Praise the Lord, Grace & Peace great people of our “Great God” …JESUS!

It is more than apparent these days that we are presented with many wise and prudent, according to worldly standards. They, and well as we; obtain degrees or trades in higher learning, to validate our level of discipline in various studies. But it has been proven throughout history, that mankind can only go so far without the wise counsel of God. I have been blessed to live this life to adduce evidence in effort to show, that only the wise who become fools for the sake of Jesus Christ; are truly the wise and prudent! Hence, for this Golden Nugget  I would like to provoke the thought “When Being a FOOL Makes Sense!” To provoke further gospel provocation, I present the following scriptures to support my premise!

1Cor. 4:10  We are fools for Christ’s sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honourable, but we are despised. 1Cor. 1:18  For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

1Cor. 1:21  For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.

Rom. 11:25  For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.

Eph. 4:17-18  This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:

I open this Golden Nugget asking, where are we to look for this manifestation of “FOOLISHNESS,” that exceeds, and confounds the wisdom of man? My answer of course is the Cross. “The preaching of the Cross is to the Greek foolishness.” (The Gentiles) Please know that the pompous knowledge exemplified by the Greek, was wrapped up in their systematic thinking of philosophy; hence, they were not prepared, nor able to understand the preaching of the Cross, which conflicted with their interpretation of wisdom! It was because of their vanity and foolishness that led them to be “poor, miserable, blind, and naked” sinners!

When we view this from the perspective of the Jews; “the preaching of the Cross to them was a serious stumbling-block.” The Jews despised and stumbled over the efficacious work of the Cross, just as much as the Greeks did; even though they looked at it from a totally different perspective. The Greek looked at the doctrine of the Cross erroneously, as a false social science! Even today we are confronted with damnable Social Gospel, which does not hold anyone accountable for their actions against the knowledge of Jesus Christ! For Paul stated in 2 Cor. 4:3-4…But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. GOLDEN NUGGET!

Saints, the Jews looked at it as a dark, and bewildering anti-traditional religion. Hence, they were both blinded by the god of this world. Satan took their focus off the efficient, effective, and efficacious work that was wrought by the “Crucifixion of Jesus Christ!”

My brothers and sisters, my premise concerning the effects of Jesus Christ mission, is presented in John 9:39… “And Jesus said, for judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.” Please note that the miracle which He performed upon the blind man, may be regarded as an awesome illustration concerning this scripture; inasmuch it illustrates the work of the Cross.

What intrigued my mind, was the method implored for the blind man’s healing, which far exceeded any natural man’s comprehension exemplified; hence, to them foolishness.  John 9:6-7 states that “When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay, And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing.” Wow, such simplicity! Paul states in…2 Cor. 11:2-4 “For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.”

Sometimes we seek for the things that are perceived deep, in order to interpret the divine things of God; only to find out that they only come through humble measures with simplicity!

Wow, look at the method deployed, “He spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay.” This methodology was intentional to confound human wisdom and intellect; and hence, led many naturally to contemplate the great work of the Cross! Even today this is viewed as foolishness, when viewed through man’s wisdom!

That’s right my brothers and sisters, we are considered FOOLS because we believe and proclaim that Jesus, the Son of Man, was crucified in weakness, in order to provide salvation for all who will believe that by His death, has destroyed him (Satan) who had the power of death; because JESUS was nailed to an accursed tree to become SIN for us; and our foundation to eternal life!

Saints, this display of divine wisdom opens the eyes of many who walk in darkness, while it perpetually renders knowledge with comprehension, to those who lack. This divine wisdom still proves to dazzle, and confound the well-educated, and the wise of this world. This is why “The foolishness of God is wiser than man.”

Please notice what our Lord Jesus Christ tells the Pharisees in this same chapter, that their sin was not their real blindness, it was their DESIRE to error in sight. “If ye were blind, ye should have no sin; but now ye say, we see; therefore, your sin remains.” A blind man who knows he’s blind, desires to have his eyes opened; but for those who are blind and professed to see, there is no remedy for them. A sick man may be made whole, but if he perpetually professes to be whole, he has no need for medicine nor a physician.

