Our
readings in St. Paul’s letter to the church at Rome begin a transition in
chapter nine, where he discusses the distinction between the Gentile Church and
the Jewish nation. His lament, that he
could wish himself accursed from Christ so that his ethnic people might be
saved, is one that rings in the ears of many Christians even today. How many of us have looked out into the
world, perhaps at our own families, and wished we could take their suffering
upon ourselves so that they could avoid the judgment they are piling up for
themselves? But St. Paul takes his
sorrow for his people, and by the Holy Spirit, teaches us something about the
nature of faith versus ethnicity.
Here
we learn, that God is much less interested in ethnic or cultural ties, than He
is about making promises and keeping them.
Why does God choose Abram from among all the people of the earth? It wasn’t because he was particularly holy or
pious, but rather because he would believe the promise of God, and God would
impute his faith as righteousness. The
same questions reverberate down through the millennia, as God chooses one and
not another—from the children of Abraham (Isaac versus Ishmael,) to the
Patriarchs of the 12 tribes, to Moses, to Joshua, to the Judges, to the Kings,
to the Prophets, to the Apostles. God
chooses some, and rejects others. It is
a hard reality, but the Scriptures declare it.
Of
course, being the sinful people we are, we much prefer to think we are chosen
because of some intrinsic value in ourselves.
We like to think our national or cultural heritage is better than
others, or that our genetics are superior to those of others (which is, of
course, how the 20th century’s evil Eugenics movement began.) We like to think we are particularly clever,
pious, or charismatic, so that God’s choice reveals us to be of merit. But nothing could be further from the
truth. God declares to us that all have
fallen short of His glory, all have run after wickedness, and all of us
together have become unprofitable. God’s
choices amongst men have nothing to do with the intrinsic merit of man, but everything
to do with the infinite love and mercy of God.
In
this way, St. Paul is able to see the distinction between the ethnic Jews who
repudiated Christ (many of which maintained control of the Temple, becaming the
Rabbinic leaders after the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD,) and the people of every
ethnicity who embraced Christ (Jews included, himself as evidence.) For God, the issue was not primarily related
to ethnicity, but to faith in His promise, so that whoever would call upon the
Name of the Lord Jesus Christ in faith, would be saved by His grace. Thus, whether they were people of the Old
Testament epochs, or the people of the New Testament era, the rule of faith was
the same: God’s people, His children,
are children of His promise, living by His grace through faith in Him.
But
not everyone will believe His promise, which is a sad reality of the sinful
disposition of mankind. The Jewish
people of Jesus’ day who rejected Christ, rejected the salvation Jesus offered
through His Gospel. They refused to live
by grace through faith, and rejecting Jesus, chose to stand before God on the
merit of their own works. St. Paul could
see the end of such faithlessness, knowing that by the works of the Law no
flesh shall be saved. But he also knew
that God would compel no one to love and trust in Him, because love compelled
is no love at all. For those who refuse
God, they do so out of their own sinful and corrupted hearts, preferring their
darkness to His Light. God does not
choose anyone for hell—we do that ourselves.
God’s promise of life and salvation through His Son goes out to the
whole creation, so that all who will believe, will live, because God desires
all people to be saved through His Son.
It
is in this way that God, by the power of His Holy Spirit, continues to call, gather, enliven and
enlighten everyone who will believe in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Working by Word and Sacrament, the Spirit
leads dead and wicked sinners to hear the blessed promise of forgiveness, life,
and salvation which Jesus brings to us through His Cross and Passion. The promise of eternal life is given freely,
just as the life of Jesus was laid down freely, so that men might no longer
measure themselves against one another by their own works or merits, but rather
see themselves once again as brothers and sisters of the promise.
And
so the promise comes to us all, Jew or Gentile, rich or poor, slave or free,
Norwegian or Polynesian: for God is no
respecter of persons. And to us all,
regardless of our nation, our culture, our social status, or anything else we
may think pridefully of ourselves, comes the promise of life to all who will
repent and believe the Gospel. Even so,
the Gospel comes to you, calling you to be a child of God’s promise—calling you
to repent, believe, and live.