Romans 16:25-26 25 Now to him who is able to establish you in accordance with my gospel, the message I proclaim about Jesus Christ, in keeping with the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past, 26 but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings by the command of the eternal God, so that all the Gentiles might come to the obedience that comes from faith
Many people love to try and solve a mystery. There is a whole thriving genre of literature that centers around this topic. Just look at any paperback book rack or online book seller’s list. Many of the titles will be mysteries, set in many times and places, all with the ability to lead us down rabbit trails after red herrings.
There are whole groups of people who seek the answers to mysteries as a means to discovering a secret truth about the universe and our place in it. For them, it can’t be spelled out plainly, but instead must be at the end of a long difficult struggle of inquiry. And it is that struggle that they enjoy.
In our passage today we see Paul’s declaration that the mystery of the Gospel has been revealed in the letter he has just finished writing. The mystery is simple for us who live in another time and place, but for them it just didn’t make sense.
And the mystery is this: Jews and Gentiles (non-Jewish peoples) both come to God the same way, by trusting in what God has said, ultimately in what God said in Christ’s life, death and resurrection. For the Jews, this was especially difficult to comprehend. They had always been taught that being Jewish was the entrance way to God.
This is good news for all but the few people with a Jewish heritage. If bloodline was the key to knowing God, the vast majority of humanity would have no hope. This sounds like the condemnation of “white” people here in the United States, whites having no hope of ever being anything but racist. Both are false!
This is also good news for those who think that living by a certain standard makes us acceptable before God. If performance was the key, only the Olympic Gold Medal Holy Life recipient would be accepted. And there is only one of these every four years, holiness being a summer sport rather than a winter sport. Who could be holy during a snowstorm!
All kidding aside, Paul concludes his letter to this church by emphasizing the overall message of his entire letter, that all come to the LORD the same way, by faith. This act of trusting the LORD to provide what only the LORD can provide, makes provision for all of humanity to be in relationship with Him. He has done all that is needed; we must simply believe this and then conduct our lives in response to this change in relationship.
So, what are we trusting to correct our course and save us from the impending collapse of our personal building? As we have read the news of the Miami, Florida building collapse, there is a metaphor shouting at us. The end can come at any moment, so be prepared.
We might not die when our condo collapses, but our physical death will come. What have we done and are doing to prepare for what comes after our physical death? It shouldn’t take us by surprise, since cemeteries exist, that life has an expiration date.
But Life has not ‘sell by’ date. Life begins now and never ends. Are you ready for the transition?
The Arnold Journey 