Monday 02 November 2009
"For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. Just as you were once disobedient to God but have now received mercy because of their disobedience, so they have now been disobedient in order that, by the mercy shown to you, they too may now receive mercy. For God has imprisoned all in disobedience so that he may be merciful to all. O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgements and how inscrutable his ways!" (v.29-33)
Background
In the letter to the Romans, the author Paul is talking abouttwo groups of people: Israel, God's chosen people, and the Gentiles(non-Jews), who previously had nothing to do with God, but to whomGod has now been merciful through Jesus Christ.
Paul says that God's plan includes the disobedience of one group,so that the other can receive God's own grace. The other group willthen in turn receive grace, again due to disobedience.
This can seems a bit convoluted and for me is hard to understand,but it gives a glimpse of something important. When we harden ourhearts to God, either individually or as a nation, God doesn't giveup on us. God wants to be merciful to all people, and even whenthat looks impossible, God knows what to do.
And it doesn't have to make sense to us. Paul says that the actionsof God are not to be understood on human terms, such as the natural'give and take' in life. We can't judge God because we are notcapable of understanding. Faith is what we have, and grace given tous freely by God.
We are limited in our capacity to understand, but God is infinitein resourcefulness to reach and save all people.
To Ponder
Is it good to wrestle to understand God's ways?Or is it better to accept unthinkingly? Why?
To what extent is it OK to be relaxed about beingdisobedient to God, because God will sort everything out somehowanyway? Why or why not?