Thank you for joining today as we seek God’s wisdom together. Let us begin with prayer.
“Lord Jesus, I ask that you take the words in this blog and breathe life into them. Apart from your anointing they are just words on a page. I ask that you quicken our hearts to hear, see, and act upon what you are trying to teach us by the Power of Your Holy Spirit. In Jesus name, Amen.”
Romans 12: 9-13 (NLT).
“Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. 10Love each other with genuine affection and take delight in honoring each other. 11Never be lazy but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. 12Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble and keep on praying. 13When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.”
What the Word is Saying
This section of scripture begins a sing song kind of comparison between Christ like living and worldly living. Verse 9 says love others and hate what is wrong. Verse 10 says to love one another genuinely and to take delight in showing favor to each other. Verse 11 implores us to work hard and not be lazy. Verse 12 says to be patient in trouble and be steadfast in prayer. Lastly, verse 13 says to help those in need and show hospitality.
A lot of this is seemingly of the “no brainer” variety but, is it really a no brainer. In Paul’s day there would have been great persecution in the church from the Roman community. The Christians had been lumped in with other eastern religions such as the Jewish religion. To the Roman community these people were unrelenting and troublesome because they refused to follow along with the religious customs of the roman community. Similarly, there was division in the church. Presumably there were those who had money, power, and influence in the Roman community. While there also were many with little to no money at all. This provided some barriers presumably, not just economically but, also class wise in the society. You had new believers worshipping together in settings where normally these different classes met together. So, there would be power struggles and expectations from the culture that would impact the community after conversion that the people would have to overcome.
So, Paul attempts to address these issues I the letter to provide a framework for how the community should operate now that they have become followers of Christ. Imagine a bum coming off the street and entering a cocktail party. He walks in and can feel the eyes upon him, feels their judgements and wonder as to why he is there. He knows the host of the party has invited him and said come as you are. Some of the fellow guests come up and greet him with love and kindness. They offer to take his coat, offer to give him their coat because his is full of holes. They tell him where the bathroom is if he would like to use it or to wash his hands. They are not burdened by him being present, they like him are grateful that the host invited them and share in the joy of being present for the event. Others attempt to keep their distance; they sneer at him and wonder why he does not just turn around and go back out the door. Certainly, he doesn’t belong in an event such as this. The bum walks around looking at the name tags until he finds his seat at the head table right next to the host. Some in the room are in wonder at how the bum has garnered the attention of the host so much as to be put in that position. Others are thinking that there must be a mistake and certainly the name placement is wrong. They think to themselves that they should be up there way before this individual should be. This is just the type of picture that Paul is painting in these verses.
You have two different reactions to the same event. Some showed love and hospitality to the bum. Speaking to him with kindness, meeting his physical need for a warm, dry, and clean coat and showing him where he could wash up before he eats the meal with everyone else. Likewise, they show genuine joy when they learn where the bum is sitting in the event and are pleased the host has shown him honor. Meanwhile you have those who have feigned love. They did not show the bum affection, they did not attempt to meet his needs, and did not show hospitality. They were not the host but, they assumed that the culture around them should make it obvious to the bum where he should be in this event. Certainly, not here at all, but at the very least somewhere far in the back and not at the head table next to the host.
So, it is with us. We need to be on guard to not judge each other by the world's standards. Jesus did not come to heal those who did not need a physician. Rather he came to reach the poor and downtrodden. We should have the same love for them that He showed them. There is no difference between us. We all have gifts as was mentioned in verses 5-8 but, not one of them makes that person greater than the others. The teacher is the same as the one who serves in the kitchen. They are different roles, but they work together for the advancement of God’s kingdom. We should humble ourselves as He humbled himself for us.
If you have not yet given your life to Jesus, I encourage you to do so right now. Jesus knows you personally, he is aware of everything you have done in the past, and He is ready to forgive you and change you. Pray this prayer with me now, speak it out loud: “Jesus I confess that you are Lord of all. I believe you came to this earth, lived a sinless life, suffered and died on a cross for my sins, were buried in the tomb and three days later rose from the dead. I confess to you I am a sinner and ask you for forgiveness. Send to me now your Holy Spirit and begin the process of changing my heart. In Jesus Name, Amen.” IF you prayed that prayer, please contact us. We would love to stand beside you and hold you up as you begin your journey with Him. Also, I encourage you to find a church to attend. We have been where you are and are grateful for the opportunity to share with you as you learn to follow Jesus.
Thank you for joining me today as we looked into God’s word together. It is a pleasure for me to share in this time with you and attempt to find out What the Word is Saying to us today.
“Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.”
Comments