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Jesus Makes ‘Nobodies,’ Somebodies

Mark Eckel
@MarkEckel
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Nativity Of Jesus (Romolo Tavani/Shutterstock)

The status of being a college professor, of having earned a PhD, has always been a great temptation to me. To ascend to a certain level of intellectual ability is the problem of me thinking, “I’ve arrived.” I live in a world where academic degrees are esteemed, and publications are expected. And I will repeat, I am tempted by the esteem of the status, being a university professor brings.

But then I read First Corinthians 1:28 and 29, where Paul says, “The insignificant of the world and the despised God chose, yes, the nothings, bring to nothing the somebodies; so that all kinds of persons should not pride themselves before God.” Anthony Thistleton’s translation gets after the sin of status that I struggle with. A similar problem existed in the Corinthian church. Corinth was a cosmopolitan city and the church there reflected a broad spectrum of people. The church in Corinth had people who were rich and poor, high-society and lowly slaves, the famous and the unknown, the educated and the uneducated.

In 1 Corinthians 1:30 and 31 Paul makes it clear that cultural status, position, influence, or the nameplate on someone’s desk matters not at all when it comes to God’s view of people. Paul says that our significance is found in Jesus, ending with, “Let the one who boasts, boast in The Lord.” When I am tempted to glory in my status, I am reminded of these verses. As Paul repeats, no human being can boast in God’s presence.

At the Christmas season we are reminded, “To us a child is born, to us a son is given.” The Father brought His wisdom through the gift of His Son, not through our personal status. God has chosen the weak things of the world, the nobodies, to proclaim his name. For Truth in Two, this is Dr. Mark Eckel, president of the Comenius Institute, personally seeking Truth in the person of Jesus. [First published at MarkEckel.com]

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Discussion (6)

  • Mark Eckel@MarkEckel
    ReplyingtoTeeger

    Teeger (View Comment):

    Awesome post from a rare person, a humble academic.

    Gratitude @Teeger

    One of my many mantras to students is "humility is the essence of knowledge." Just as soon as one thinks he has "arrived," he should be reminded how far he has to go: the road of a lifetime learner. Personally, I am humbled by what I learn from my students. They are the future. #nextgen

  • Old Bathos@OldBathos
    Mark Eckel (View Post):

    The status of being a college professor, of having earned a PhD, has always been a great temptation to me. To ascend to a certain level of intellectual ability is the problem of me thinking, “I’ve arrived.”

    Be hopeful. There are probably may be several academics in heaven.

    The issue of status conflates personal ambition (not necessarily a bad thing) with successful spiritual life. I find it useful to stop thinking of life as a movie or novel and thus wondering to what extent God is the writer/director and instead think of God as more like the prof in an improv class, OK, you are an aging office worker, life seems like it is getting stale, you find yourself withdrawing from life and your family, starting to be absorbed with worry... and action! Your grade in the class is not about whether the circumstances of the role or story line are happy or bring fame or wealth but how much you are honestly fully present to the role and bring humanity, energy and creativity.

    I often recall a time early in recovery in which the speaker at the meeting was a tattooed white guy with keys on his belt, and an overall look that I was inclined to sneer at, me being an arrogant downtown attorney and all that. What can this guy possibly say of value to me? In ten minutes I was in awe and almost in tears. It was not just the story of a life far tougher than mine but the sheer heroism of his journey, his spiritual survival, and his obvious contentment. In the improv class model, he had effected a vastly better performance in a lousy role than I had in a privileged life. If we were both up for the one remaining slot left in heaven, it would be no contest. That was a moment of grace.

    We miss the point if we focus on Scrooge's disproportionate wealth as compared to Bob Cratchett. It was that Bob had a more fully human, informational, family-centered life despite a conspicuous lack of career success. He was fully present to his role. Scrooge had shed chunks of his humanity to make his role small, flat and less fully human.

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