become a Jesus Freak. A Disciple who seeks wisdom from Christ who is the only source of Wisdom (Colossians 2:2-3), and to follow Him wherever He may go. It means being foolish to the supposed 'sages' and scholars of our times, but these pseudo-wise men and philosophers have their minds darkened; they do not know the True Wisdom that can only be found in Jesus Christ! So many college students shipwreck their faith for the sake of approving the sagely teachers and professors, and in the end they will discover they exchanged wisdom itself () for the foolishness of the world! (1 Corinthians 3:19). Become a fool for Christ. It does not mean become brainless, stupid, or lacking in intelligence, knowledge, wisdom, and eloquence. It means to caste aside the vain philosophies (Colossians 2:8) of the world, and to place your trust in Jesus Christ alone as your Savior and Teacher (Acts 4:10-12, Matthew 23:10). For Only Christ who created all things (John 1:3, Colossians 1:16) can reveal to us the mysteries of creation, and truth on lies in Him for He is the Truth and the only way to eternal life (John 14:6, cross ref Matthew 7:13-14).