The most hopeless thing concerning the condition of the Jews was their perception that they were alright!  How could they learn? What hope is there, for men and women; when they have been called upon to look at an object based on its own merits, but choose to continue to put bandages across their eyes?

Please know my brothers and sisters, that from the moment we became the subject of the glorious work of Jesus Christ, we became a marked person. Notice in John 9:8 “The neighbours therefore, and they which before had seen him that he was blind, said, is not this he that sat and begged?

When we became FOOLS and marked, it shows the manifestation of change that has taken place to all those who may have experienced us in our previous state! It is essential to note that one has to be presented to be examined. When the miraculous results came forth from the perceived foolish and simplistic method; the word states in John 9:13-14 “They brought to the Pharisees him that aforetime was blind. And it was the sabbath day when Jesus made the clay, and opened his eyes.”

The Lord knows this will happen to all of us who embrace His unadulterated Word, and the results that will follow! To the world it is in vain, that our blinded eyes have been opened to see the light from heaven. The Pharisees were ready to accept anything, other than a clear, simple, emphatic testimony; that was derived from the miraculous work of Jesus Christ!

When it comes to Jesus working in our lives beyond human reasoning, the big question always comes forth, “HOW?” The Pharisees inquired “How were thine eyes opened?” The reply from the blind man was simply “He put clay on mine eyes.” This response to them was regarded as foolish, and this man to them was a fool, who insulted their intelligence!

Please note the personal pronoun, “HE,” who did the man mean by “HE?” Who was “HE?” This is a phenomenal point of reference! This poor man considered a FOOL and a heretic, was ignorant of this himself, though he was on the path to become knowledgeable about Jesus; he had experienced the work of Christ, but he did not know the Person of Christ. It was the Work he was subject to, which prepared him to be introduced to the Person of Jesus Christ. My brothers and sister, intellectually anyone can reference the plan of salvation, but it cannot be influential when it is not accompanied with the personal experience of efficacy! GOLDEN NUGGET!

Oh, how many times have we talked about things in God, that we have not yet experienced. Only to realize, that our reality in God is when His WORD becomes alive in us! It is through these living experiences, that defy the logic for the defense of any systematic religion apart from, or in opposition to Jesus Christ. We must be able to render proof, based on our own experiences, which has rendered results of the work of Christ Jesus; in order to validate our premise. Hence, the blind man replied “He put clay on mine eyes, and I washed, and do see.” The proof was in the pudding, hence, what could any gainsayer contend! Many individuals may reason from a negative perspective; they may not want to give any of the glory to Jesus Christ; but this man was proof that the personal work of Jesus Christ eradicated the existing Jewish system; and Jesus’s work had done more for him, than that lifeless religious system; which entailed the earthly priesthood, and its rites; could ever do. This miracle most definitely sufficed for blind man, and anyone who chose not to be blinded by that system. GOLDEN NUGGET!

I personally noticed, how the heart of this poor man lingered concerning the work of Jesus. He never allowed himself to be drawn away from it, in order to follow the persistent arguments of the Pharisees. As this audience inundated this man with questions, again his reply was “He put clay on mine eyes, and I washed and do see.” This solidified the ground, from which no humanistic logic could shake him. Yet to them, he sounded like a FOOL; but he never removes himself from his premise; he continued to emphasize the miracle that Jesus performed for him. Had he complied with their reasoning and logic, they would have persuaded him, for these men were subtle men.

This man’s testimony to the Pharisee’s was too simple! They could not make sense of this simple testimony of what Christ had done for him; “One thing I know, that whereas I was blind, now I see.”  This reminds me what the Apostle Paul conveyed to the church of Corinth in 2 Cor. 1:12 “For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward.” And also in 2 Cor. 11:3-4 “But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.”

It is here where intellectualism meets foolishness, the learned meets the unlearned! Especially when we merge the two replies of the blind man…“He put clay on mine eyes,” and “now I see.”

It was their poor intellectual premise, that showed they were the wrong fools, dwelling in the wrong spectrum; when they responded “but by what means he now sees, we know not; or who has opened his eyes, we know not.” In other words, they neither knew, nor cared to know Jesus Christ, nor His work. Wow, it is the same today, as it was with them! Many value their position in connection with their titles in form only, yet they are not really prepared to bear the reproach of the sufferings for Jesus Christ, nor His true followers! The Grace of God is manifested in the cross, and must be experienced individually, and consistently. The name of Jesus never was, nor is it now, popular throughout the entire world. Religiosity may be, but not Jesus in earnest!

