Observation: In this section of his letter to the Romans, Paul is trying to make sense of why his message about Jesus has been embraced by many Gentiles, but has not been universally embraced by his fellow Jews. His argument, based on his reading of the Hebrew scriptures, is that God must intend to make God's chosen people jealous by embracing people from other backgrounds, in order to win back the children of Israel. But later Paul makes clear his belief that, however long it takes, reconciliation will eventually happen.
Application: Romans 10 hits home for me because, like many of Paul's Jewish readers, I grew up in a religiously devout household. Faith was kind of something I took for granted for much of my childhood. There were certainly bumps, twists and forks in the road for me as a teenager and as a young adult. I've been fortunate enough to learn about many other faiths and philosophies of life, but the ultimate result for me has been a return "home" to reclaim the faith I grew up with. I sometimes wonder if that doesn't make me a little complacent when it comes to really examining my assumptions about life. What would it take to force me to really change my perspective? What would a conversion experience look like for me? Sometimes, I'll admit, I get a bit envious when I talk with someone who became a Christian on their own, through some sort of dramatic conversion. I have noticed that often they make terrific evangelists, because they know what it's like to have God's love revealed to them for the very first time. Maybe it's a little bit of the 'grass is always greener' phenomenon. I'm not ashamed of my story, but hearing the stories of others definitely does help my perspective, and helps me appreciate my inherited and reclaimed faith more.
Prayer: God, thank you for raising me in faith. Thank you for the gift of my baptism and for the many people who formed me in faith. Help me never to take any of it for granted. Help me use my unique story to witness to you.
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