We have received mercy

At the end of last year we began a journey through Romans, and this week we pick it back up again. Romans is such an important part of the New Testament, full of history, rich theology, and explaining what Jesus has done for us. Something that we must never forget, however, is that the book of Romans is a letter, written from Paul, to the Church in Rome. The Church in Rome, like many churches, did some things well, and some things poorly. We can tell from Paul’s letter that they were divided across ethno-cultural boundaries, and so Paul tells them that one group is no better than the other. He writes in Chapter 11:30-31a:

‘Just as you who were at one time disobedient to God have now received mercy as a result of their disobedience, so [the other group] too have now become disobedient in order that they too may now receive mercy.’

Just like the Church in Rome, we also have been disobedient to God, and have received mercy. May we show that mercy to those both within our walls, and without, regardless of what divides us.

Brendan

Feature image: Fresco of a Christian Agape Feast, Catacombe di Priscilla, Rome