The Lord Is Lord of All – Romans 10

A text – Romans 10:5-15

10:5 Moses writes concerning the righteousness that comes from the law, that “the person who does these things will live by them.”
10:6 But the righteousness that comes from faith says, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?'” (that is, to bring Christ down)
10:7 “or ‘Who will descend into the abyss?'” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).
10:8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, on your lips and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim);
10:9 because if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
10:10 For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved.
10:11 The scripture says, “No one who believes in him will be put to shame.”
10:12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and is generous to all who call on him.
10:13 For, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
10:14 But how are they to call on one in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in one of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone to proclaim him?
10:15 And how are they to proclaim him unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”

A reflection:

As Paul writes to the Romans here, he is hoping to find a way to convince traditional Jews that the Law of Moses and all the subsequent behaviors and codes Jews have lived by for centuries surely mark them as Jews, but that following the law doesn’t make them right with God (righteousness) since God ‘s own Son has walked among them.  But if they confess with the mouth and believe in their hearts that Jesus is Lord, God will save them, will never put them to shame.

And not only this, Paul says. Not just Jews will be saved in this way but anyone. Anyone. The same Lord is Lord of all and generous to all who call upon him. A Samaritan. A Persian. A Greek. A Celt.

Finally, Paul asks how all these strangers, non-Jews, are going to hear about this world-wide saving that God is offering? How will they hear about Jesus, the Messiah? Who will tell them?

Paul was unmatched in his zeal to tell the world. He was unmatched in his zeal to try to figure out ways to convince Jews who did not accept Jesus as Messiah. He was unmatched in his zeal to spend his life proclaiming the kingdom of God and that there was no one unwelcome in that kingdom. No one.

Many good human beings today are tempted to disagree with Paul and say that some people are beyond reach of God’s promises and God’s love. You can name many groups that these good human beings would exclude from the kingdom. These groups are excluded for who they are or what they do or how they were born or how they live. But Paul’s argument applies to them, too. “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” The Lord is Lord of all. The Lord is the Creator of the Universe, the Creator of all of us humans. We are all God’s creatures, God’s children. If God is generous, everyone benefits.  And wouldn’t we really want a generous God, after all?  Amen.

A prayer:

Lord God, Thank you for loving us. Thank you for raising Jesus from death to show us the way, to show us your abundance and faithfulness. Help us to be as generous with our fellow human beings.  Amen.