Wednesday 18 March 2015

Psalm: Psalm 125

Background

Boasting is a very unattractive habit,and is generally considered rather ill-mannered and self-centred.Paul, who wrote today's passage, has previously criticised suchboasting in others (Romans 2:17-21; 3:27), even though elsewhere heseems to have been criticised for this very failing himself (2Corinthians 10:13-15). Here, however, Paul boasts not once butthree times (verses 2, 3, 11). The important difference is that heis not boasting about his own achievements or abilities, but isseeking to express his delight in what God has done for allhumanity in Jesus Christ.

The passage comes from Paul's letter tothe church in Rome, arguably one of the most important texts in theNew Testament. Great Christian thinkers like Augustine, MartinLuther, John Wesley and many more have discovered the true depthsof God's love in these verses, and it has changed their livesforever. Paul seeks to explain how we are "justified" with God (iehow we are made right with, or reconciled to, God) and can now liveat peace with him (v.1). This was not the result of our actions butof God's reaching out to us in Jesus. Because of what God has donewe can endure all kinds of sufferings and disappointments and stillretain hope. This was something that Paul, who was beaten,imprisoned and shipwrecked because of his God-given mission, knewall about!

Perhaps even more importantly, Paulstresses how this wonderful gesture of reconciliation all tookplace before we deserved it, while we still preferred evil to God(verse 8). The Christian theologian Karl Barth described thispassage as probably the hardest part of Romans for us to understandbecause we struggle to grasp the enormity of what is being said:"God is for us, while we are against God". In the logic of ourworld, such generosity and openness would most likely be consideredfoolishness or weakness. For Paul, though, such incredible love ismost definitely good news and something to boast to the whole worldabout!

To Ponder

• What is the difference between boasting about what God has donefor us and simply boasting about your health, happiness and goodfortune?

• A famous Christian hymn includes the lines, "And when I think that God, his Son not sparing,sent him to die, I scarce can take it in" (Singing the Faith82). To what extent can we ever truly take in the enormity of whatGod did for the world on Good Friday?

• How might our world look today if we were willing to take theinitiative in healing divisions and disputes, even when we were inthe right?