The word of the day is "irony." Today, we read Romans 9:18-33, a passage where Paul discusses God's sovereignty and the inclusion of Gentiles in His plan. In this scripture we hear Paul's rebuttal of all claims to grasp how God fulfills His purposes throughout human history.
Many preachers today give the impression that they know all about God's designs for human history. By selectively quoting scripture, they offer their own keys to comprehending God's ways. However, Paul suggests in our reading that they are mistaken. He writes that God has His own mind and is free to do the unexpected.
Today, we reflect on the irony of God's treatment of the Jews and Gentiles. We will find that Paul's question about who is accepting the Gospel applies to all who think they can comprehend God's mind. The apostle writes powerfully, "But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, 'Why have you made me like this?" (NKJV vs. 20).
The Irony of God's Treatment of Jews and Gentiles
According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, one definition of irony is "the incongruity between the actual result of a sequence of events and the normal or expected result" (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/irony)
If we view our reading from this point of view, we see that the Gentiles who did not know or neither knew nor sought righteousness attained it. On the other hand, the Jews who knew the "law of righteousness" did not achieve it (vs. 30-31).
From a human viewpoint, we would think that the Chosen People, the Jews, would be the beneficiaries of the coming of the Messiah. And when the Messiah came, we would think that the Jews would be the first to accept Him. Yet the irony is that the Gentiles who knew nothing of the promised Messiah were the ones who received Him.
Human logic would reason that since God gave the law to His chosen people, they would earn righteousness by keeping it. However, Paul emphasizes that God is sovereign. The Almighty wills that righteousness should be given by faith, not the law. By that standard, Gentiles, instead of Jews, attain the righteousness of God.
God Does Not Have to Meet Human Expectations
By human standards, the Jews' response to the Gospel demonstrates the irony of the Almighty's dealing with Israel. We would expect that God would be faithful to His beloved people. Instead, Paul teaches that God endured the disobedience of His people until the Messiah came. Then, to some who did not receive Jesus as the Christ, He willed "to show His wrath and make His power known" (OSB Romans 9:22). But to others who did receive the Lord, both Jews and Gentiles, he chose to show His mercy (OSB 9:23).
Today, our scripture teaches that God does not have to answer to human reason and is not obligated to conform to human logic. Paul quotes the Almighty's words to Moses, "I will have mercy on whomever I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion" (OSB Romans 9:15). Mercy does not belong to humankind. It is God's to withhold or to give (Romans 9:16).
For Reflection
Recall that Paul said in Corinthians, "For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God" (OSB 1 Corinthians 3:19). This is the lesson of the climax of the Book of Job when God Almighty answers Job's complaint: "Now prepare yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer Me. Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me if you have understanding…" (OSB Job 38:4). And it is the lesson of God's dealing with Jews.
Our human understanding is no match for God's wisdom. If that is troubling for us, it may be because we rely on our paltry comprehension. If we are, we might remind ourselves of Paul's words: "He catches the wise in their own craftiness" (1 Corinthians 3:19; Job 5:13).
Yet, from another perspective, knowing that God has His own reasons is comforting. We are not in charge of history and the creation. Though we cannot fully understand God's plan, we can be confident thatHe has the world and our destiny in His hands .
No comments:
Post a Comment