Romans 11:1-2a … “God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew.” vs. 2a
In those all-too-frequent times when Christians have embraced an anti-Semitic stance and done all kinds of horrendous things to Jews, they have excused their own behavior by saying, “Well, they rejected Jesus,” implying that Jews deserve to be persecuted. Of course, that’s despicable logic and it does nothing to excuse the centuries of torment and abuse. What such positions do reveal is the abysmal ignorance of Christians and their absolute failure to understand the grace of God as revealed through Christ Jesus. Paul spells it out so plainly in his letter to the Romans. God has not rejected the Jews–in fact God has loved them from the beginning. Even if they had rejected Jesus, there would be no way in the world that God would ever reject them! That’s the kind of amazing God that we love and serve. God is not like us, carrying grudges and looking for ways to get even with folks who do us wrong. God doesn’t give two hoots about our theologies and carefully crafted doctrinal statements. We might consider them helpful and it is possible that they could enhance our understanding and knowledge, but unless they lead us to love others more completely, they’re a complete waste of time. As Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three, and the greatest of these is love.”
Thought for the Day: What kind of people do I regularly reject?
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