1 Cor 2:1-8 / Luke 4:16-30
If we want people to believe in what we are saying, we would certainly want to impress them.
We would want to be as convincing as possible by telling them about the amazing and wonderful stories.
And we will certainly sparkle up the presentation and dazzle our listeners to beyond doubt even.
But for St. Paul, when he preached the Good News to the Corinthians, it was not with any show of oratory or philosophy.
He simply told them what God had guaranteed, and that is salvation and eternal life.
He told them about Jesus Christ, but it was not about the glorious or triumphant Jesus Christ.
Rather it was about the crucified Christ, and St. Paul preached the crucified Christ with "trembling and fear" not because he was afraid of being unconvincing or being laughed at.
But St. Paul knew he had to preach the crucified Christ as God wanted him and preach and not to distort the message.
The message of the crucified Christ may not be that appealing in a world of impressive images that sparkle and dazzle.
But it is in the crucified Christ and the power of God is manifested and revealed.
Let us believe in the power of the Cross and in the salvation that the crucified Christ is offering.
All the impressive sparkle and dazzle of the world will not save us.