When Martin Luther began the Protestant Reformation nearly 500 years ago, he compared his work as a reformer to that of a court jester.

In 1520, he wrote to the German nobility and emperor asking for them to take up the work of reform. He said to these powerful leaders, “I shall for the time being become a court jester.” And he compared the hat he wore as a monk to a jester’s cap with bells. Why would Luther pick such a foolish image for himself?

Luther knew that fools have power to speak truth when others wouldn’t dare. He goes on to say, “More than once a fool has spoken wisely, and wise men have often been arrant fools.” A court jester could openly mock the powerful under the guise of foolishness when others would be too afraid. Luther was known to use his sense of humor to challenge and expose the powerful.

Furthermore, Luther recalled the words of the Apostle Paul, “If you think that you are wise in this age, you should become fools so that you may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God” (1 Corinthians 3:18-19). Luther knew that to be a disciple of Christ is to become a fool by the world’s standards.

The problem is that our world has everything upside-down, and the cross of Jesus is God’s verdict on our upside-down ways. Our world worships wealth, but Jesus died in poverty. Our world worships power, but Jesus died in weakness. Our world worships victory, but to die on a cross is a humiliation. “But,” writes Paul, “God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong” (1 Corinthians 1:27). Jesus redefines wisdom and greatness for us.

This is why I worry when Christians adopt worldly standards of success and when we become focused on aligning ourselves with the rich and powerful. Not only does this cheapen the gospel of Jesus Christ, but it takes much of the fun and joy out of being a Christian.

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about the Holy Humor of the Christian life. This week I want to lift up the freedom and joy that comes when we trade the weary wisdom of the world for the foolishness of the crucified Messiah. After we let go of the world’s standards, we can create all kinds of mischief.

There are several examples of this from church history. For example, Simeon the Holy Fool from 6th century Russia was known for throwing nuts at priests in the cathedral as they preached. And even though he was known for being weird, he was also known as a holy man who cared for the sick and poor in secret.

Likewise, the 16th century Russian Saint Basil the Blessed was known for walking around Moscow wearing nothing but a very long beard and other eccentricities. And yet Basil was the only man that Tsar Ivan the Terrible feared, because of Basil’s holiness. In one story, Basil marched into the Tsar’s palace to force him to eat raw meat during the Lenten fast. Basil said to Ivan, “Why abstain from eating meat when you murder men?” No one besides this holy fool would have dared to confront the Tsar in this way. And to this day the cathedral in Moscow’s Red Square is named after Basil the Blessed.

Like Paul, Simeon, Basil, and Luther, we are called to be fools for Christ. We too can create holy mischief in our upside-down world and be court jesters in the halls of the powerful. May we find joy and freedom in the path of discipleship!

 

Note: This post originally appeared in the Brodhead Free Press and the Independent Register as part of their weekly “Pastor’s Corner” column.