For I am not ashamed- Tuesday, 28th Week in ordinary time- Romans 1: 16- 25

The reading of today is power packed and clear; the Gospel is THE powerful source of Salvation for all and which discloses God’s uprightness (not to be misunderstood as self-righteous). The JBC well describes the Gospel as not just a message or philosophy or a thought system to be learned but it is the “story of the cross”.

Writing to the Romans, Paul primarily acknowledges the privilege of Israel; for to them the Messiah was promised and hence it is right that this message is first disclosed to the Jews. But God’s word is also revealed to all of humanity so that through it they may also come to knowledge of the truth and share by faith God’s salvation.

The uprightness of God is that divine quality which acquits His people and shows them His gracious power in a just judgment. The Gospel is thus a means whereby this aspect of God is revealed. Paul asserts that without the Gospel the Jew does not succeed in achieving the uprightness before God, despite the advantage of possessing the Mosaic Law.

Where does that leave us? The Gospel is thus to be preached and lived in season and out of season. Through it God brings about his saving work in our lives. Yet we often sense that the world around us rejects the Gospel and its values. Human philosophy stands in pale contrast to God’s message and rational arguments may dazzle the mind but can never satisfy the soul.

The Gentiles and the Jews knew that they had become “vain in their reasoning, and their senseless minds were darkened” yet they claimed to be wise while living out their foolishness. They had exchanged the glory of the immortal God for the likeness of an image of mortal man or of birds or of four-legged animals or of snakes.

We too fall into the trap of these false gods; they may not be four legged animals but the wily ways of satan, in his two legged form. When our created things take us away from the one who created them, then we have “exchanged the truth of God for a lie and revered and worshiped the creature rather than the creator”.
May the words of the Gospel wipe away our sin.