Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.

“You called, You cried, You shattered my deafness, You sparkled, You blazed, You drove away my blindness, You shed Your fragrance, and I drew in my breath, and I pant for You.” Augustine.

Whenever the gospel is preached it can be expected to meet with varying reactions. But by that great mystery of  Divine election there will be those whose eyes are opened to the reality of who Jesus is, because they are “called” by God. Previously they may have regarded it all as “foolishness”,  and the message of a crucified Christ might well have been “a stumbling block” to them. But minds can change; hearts can change; people can change. Maybe you were like this once, but you know the remarkable process of transformation God has taken you through – in fact, is still taking you through.

In verse 25 Paul is not saying that God actually has any “foolishness” or “weakness” in Him. It is His way of asserting that God is wiser and stronger than any human-beings. In His wisdom and strength He draws to Himself all those He has called.

“God works with power, and can make the unwilling willing; if He undertake the conversion of a soul, it will be converted. All the pious workings of our heart towards God are the fruit and consequence of the powerful working of His grace in us.” Thomas Goodwin.