Romans 11 – Brandon Hatmaker “My Own People”
Wednesday, June 4th, 2008
“I am talking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I make much of my ministry in the hope that I may somehow arouse my own people to envy and save some of them. For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? If the part of the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, then the whole batch is holy; if the root is holy, so are the branches. – Romans 11:13-16
Sometimes I forget that Paul was a Jew. I don’t know why, but I do. There comes a lot of pride (the good kind) from a strong lineage. And Paul loved his people. I forget how much this probably hurt his soul that what they hoped for so long, they now reject. His own people were blind to what he was trying to show them.
I can’t help but now make the jump to God. Can we truly comprehend how we grieve the Spirit when we, as God’s own creation, reject Him? Obviously for eternity’s sake, but let’s not forget how we do it daily, even as believers.
This makes Grace even more profound to me today.
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The vastness of God's love is what I got out of Chapter 11 again. "Did God reject His own people? By no means!" Paul is very direct that God did not give up on His people. He, instead, brought Paul into the game to take the message to people who were not Jews. God doesn't turn His back on you no matter how many times you turn your back on Him. He wants nothing more than to have that relationship with you. There are no favorites on His team. He loves His people, Jews, and the rest of us, Gentiles.
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