Ninth Sunday after Pentecost (July 26, Deacon Hopkins)

While I do not usually wear T-shirts myself, I do get a smile every so often when reading what is on others’ torsos. It’s a bit like reading bumper stickers. One shirt I saw recently said, “If Paul were here, we’d be getting a letter! It had a picture of a stamp and those words, “If Paul were here, we’d be getting a letter”.

I wonder, what might a current letter from St. Paul to the Champaign-ians, contain?

From our reading of the letter to the Romans this summer we know that Paul usually writes about a mixture of things in his epistles. He often has comments about cultural issues of the particular time and place. Sometimes he writes about theological issues facing first century followers of Christ, and always he addresses God’s love for humankind and how humans are to pattern themselves after Jesus. Often the Sunday scripture passages these past weeks have included all three topics. Paul has commented on cultural matters, theological disputes, and the depth and greatness of God’s love for all! 

So, what might Paul have to say to us today? He might have a word or two about Christian conduct or morality. Perhaps he might say “Remember Champaign-ians, you have a responsibility to those less well off than you. Can’t you do something about the rise in gun violence in your community?” Or, “Can’t you do something to provide safe housing or food for all in your area?” Or, … 

Perhaps Paul might have an opinion on current theological differences, maybe the issue of women in clergy, or the Christian definition of marriage, or providing safe churches for all… Or,…

Certainly, his letter to Champaign-ians would remind us of the importance of God’s gift of his son. He would also write about the meaning of God’s immense grace for all believers. These are lasting truths, not dependent on the year or place of his text. Paul would most certainly challenge us to be in right relationship with God, molding ourselves to be more Christ-like.

With these thoughts, let’s look at today’s passage from Paul’s letter to the Romans.

Paul’s audience for this epistle is the community of Christ’s followers located in Rome. This community included both Jews and Gentiles. Up until this time, Paul’s ministry to spread the Gospel had been mostly to Gentiles in Asia Minor and he was traveling to Spain to continue the same. His journey would take him through Rome, and this letter preceded his actual meeting of those followers of Christ. An issue for the Roman community, as a mixture of Jews and Gentiles, was the question, would the Gentile converts need to become Jews, to follow Jewish law and customs, and to be absorbed into the Jewish ways? Would those who believed that Jesus was the Messiah, gradually convert the Jewish church from within? Or, would being a Christian be separate from being a Jew? 

I think we know how that controversy was settled from our vantage point. But this is why Paul speaks to the question of predestination. Jews were God’s chosen people. This theme runs throughout the Old Testament. So, in the mind of some of those of Jewish heritage the new converts would need to follow the Jewish laws to be a part of God’s chosen. Paul, even though a Jew himself, was on the other side of this argument. Being followers of Christ did not require following Jewish law. Through Jesus’ death and resurrection, God expanded salvation to the whole world.

Not wanting to get into the thorns of Calvinism versus Arminian interpretation, and personal versus group arguments for predestination, I choose to leave this part of the passage to Paul’s answer to the issue of the time. Gentile believers in Christ were equal participants in receiving God’s grace and the church would not depend on following the Law. God’s call to follow him and to be in right relationship with him was for all.

Even though not specifically stated in this passage, I also think Paul’s belief had room for personal human choice in the issue of being called. 

Topics of theology and culture are things Paul wrote about in most of his letters. He had great intellect and he could talk about the faith in this way. 

However, in today’s passage, Paul changes. He moves from intellectual argument to personal conviction. He is not just talking about the faith. Rather he takes the message of God’s love to a personal level. When he uses the words hardship, distress, persecution, and so on, he knows each of those terms as something he had gone through himself. Paul had been persecuted, faced nakedness, hunger, threats of death and other perils. They were not just theoretical topics; they were real events he had experienced.  He knew first-hand that his sufferings did  not remove him from God’s love. This was personal, not something to talk about but rather something to know and feel deep inside.

Life was not easy for Paul. 

In all honesty, Life is not easy for most of us. Or perhaps I should say, life has its difficult times. 
 
In the words one sixth grade Urbana teacher repeated often to her students, “Life is not fair.” Twelve-year-olds need to hear these words. Maybe at some level we all have not forgotten being 12 and need to be reminded of this. Life is not fair. 

Most of us have had hardships and distress in our lives. Maybe we give thanks for having escaped persecution, famine and the rest, or maybe not. We each have our own story. It becomes personal, not only to Paul, but also to every human being. It is a part of our existence. Life is hard and often may seem unfair.

And yet, Paul, reminds us that it is Christ Jesus who died, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who intercedes for us. So, then, what is it that can separate us from the love of God?

There are many reassurances in this passage, many reasons to hope. Even when we are beaten down from life’s difficulties, the Spirit can and does pray for us. We are precious beings to God. When we suffer Jesus knows exactly what that is and Jesus is right with us, in those sufferings. We are not alone in our difficulties. 

Especially at the worst times of our lives, we need to read and remember Paul’s experience. These are not mere words. These are Paul’s conviction of the depth of God’s loving support. We are never abandoned, even in times when we think we cannot feel his love; God is there. 

Paul tells us that God is able to bring good out of any circumstances, even those that are incredibly painful. This does not mean that those bad things become good, but rather that in the middle of all circumstances, God is faithful. And as God was faithful to Paul, God is faithful to you and to me. Even during suffering and death God’s love is solid, unwavering and the source of peace and comfort.

This is why the end of the 8th chapter of Romans is often read at funerals. It brings hope and comfort to those who are in the middle of loss and grief. 

But it is not just at the time of death we sorrow. Paul’s words offer hope whenever we are separated from what we have known and loved. This passage offers comfort in all times of hardship and distress and loss. 

Life is hard, sometimes harder than others. And these verses heard this morning carry the eternal truth that God is always with us. He will not ever abandon us. 

As we may think about what Paul might have to say to us in a letter today, we realize we don’t really need such a letter. Because, in all his writings, Saint Paul’s focus is on the work of God; what God has done and what God continues to do to show how much he loves us. These truths are lasting truths. This letter to the Romans carries the same truth to all readers throughout the ages wherever they may be. 

Remember, Paul is not just talking about truth. This is not one of his philosophical arguments. Rather, he is giving his whole self, his whole experience, sharing his deep conviction of his belief in Christ. Hear again, Paul’s words.

“What then are we to say about these things? If God is for you, who is against us? He who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us, will he not with him also give us everything else? Who will bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? It is Christ Jesus who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God who intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep to be slaughtered.”

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Amen, Paul, amen.