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And good morning to everyone else, too. Here's your daily dose of scripture & meditation ...
| Wednesday, October 17, 2001 Saint Ignatius of Antioch, bishop and martyr - Memorial |
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From wau.org ...
In contrast to many of his other letters, Paul was not trying to correct a heresy or help resolve a scandal when he wrote his Letter to the Romans. He had quite another goal in mind: to introduce himself and his teaching to them in preparation for a visit he wanted to make.
Paul was not yet personally acquainted with this church, but he was informed enough to know what to say. For example, he was aware that its Jewish members, greatly outnumbered by non-Jews, probably felt threatened or slighted. Because tension between the two groups was likely, he made it a point to emphasize up front that God's word applies to everyone. No one who does evil--neither Jew nor Gentile--will escape God's judgment. No one who does good--neither Jew nor Gentile--will fail to receive an appropriate reward. "God shows no partiality" (Romans 2:11).
Like the Christians in Rome, we can take comfort in knowing that God doesn't play favorites. Each of us needs mercy. Each of us is offered it by a loving Father who is rich in "kindness and forbearance and patience" (2:4). Equally committed to all his sons and daughters, God holds out the hope and promise of salvation to all of us.
Besides bringing us hope for ourselves, knowing that God's love is impartial and generous should spur us to change our thinking about others. Are there people we have written off as unlikely candidates for conversion? God hasn't written them off. He calls them too, however sinful they may seem. He stands always ready to pour out his grace when they respond--and so abundantly, in fact, that their holiness may one day astonish us!
Jesus has hope for everyone, and he wants to put that same hope into our hearts. He wants us to reject any anxiety we might have about someone's spiritual state. He wants us to put away any sense of superiority we might have about our own state. Instead, he wants us all to pray with confidence in God's ability to accomplish his plan. Let's ask Jesus to help us see all our brothers and sisters as he sees them. Let's know that everyone can become a saint!
"Lord Jesus, touch everyone with your gospel! Surpass my expectations of how you can work. Turn even the most desperate situations upside down with your grace and mercy!"
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Have a great day, everybody!
