October 20, 2021 – Romans 9:1–33

“I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience confirms it by the Holy Spirit— I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my own people, my kindred according to the flesh. They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises;to them belong the patriarchs, and from them, according to the flesh, comes the Messiah, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen.

It is not as though the word of God had failed. For not all Israelites truly belong to Israel,and not all of Abraham’s children are his true descendants; but “It is through Isaac that descendants shall be named for you.”This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as descendants.For this is what the promise said, “About this time I will return and Sarah shall have a son.” So it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God who shows mercy. For the scripture says to Pharaoh, “I have raised you up for the very purpose of showing my power in you, so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth.” So then he has mercy on whomever he chooses, and he hardens the heart of whomever he chooses.” Romans 9:1-9, 16-18

Paul says, in Romans 9:2, “I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart.”  I know that I have heard people say something to the effect that that if we have the love of Jesus in our hearts, then we should be happy all the day long? If we are serious about and honest about our faith lives, I think we can agree with Paul that there are those moments that we grieve for the sake of the church – just like there are those times in our lives where we are not happy all the time with our personal lives. There is a sense of joy that overcomes each one of us from time to time that I can attribute to the work of the Holy Spirit. But there are also those times where we have a real sense of sorrow for those who do not want to hear and down-right reject the story of Jesus Christ as we know it. Or we grieve for those in the church who wish to distort the story by focusing on their own needs, wants and desires. But piety can also make us too serious and brooding as well. Paul here is simply beginning a position statement, one that will go on for the next two chapters about the fate of “all Israel” that will come to a conclusion in chapter 11. And that conclusion, that “… all Israel will be saved”, is one that will be argued and discussed for many a day.

I have said it before – Paul is at his theological best in the chapters of his letter to Rome. He draws on the promises to Israel, but also on the claim that G-d will show mercy on whomever G-d chooses – Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male or female.

Let us Pray,

Lord Jesus, we hear that you will have mercy on whomever you choose. Help us to live in a manner that we trust that mercy, trust your love, and trust in your presence. Amen.

Pastor Dave