“But Paul replied, “I am not insane, Most Excellent Festus. What I am saying is the sober truth.”
Acts 26:25 (NLT)
Festus hears Paul say that the Messiah would be the first to rise from the dead as a light to Jews and Gentiles, and effectively responds, “Paul, you’re crazy. You’ve lost your mind because you’ve been studying too much.” To Festus, the gospel goes against the teaching of man, the wisdom of the world, and everything he knows. So it must be unreasonable and untrue.
Human wisdom put barriers, blinders, and filters in everything Festus heard and saw. When Paul shared about the light, none of it could get in. In 1 Corinthians 1:18–31, Paul explains that the foolishness of the cross sounds crazy to those on the path to hell. But to those on the path to heaven, the message of the cross is the very power of God.
The Jews thought the gospel was foolish because they wanted a sign from heaven. The Greeks, those like Festus, thought it was foolish because it disagreed with human wisdom. But to those whose minds, eyes, and ears the Holy Spirit has opened, Christ is the mighty power and wonderful wisdom of God. His plan may look foolish on paper, but it is far wiser than our smartest plans.
Paul was not insane. He was sharing the truth of God and leading people toward the source of truth. Receiving the gift of eternal life through a relationship with Jesus requires belief, faith, and trust in God’s plan. Today I pray that we recognize the difference between the wisdom of man and the wisdom of God. Let’s embrace the foolishness of the cross in faith, and share it with others. Don’t be scared of somebody calling you insane for Jesus. Paul clearly wasn’t.