The Pharisees, and the chief priest had plenty of religion; and they guarded it. Hence, this is how they could say, “This man is not of God, because he keeps not the Sabbath-day;” and again, “Give God the praise; we know that this man is a sinner.” This sounded good to them; but my brothers and sisters, we must remain cognizant that to talk of giving God the glory, and honoring His institutions; while rejecting the wholesomeness of its purpose, is delusional!  Jesus is the institution of which everything evolves. It is the cross of Jesus, that makes His Person; and His work available to the sinner. Hence, it is because He was rejected, we are not destitute of the only true, and divine basis of religion. James states in Jas. 1:26-27 “If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain. Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.”

It is because we are FOOLS for Jesus name’s sake, that we suffer for His name, and also strive to maintain the desire to be identified in Him; as we conform to His will. The Jewish system had  an enormous place in the affections of every pious Jew, hence, none of them would lightly give up their position as a member in it.

However, Saints, the man whose eyes were opened; “Could not but speak the thing he had seen and heard,” and the consequence was, that the religious blueprint of those people who drew it, could not endure the confession of his simple testimony! He had received light, and this light collided with their darkness. There could be no harmony, no fellowship, nor rest. Hence, that light had to be put out by them! Please note that as long as he had been a blind man within their system, it was acceptable, and they had no need to be postured to raise any questions; but as soon as he had received light, and was not disposed to hide it under a bushel, they wanted to get rid of him, and his testimony! “Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us? Hence, they casted him out.” They represented the great depositaries of erroneous knowledge, and he was nothing but a poor ignorant man, who should not have been able to think for himself, nor take a validated position, in opposition to them.

They, no doubt, regarded him as an obstinate heretic, for whom nothing was reserved except the revelation of the of Jesus Christ. “They cast him out.” And why? Simply because he had his eyes opened. How strange! How often do we see cases like this today! Men go on living in sin and ignorance, and yet this is tolerated to accommodate human interest to satisfy the philosophies of men in the false church system! But I love the fact, that when the illuminating light of the Holy Scriptures is revealed, the partakers of these dismal false hopes, are exposed for who they are! These representatives are only deemed fit subjects, for the rack and the stake. To them the vilest crimes are light, in the judgment of a corrupt religious system, when compared with the honest confession in the name of Jesus Christ!

We have already noticed the extent of this honest man’s intelligence. It only extended to the work of Christ. He understood nothing of his Person at that time. This knowledge was not revealed unto him, until he was cast out of the synagogue. “Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when he had found him, he said to him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God? He answered, who is He, Lord, that I might believe on Him?” I notice that there was something very progressive as it pertained to his intellect! He had been cast out by reason of his faithfulness, because of the sympathy rendered by the Son of God.

Our Good Shepherd always renders tender mercy, and visits the fold; as He calls His sheep by name! Jesus does this to lead all those who are declared FOOLS for His name’s sake, that He may lead us into a wide and wealthy place; so that we may be partakers in the blessedness of His fellowship forever. The blind man had not experienced fellowship with Jesus, hence, he asks “Who is He?” This man’s inquiry was sincere. So, Jesus responds accordingly “Thou hast both seen Him, and it is He that talks with thee. And he said, Lord, I believe, and he worshipped Him.”

Wow, this perceived FOOL; had been illuminated in the reality, that he had been favored to be in fellowship of Jesus; once he had been expelled from amidst all those that were perceived to be highly esteemed amongst men. It was not until he found himself outside a system that was rapidly crumbling to ruin; did he experience his true place as a worshipper at the feet of the Jesus Christ! This man had to go outside the camp, to know Jesus, as he beared His reproach. It was only then could he offer the sacrifice of praise, and even the fruit of his lips.

My beloved brothers and sister, may we always esteem our fellowship, and our identity that is found in Jesus Christ; as we embrace that, this is the time “When Being a FOOL Makes Sense!”  Please continue to strive to have a JESUS DAY!