Kiwis and Dragonfruit

THIS WEEK I ate a kiwi. Have you ever eaten a kiwi? If you haven't it's probably because you were afraid to. It's not a good-looking fruit. It's a fuzzy, soft brown oval the about the size of an egg.

If you haven't eaten a kiwi, you should get one. They cost about 33 cents each at Walmart. You should eat a kiwi because, despite its weird appearance, it has a treasure inside.

If you cut a kiwi in half you see a lovely pattern of black seeds and bright green fruit. You can eat it right out of the skin with a spoon. It's tangy and sweet and wonderful.

The kiwi takes faith. You have to believe that when you cut it open it won't be as boring as it looks, because it isn't. That's what I thought of when I read 1 Corinthians 1 this week. Check it out:

v.27 "But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty."

God invented the kiwi in a way that it doesn't look like much, but within it shows His goodness and His ability to provide wonderful things for us.

When I thought about that, I remembered the one time I tried somethign called a dragonfruit. When I heard there was a fruit called dragonfruit, I decided I wanted it to be my favorite fruit. I couldn't wait to try it. Its skin is bright pinkish purple with frills, and inside it is pure white with thousands of little black seeds. It's pretty enough to decorate your house with.

If you haven't eaten a dragonfruit, don't bother. They don't taste good or bad. They literally taste like nothing at all. They should be called "Disappointmentfruit."

Despite the wonderful appearance of the dragonfruit, the kiwi outdoes it. God has chosen the kiwi to put to shame the dragonfruit, in a way. Of course, He made both. But I can't help but think this is something like the world. God loves to use all kinds of people to show His power and faithfulness. But His word is especially full of fishermen, shepherds, carpenters, poor people, and children. Whether He turns them into kings or reveals to them His mysteries, He honors the humble because they don't exalt themselves. Their low position is perfect for showing how He cares for those we tend to forget, and how He can provide in any situation. When He came in the flesh He even chose the humble position of a carpenter born in tiny Bethlehem and raised in backwoods Galilee, and He saved the world.

1 Corinthians 1:18-19 "[18] For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. [19] For it is written, 'I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.'"

His ways are different from our ways. He loves to do things in ways nobody expects, ways that nobody really understands right away.

He told us in Matthew 23:11-12, "[11] But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. [12] And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

I'm inclined to think that what God thinks is great is better than what the whole world thinks is great. 1 Corinthians 1:25 "Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men."

There is a lot of good stuff in this world. People and money and theme parks and lemonade and glitter all seem pretty wonderful, and they are blessings. But next to God, everything else is dragonfruit. God puts the kiwi on the table and says that the weaker things can be greatest. He says that a mighty nation can come from a single child of old parents. He says the whole world can be saved through the sacrifice of one Man, if that Man is His Son. He says twelve guys from no special background can become fierce witnesses of a life-changing faith that sweeps over the entire world.

Then, in Matthew 16:24-25, Jesus says this "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for My sake will find it."

How do we respond when He says this? Remembering that He has always been right and always does what He says, and knowing that He honors our faith and humility, there's only one thing to do. We take up the cross and follow Him daily. We choose the funny-looking kiwi for the brilliant promise that waits inside it. Because life in Christ, no matter the cost, will always be more wonderful than all the beautiful and bland dragonfruit the world could hold.